The Philosopher and the Druids

The Philosopher and the Druids PDF Author: Philip Freeman
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 0743289064
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 249

Book Description
Early in the first century B.C. a Greek philosopher named Posidonius began an ambitious and dangerous journey into the little-known lands of the Celts. A man of great intellectual curiosity and considerable daring, Posidonius traveled from his home on the island of Rhodes to Rome, the capital of the expanding empire that had begun to dominate the Mediterranean. From there Posidonius planned to investigate for himself the mysterious Celts, reputed to be cannibals and savages. His journey would be one of the great adventures of the ancient world. Posidonius journeyed deep into the heart of the Celtic lands in Gaul. There he discovered that the Celts were not barbarians but a sophisticated people who studied the stars, composed beautiful poetry, and venerated a priestly caste known as the Druids. Celtic warriors painted their bodies, wore pants, and decapitated their foes. Posidonius was amazed at the Celtic women, who enjoyed greater freedoms than the women of Rome, and was astonished to discover that women could even become Druids. Posidonius returned home and wrote a book about his travels among the Celts, which became one of the most popular books of ancient times. His work influenced Julius Caesar, who would eventually conquer the people of Gaul and bring the Celts into the Roman Empire, ending forever their ancient way of life. Thanks to Posidonius, who could not have known that he was recording a way of life soon to disappear, we have an objective, eyewitness account of the lives and customs of the ancient Celts.

War, Women, and Druids

War, Women, and Druids PDF Author: Philip Freeman
Publisher: Univ of TX + ORM
ISBN: 0292756399
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 113

Book Description
The author of Hannibal: Rome’s Greatest Enemy delivers a comprehensive, unbiased portrait of the ancient Celts using Greek and Roman primary sources. “The ancient Celts capture the modern imagination as do few other people of classical times. Naked barbarians charging the Roman legions, Druids performing sacrifices of unspeakable horror, women fighting beside their men and even leading armies—these, along with stunning works of art, are the images most of us call to mind when we think of the Celts,” observes Philip Freeman. “And for the most part, these images are firmly based in the descriptions handed down to us by the Greek and Roman writers.” This book draws on the firsthand observations and early accounts of classical writers to piece together a detailed portrait of the ancient Celtic peoples of Europe and the British Isles. Philip Freeman groups the selections (ranging from short statements to longer treatises) by themes—war, feasting, poetry, religion, women, and the Western Isles. He also presents inscriptions written by the ancient Celts themselves. This wealth of material, introduced and translated by Freeman to be especially accessible to students and general readers, makes this book essential reading for everyone fascinated by the ancient Celts. “I know of no other work that pulls this sort of material together and groups it by such helpful categories (war, feasting, poetry, religion, women, etc.). I will certainly value it in my library and . . . as recommended reading for several of my courses. It will be a nice companion to Freeman's Ireland and the Classical World.” —Patrick K. Ford, Professor and Chair of Celtic Languages and Literatures, Harvard University

The Christian Druids

The Christian Druids PDF Author: John Minahane
Publisher: Howth Free Press
ISBN: 0955316308
Category : Celts
Languages : en
Pages : 257

Book Description

Druids: A Very Short Introduction

Druids: A Very Short Introduction PDF Author: Barry Cunliffe
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191613789
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 160

Book Description
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.

Witches, Druids and King Arthur

Witches, Druids and King Arthur PDF Author: Ronald Hutton
Publisher: A&C Black
ISBN: 9781852855550
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 402

Book Description
In Stations of the Sun and The Triumph of the Moon Ronald Hutton established himself as a leading authority on the historian of Paganism. His wealth of unusual knowledge, complemented by a deep and sympathetic understanding of past and present beliefs that are often dismissed as strange or marginal, and an ability to write lucidly and wittily, gives his work a unique flavour. The essays which make up Witches, Druids and King Arthur cover elegantly and entertainingly a wide range of beliefs, myths and practices.

The Druids

The Druids PDF Author: Rudolf Steiner
Publisher: Rudolf Steiner Press
ISBN: 9781855840997
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 110

Book Description
The Sun Initiation of the Druid Priests and their Moon Science; The Mysteries of Ancient Ireland; Celtic Christianity - the Heritage of the Druids; Teachings of the Mysteries - the Spirit in Nature; The Great Mysteries - the Mystery of Christ; The Function of the Standing Stones; Spiritual Imaginations.

A History of Irish Thought

A History of Irish Thought PDF Author: Thomas Duddy
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134623526
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 392

Book Description
The first complete introduction to the subject ever published, A History of Irish Thought presents an inclusive survey of Irish thought and the history of Irish ideas against the backdrop of current political and social change in Ireland. Clearly written and engaging, the survey introduces an array of philosophers, polemicists, ideologists, satirists, scientists, poets and political and social reformers, from the anonymous seventh-century monk, the Irish Augustine, and John Scottus Eriugena, to the twentieth century and W.B. Yeats and Iris Murdoch. Thomas Duddy rediscovers the liveliest and most contested issues in the Irish past, and brings the history of Irish thought up to date. This volume will be of great value to anyone interested in Irish culture and its intellectual history.

Cathedral of the Black Madonna

Cathedral of the Black Madonna PDF Author: Jean Markale
Publisher: Inner Traditions
ISBN: 9781594770203
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 312

Book Description
Explores the connection between ancient druidic worship of a virgin at Chartres and the veneration of the Black Madonna • Examines the Virgin Mary’s origins in the pagan worship of the Mother Goddess • Identifies Mary with the dominant solar goddess of matriarchal societies The great cathedral of Chartres is renowned the world over as a masterpiece of High Gothic architecture and for its remarkable stained glass, considered alchemical glass, and its mystical labyrinth. But the sacred foundations of this sanctuary go back to a time long before Christianity when this site was a clearing where druids worshiped a Virgo Paritura: a virgin about to give birth. This ancient meeting place, where all the druids in Gaul gathered once a year, now houses the magnificent Chartres cathedral dedicated both to the Virgin Mary, Mother of God, and to one of the most venerated Black Madonnas in Europe: Our Lady of the Pillar. Coincidence? Hardly, says Jean Markale, whose exhaustive examination of the site traces Chartres’ roots back to prehistoric times and the appeal of the Black Madonna back to the ancient widespread worship of Mother Goddesses such as Cybele and Isis. Markale contends that the mother and child depicted by the Black Madonna are descended from the image worshipped by the druids of the Virgin forever giving birth. This image is not merely a representation of maternal love--albeit of a spiritual nature. It is a theological notion of great refinement: the Virgin gives birth ceaselessly to a world, a God, and a humanity in perpetual becoming.
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