The Philosopher and the Druids

The Philosopher and the Druids PDF

Author: Philip Freeman

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2006-03-01

Total Pages: 249

ISBN-13: 0743289064

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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

Published: 2010-06-28

Total Pages: 113

ISBN-13: 0292756399

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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 Druids

The Druids PDF

Author: Rudolf Steiner

Publisher: Rudolf Steiner Press

Published: 2023-10-20

Total Pages: 110

ISBN-13: 9781855840997

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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.

Witches, Druids and King Arthur

Witches, Druids and King Arthur PDF

Author: Ronald Hutton

Publisher: A&C Black

Published: 2006-09-15

Total Pages: 402

ISBN-13: 9781852855550

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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.

Cathedral of the Black Madonna

Cathedral of the Black Madonna PDF

Author: Jean Markale

Publisher: Inner Traditions

Published: 2004-10-27

Total Pages: 312

ISBN-13: 9781594770203

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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.

Ancient Celts

Ancient Celts PDF

Author: Kathryn Hinds

Publisher: Marshall Cavendish

Published: 2009

Total Pages: 84

ISBN-13: 9780761445142

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Learn all there is to know about the ancient Celts, who played a compelling but often overlooked role in ancient history.

The Druid's Primer

The Druid's Primer PDF

Author: Luke Eastwood

Publisher: John Hunt Publishing

Published: 2012-02-24

Total Pages: 318

ISBN-13: 1846947650

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Perhaps the first serious attempt to collate the vast body of druidic knowledge from verifiable ancient sources and Celtic survivals into one usable and practical volume as a handy reference for druids and a learning tool for the would be druid. Inspired by the medieval Irish 'Scholar's Primer' this work is the culmination of 15 years' research and practical exploration of what it means to be a druid in a modern context. , ,

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