(European mythology)

An ancient Celtic order of priests, teachers, diviners, and magicians. The name itself is thought to relate to an oak tree or drus. Julius Caesar reports that the Druids met annually at a site believed to be the centre of Gaul; he also mentions a Chief Druid. The only detailed account of a Druidic ceremony we have was recorded by another Roman writer. It occurred at the time determined by the growth of mistletoe on an oak. A druid in a white robe climbed the tree and cut with ‘a golden sickle’ the branch of mistletoe, which was caught as it fell on a white cloak. Two white bulls were then sacrificed, and a feast took place. The meaning of this rite, like much else connected with this priesthood, remains obscure.

A Dictionary of World Mythology. Copyright © Arthur Cotterell 1979, 1986, 2003. All rights reserved.