1. Druids
By Michael Blakely

2. Who are they? “Knowing (or Finding) the Oak Tree”
Earliest known records from 3rd century BCE

3. Druids in Celtic Society
“In omnī Galliā eōrum hominum quī aliquō sunt numerō atque honōre genera sunt duo.”- De Bello Gallico Book 6.6
Priests
Educators
20 year education
Politics

4. Religious Rituals Pliny the Elder- Naturalis Historia
Oak and Mistletoe
Caesar- De Bello Gallico
Wicker Man?

5. Discussion
Despite claims, there is little archaeological evidence of the Celts performing human sacrifice. There is no evidence of any human sacrifice in the way that Caesar describes in De Bello Gallico. Keeping in mind that De Bello Gallico is a form of propaganda, how does this change the reliability of De Bello Gallico as a description of the Gauls?
Pliny the Elder describes Druids as Magi. What does his word choice say about his perception of Druids?

6. References
Green, M. J. (2010). Exploring the world of the druids. London: Thames & Hudson.
Piggott, S. (1985). The Druids. New York , NY: Thames & Hudson
Ross, A., & Garland, R. (1994). Druids, gods & heroes from Celtic mythology. New York: Peter Bedrick Books.