Waubonsee Community College

Blood and mistletoe, the history of the Druids in Britain, Ronald Hutton

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 423-471) and index

illustrationsplates

index present

non fiction

Blood and mistletoe

bibliography

708324620

Ronald Hutton

the history of the Druids in Britain

Crushed by the Romans in the first century A.D., the ancient Druids of Britain left almost no reliable evidence behind. Because of this, historian Ronald Hutton shows, succeeding British generations have been free to reimagine, reinterpret, and reinvent the Druids. Huttonʹs captivating book is the first to encompass two thousand years of Druid history and to explore the evolution of English, Scottish, and Welsh attitudes toward the forever ambiguous figures of the ancient Celtic world. Druids have been remembered at different times as patriots, scientists, philosophers, or priests; sometimes portrayed as corrupt, bloodthirsty, or ignorant, they were also seen as fomenters of rebellion. Hutton charts how the Druids have been written in and out of history, archaeology, and the public consciousness for some 500 years, with particular focus on the romantic period, when Druids completely dominated notions of British prehistory. Sparkling with legends and images, filled with new perspectives on ancient and modern times, this book is a fascinating cultural study of Druids as catalysts in British history. -- Publisher description from http://yalepress.yale.edu (Oct. 3, 2011)

Introduction -- Raw material -- Druids take shape -- Druids take over -- Druids take flesh -- Iolo Morganwg -- Interlude : a pair of Williams -- Apogee of the English Druids -- Iolo's children -- Downfall of the Druids -- Druidic afterglow -- Universal bond -- Druids and archaeologists

History of the Druids in BritainBlood & mistletoe