Druidism
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Druisdism was the religion of the Celtic people that dominated Western and Central Europe in the 1st millenium BCE. Not much is known about the religion of the Druids because there is not mcuh written down that we can go by. There are a few things that we can know for sure about the Druids. After those few things, everything else is pure speculation. The Druids blieved in the immortality of the soul, which at death was believed to pass into the body of a newborn child. One of the major speculations drawn up during the time in which the Druids dominated England was that the Druids believed that they were descended from a supreme being. This idea was first concocted in a biased account of the cult written by Stoic philosopher and historian, Posidonius. Julius Caesar used the account of Posidonius to draw a picture of the Druids depicting this speculated belief about them. The ancient accounts assert that the function of priests, religious teachers, judges, and civil administrators were performed by Druids, with supreme power being vested in an archdruid. The Druids were divided into three classes which were prophets, bards, and priests. They were assisted by female prophets and/or sorecerors, who did not enjoy the powers and priveleges of the Druids. The Druids were well-versed in astrology, magic, and the msterious powers of plants and animals. They held the oak tree and mistletoe in great reverance, and customarily conducted their rituals in oak forests. Archaeologists believe that the Druids probably used stone monuments known as Dolmen for their altars and temples. Stonehenge is known as being a place through which the Druids operated the practice of their cult. The Druids had four important holidays in the year. The most important of their holidays was Samhain. This began at sundown on October 31 and extended into the following day. The Druids believed that Samhain was the day in which the spirits that had died in the preceding year would roam the earth. The Druids sought to ward off these spirits with offerings of food and drink. They also built bonfires at sacred hilltop sites and performed rituals involving human and animal sacrifice to honor Druid deities. Druid mythology included earth gods, various woodland spirits, and sun deities. Their was also a rich belief in elfin demons and tutelaries. These beings were believed to pervade the lore of peoples of Celtic ancestry.
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