Druids: A Very Short Introduction

by Barry Cunliffe

Overview

Who were the Druids? What do we know about them? Do they still exist today? The Druids first came into focus in Western Europe - Gaul, Britain, and Ireland - in the second century BC. They are a popular subject; they have been known and discussed for over 2,000 years and few figures flit so elusively through history. They are enigmatic and puzzling, partly because of the lack of knowledge about them has resulted in a wide spectrum of interpretations. Barry Cunliffe takes the reader through the evidence relating to the Druids, trying to decide what can be said and what can't be said about them. He examines why the nature of the druid caste changed quite dramatically over time, and how successive generations have interpreted the phenomenon in very different ways. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780191613784
Publisher:	OUP Oxford
Publication date:	05/27/2010
Series:	Very Short Introductions
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	937,571
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Professor Barry Cunliffe is Emeritus Professor of European Archaeology at Oxford. He is the Commissioner of English Heritage and has been a Trustee of the British Museum, Governer of Museum of London, and President of the Society of Antiquaries. His previous publications include The Celts: A Very Short Introduction (1997) and Facing the Ocean (2001).

Table of Contents

1. The Druids in time and space2. The European theatre3. The archaeology of religious practice at the time of the Druids4. Enter the Druids: the first contacts5. Altars steeped in human blood6. Twilight in the far west7. Renaissance and rediscovery8. Romanticism and the rise of nationalism9. Neo-druids and the neo-pagans10. So, who were the Druids? Further reading