An approachable, deeply researched, and up-to-date introduction to the historical Druids. 

The Druids—the mystical, spiritual leaders of ancient Britain and Europe—are a people shrouded in mystery. In Druidlands, Miranda Aldhouse-Green offers an illuminating guidebook that throws light on this most enigmatic caste.

Druids flourished as the theocrats of their day—employing sacrifice, shamanism and magic—until the Romans forced them underground, condemning them as hostile religious jihadists who threatened the conquerors’ supremacy. But Druidism endured: traditions were preserved in subtle ways while new composite beliefs emerged alongside Roman paganism. Drawing on classical literary sources and a wealth of new archaeological material, Druidlands points to a rich and complex native religion in the heartlands of Britain and Gaul.