The legend of witchcraft is long lost to the present day. Some opinionated people argue that it never existed and was forged purely for entertainment purposes. However, many believe that this ancient power has passed through past civilizations. Druids were thought to be capable of this power, they were shamans, high ranking religious figures in a society. They were said to have the ability to see into the future, the power to heal, the power to destroy, and the power to communicate with animals and spirits not of this world. The Druids lived in forests of tall oaks, where under these magnificent oaks they paid homage. The oak was very sacred to these people, so they venerated it in the sacred groves that were under the trees themselves. The precise meaning of the word druid is unclear to many historians. There are similar ancient Celtic words meaning “knowledge” and “oak”, they can be interpreted as “oak knowledge” or “great oak”. Because of their “so-called” rare abilities, Druids were despised and persecuted by Romans and Christians. Because they did not want their Scriptures to fall into unkind hands, they were averse to writing down these sacred matters. They were also said to perform human sacrifices with illegal prisoners and convicts. Druids were thought to be barbaric savages, but they were undoubtedly creatures with advanced intellectual abilities. The meaning of the word druid is not clarified in all historical texts. Interpretations of the word consist of “oak knowledge” or “deep knowledge” (Green 9). The word “…deru- implies being firm or resolute and is related to the Celtic words for “oak.” This root is related to the root wid-, “to know” (Cunliffe 190). In reality very little can be confirmed about d...... middle of paper... them. They were feared by these people because they thought they were barbaric creatures who did nothing but worship trees and perform human sacrifices. Although they performed human sacrifices, Druids were a group of people who worshiped nature's beauty, wisdom, love, creativity, and intuition. Those traits have long been lost in the “civilized” societies in which they lived. Works Cited Brockman, Norbert C. “Sacred Groves.” World history: ancient and medieval times. ABC-CLIO, 2013. Web. 13 September 2013. Cunliffe, Barry. The ancient Celts. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997. Print.Green, Miranda. The world of the druids. New York: Thames & Hudson Inc, 1997. Print. Jestice, Phyllis. "Druids." World history: ancient and medieval times. ABC-CLIO, 2013.Web. September 13, 2013. “Shamanism.” World history: ancient and medieval times. ABC-CLIO, 2013. Web. September. 2013.