Druids Essay -- essays research papers fc

THE DRUIDS     During the Anglo-Saxon period, magic was often practiced among several contrasting classes of people in their own ways. It was considered sinful but its power was unceasingly believed in. Their knowledge of magic was first sought out from the biblical story, The 3 Wise Men. According to one legend, the men who visited baby Jesus were astrologers who set(p) him by magic use of the stars. The Bible has many ferences to magic, sorcery, and witchcraft. Since religious belief was treasured during the Anglo-Saxon period, the Bible held the laws to their lives. Church authorities tried to ban witchcraft but people in many parts of the world go on to practice witchcraft as a religion. From the Anglo-Saxon period, the close to well know of these people were the Druids.      The Druids were the priests or ministers of religion among the ancient Celtic nations in Gaul, Britain, and Germany. They combined the functions of the priest , the magistrate, the scholar, and the physician. Druidism is a reconstruction of the beliefs and practices of the ancient Celtic priesthood-professional class. They underwent lengthy training about twenty years. Druids led any public rituals, which were normally held indoors fenced groves of sacrosanct trees. They didnt use any images to represent the object of worship. A grade of stones enclosing an area from twenty to thirty yards in diameter, constituted their sacred place. The most sacred of this is the Stonehenge. When privacy was called for, these rituals took place in sacred grooves and clearings mystical deep in the forests. They believed in only one god, to whom they gave the name "Beal". In modern english this translates to "the life of every thing," or "the source of all beings". It has a connection with the Phoenician Baal. The Druids identified this with the Sun. Fire was referenced as a symbol of the eternal life. In record, most of the l eaders were males. It wasnt known whether female Druids were considered of equal part. Two fiestas were of great importance to the Druids. The first festival took place in the beginning of May and was called Beltane or "Fire of beau ideal". A large fire was heated on an elevated spot, in honor of the sun, whose returning beneficence they then welcomed after the winter time. The number festiva... ... Druidism itself was destroyed or continued deeply underground throughout most of the Celtic lands.      Though Druidism is not a common practiced religion today, it still does exist even here in the United States. The nub of the Druids will never die due to the ancient "Druid" altars, beds, rings, stones, stone circles, and temples they guard left behind. Other present day religious leaders sire followed and adopted the same beliefs as the Druids. Though we are not as familiar with these magicians, their legends and remnants still haunt the Euro pean lands.                    Works CitedBOOKDersin,Denise. What emotional state Was Like Among Druids And High Kings. Richmond, Virginia Time Life Inc., 1998.EncyclopediaWallis, Wilson D. "Druid." The World playscript Encyclopedia. 1970 Edition.INTERNET SOURCESCeltic Druidism. http//www.religioustolerance.org/druid.htmDruids. http//celt.net/Celtic/History/d_overview.htmlThe Druids. http//witchcraft.simplenet.com/druid.html