The Druids; Stuart Piggott

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The moon right now

The Druids by Stuart Piggott, Thames & Hudson, Inc.

Review by Wyldwytch

Piggott is a seasoned archaeologist who has long studied the Celts, and delivers a great deal of information in this compact but powerful read. Do keep this in mind when approaching this book, it is not for those of the Neo-Pagan genre looking for rituals and spells. The confusion surrounding these peoples as well as the Druids is incredible – history has been muddled to the extent of sheer confusion and Piggott helps to shed some light on this. The technical aspects of this book can hinder the novice reader, but press on, they are few and far between, and do not hinder the work as a whole in the least and very docile in the end. For those with some archaeological background or knowledge, you will easily grasp the concepts, and perhaps follow up on some of his conclusions.

The book tackles the issue of the Druids in three aspects; archaeology, text, and the romantic view. This consists of reviews of excavation sites, which is done superbly – coming from someone with a very limited archaeological exposure, I have to say Piggott did not lose me for a moment. Piggott then covers several texts from Greece, Rome, and Irish, comparing and contrasting all. He dubs the term “druids-as-wished-for” that really explores the reality of the matter when the Druids were ‘re-discovered,’ even including some wonderful parallels to similar mystical societies being established at the time. I was none to surprise to find the first reemergence of Druid groups being associated with the stonecutters.

For those who crave some actual content here are a few things you may learn about (in no particular order); what cauldrons were used for, where wishing wells originated, the use of pole sanctuaries, the inaccuracies of the modern Druid depiction, earthen devotionals, the reliability of the classical texts, and finally about the wicker man. Yes, the wicker man. It is a practice that has never been duplicated and is barely understood, but comprised of making a large man out of wood, filling it with people, and burning it. Interesting indeed!

This book is an invaluable resource in terms of understanding the practices, the hype, and the reality of the Druids – and serves as a wonderful overall Celtic introduction as well. One of the key aspects of this book has to do not with the subject matter, but Piggott’s way of really bringing the reader into his world. He allows you additional information on society, culture, religion, and understanding of cross-cultural references that really elevate this book past the recommended mark to the highly recommended mark. The reader will walk away feeling more educated and even better able to examine other areas of interest they may have.

To conclude, I would like to point out the connection between a recent news event posted on the Weavings forum and this book that may provide an added “grab” for those teetering about the book. The news article entitled “Germany To Reopen 6,800-year-old Mystery Circle” can be found in the News forum over at Weavings – take a look. Much of this will be found in the book, in fact there is a rather large section dedicated to ritual shafts, pole sanctuaries, and the lot, all trying to discern their possible uses. As you will soon find out, an assumption is all we can make about those Druids long ago, I suggest Piggott for those who want to begin or continue their studies in the factual rather than fictional direction.