Mystery of the Ancient Druids - Lost Celtic Mystics - Full Documentary

The ancient Druids were a priestly class in Celtic cultures who were religious leaders, teachers, and healers. They were also known for their knowledge of nature and the community's history. Druidism can be described as a shamanic religion, as it relied on a combination of contact with the spirit world and holistic medicines to treat (and sometimes cause) illnesses. They were said to have induced insanity in people and been accurate fortune tellers. Some of their knowledge of the earth and space may have come from megalithic times.

Who were the Druids?

They were mediators between humans and the gods
They performed religious rituals, including sacrifices
They interpreted natural events and divined the future
They made medicinal potions, especially using mistletoe
They were legal authorities and adjudicators
They were political advisors

The earliest written reference to the Druids dates back to the 1st century BC

Most of what we know about Druids comes from Roman writers
Druids are believed to have been prevented by doctrine from recording their knowledge in writing
Druids and Celtic religion declined after persecution by the Romans in the 1st century CE

Popular imagery
The Druids are often depicted as white-robed wise men carrying a golden sickle and mistletoe.

There is a lot of mystery shrouding the actual history of the Druids, as our knowledge is based on limited records. Druidism is thought to have been a part of Celtic and Gaulish culture in Europe, with the first classical reference to them in the 2nd century BC.

Their practices were similar to those of priests today, connecting the people with the gods, but their role was also varied and wide-ranging, acting as teachers, scientists, judges and philosophers. They were incredibly powerful and respected, able to banish people from society for breaking the sacred laws, and even able to come between two opposing armies and prevent warfare! They did not have to pay taxes or serve in battle. Druid women were also considered equal to men in many respects, unusual for an ancient community. They could take part in wars and even divorce their husbands!

One of the earliest accounts of Druids was written by Julius Caesar in 59-51 BC. He wrote it in Gaul, where prestigious men were divided into Druids or nobles. It was from the Roman writers that historians have gained most of their knowledge of the Druids. Druids were polytheistic and had female gods and sacred figures, rather like the Greeks and Romans, but their nomadic, less civilized Druidic society gave the others a sense of superiority. This renders some of their accounts historically uncertain, as they may be tainted with exaggerated examples of Druidic practices. Druidic human sacrifice was recorded but there is no definitive evidence to support this.

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