Druids

Druids

Members of the ancient pre-Christian Celtic priestcraft of Britain and Gaul, a secret order about which almost nothing is known. The term 'druid' means 'knowing the oak tree' in Gaelic; the oak tree was sacred to the Celts.

The Romans tell us that the Druids were magicians, but the nature of their magic is unknown. The Romans also tell us that they believed in the transmigration of souls (which may have been reincarnation). They are said to have conducted their cult practices in sacred oak groves, where one of their chief rites was harvesting mistletoe using a golden sickle. They are also thought to have offered human sacrifices. It is probable that they were the representatives of the ancient Nordic and Christian Mysteries.

The theory that the Druids built Stonehenge or Avebury, advanced by some antiquarians in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, has been proved by modern archaeological techniques to be false.

Various Druid groups flourish in Britain and the United States, but claim no connection with ancient Druids. They celebrate eight pagan festivals in outdoor henges and groves, the most important being the summer solstice. Since 1985 modern Druids have been prevented from gathering at Stonehenge for the solstice, due to vandalism by spectators. American druids use a replica of Stonehenge in Washington State.

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