Press release: Who are Modern Druids?

27 April 2025

Who are Modern Druids and what do they mean to us? Gresham College professor to explain all 

Gresham Professor of Divinity, Ronald Hutton, to give lecture as part of his series on Modern Paganism on Wednesday, 2 April, online and in central London 

Druids, high-ranking priests in ancient Celtic cultures, have given modern scholars a problem: they left nothing in writing.  

They were the religious leaders for their cultures, and had other responsibilities too, including acting as adjudicators, medical experts, political advisors, and legal experts. Oh, and they were the ones who kept their communities' legends alive.  

With no written evidence left behind, understanding who they were, what they did and what impact they may have had is hard to discern.  

Professor Ronald Hutton, Gresham College’s Professor of Divinity, will explore the impact of the Ancient Druids down the ages when he gives a lecture on Wednesday, April 2.  

Part of his series on Modern Paganism and Witchcraft, the hour-long lecture will be given in London and be available to watch online. 

“The ancient Druids have long represented some of the most striking and controversial figures in ancient and medieval literature,” Professor Hutton says. 

“In this lecture, we look at the different ways they have inspired the modern imagination, both as heroic ancestors and demonic villains against whom civilisation can be defined.  

“We trace the appearance of different kinds of Druidry as a part of Paganism, to suggest what the particular contribution of that Druidry to modern culture may be.” 

That contribution has been immense: to Welsh nationalism, to general British patriotism, to the formation of fraternal societies, to the hardening of fundamentalist Christian intolerance, to a green, nature-based spirituality, and to specific kinds of modern Pagan religion, both otherworldly and politically activist. 

As we approach Beltane, and the coming of summer, this is a chance to discover the truth about Druids and their impact on our modern world.  

The lecture will be given at Gresham College’s base in Barnard’s Inn Hall, Holborn, London. 

Starting at 6pm on 2 April, entry is free, and it is also broadcast live online. It will last an hour.  

In-person places can be booked online via Gresham College’s website, https://www.gresham.ac.uk/whats-on/modern-druids 

ENDS 

Images available on request

For more information about this story or to arrange an interview with a Gresham Professor please contact: Phil Creighton press@gresham.ac.uk   

Notes to Editors

About Gresham College  
Gresham College has been providing free, educational lectures - at the university level - since 1597 when Sir Thomas Gresham founded the college to bring Renaissance Learning to Londoners. Our history includes some of the luminaries of the scientific revolution including Robert Hooke and Sir Christopher Wren and connects us to the founding of the Royal Society.  

Today we carry on Sir Thomas's vision. The College aims to stimulate intellectual curiosity and to champion academic rigour, professional expertise and freedom of expression. www.gresham.ac.uk  

Gresham College is a registered charity number 1039962 and relies on donations to help us encourage people's love of learning for many years to come. For more details or to make a gift, visit our website.