The Druids

The Druids examines the historical evidence for the religious, intellectual and social role of Druids in ancient Celtic society. Peter Berresford Ellis draws on archaeology, etymology and surviving written references to consider their origins, training, philosophy and use of augury.

The book presents Druids not simply as priests, but as a learned caste whose reported duties included law, medicine, diplomacy and advising kings. It also assesses Roman accounts of human sacrifice and divination, weighing them against the wider evidence. Later interpretations receive attention too, including the image of Druids as benevolent wizards in modern New Age thought. Britain and Ireland feature within a broader study of the Celtic world and its traditions.