Regarding Druids
The Druids of modern fantasy are often depicted as reclusive wizards of the wood, weaving spells, and communicating with nature. An example of this character is the figure popularized by the French cartoon Asterix and Obelix: a somewhat crazy old man that brews potions, carries a staff, wears a very long white beard, and lives in the forest (GOSCINNY). These modern Druidic representations bear little resemblance to their ancient Celtic forbearers. The true identity of the Druids is shrouded by time and politically motivated misinterpretations created to justify conquest and glorify the church. But from these misguided classic sources, a vague image of who the Druids were solidifies into a well-defined social group of Celtic Europe. …show more content…
Unfortunately these works were skewed to the perspective of a conquering people attempting to justify their empire’s expansion. Virtually all the records we have regarding Druids from the time of Rome, apart from Julius Cesar’s own accounts, were drawn from one source, the work of Poseidonios (c.135-c.50 BC). Poseidonios was a historian and philosopher based on the island of Rhodes. He traveled extensively throughout Italy and Gaul. Although he was Greek, Poseidonios was an avid admirer of the Roman Empire. He wrote fifty-two books cataloging Rome’s rise to power during the period of 146 BC to 81 BC. Unfortunately, the majority of his works have been lost (Ellis