Blood and Mistletoe: A Review

Blood and Mistletoe is a book about the Druids by Professor Ronald Hutton. Find out why the fact that we know next to nothing about the Druids is what makes them fascinating.

I had a great history teacher in high school. His name was William Bothwell.

He was a bit of a misfit in our little, rural community. His eclectic background included having earned a doctorate, and studied at King’s College, Cambridge,

He had served as the Dean of Christ Church Cathedral in Montreal, a broadcaster and a journalist before settling down to a quiet life as our history teacher. I’d say he was the first genuine intellectual I had ever encountered, and he inspired me to see beyond my surroundings.

Opened the Lessons of the Ancient and Medieval World

Not all of his teenage students had the maturity to take an interest in Mr. Bothwell’s erudition. Even so, for those of us with broader minds, he opened the lessons of the ancient and medieval world to us.

It was Mr. Bothwell who first introduced me to the Druids. He described them as a group of Celtic priests living in ancient Europe.