A new exploration of Celtic mythology, sacred wisdom, prophecy, healing traditions, and the enduring legacy of the female druids.
Honouring the past. Inspiring the present. Awakening the sacred feminine.
(1888PressRelease) August 03, 2026 - Independent author Peta Oakes, writing as Gaelic Mac Dubhdara, announces the release of Bandrúi: The Female Druids of the Celtic World, a new volume exploring the lives, traditions, and enduring legacy of the female druids of ancient Celtic society.
While the druids are well known throughout history and mythology, far less attention has been given to the Bandrúi, the women who served as priestesses, healers, prophets, poets, and guardians of sacred knowledge within the Celtic world. Drawing upon mythology, early Irish literature, archaeology, medieval manuscripts, and comparative scholarship, this volume examines their place within Celtic religion and culture.
Bandrúi explores the spiritual authority of women in ancient Celtic society, their association with prophecy, ritual, healing, sacred landscapes, and the Otherworld, while also considering how later traditions preserved and transformed their memory. Readers are introduced to legendary female figures, the symbolic role of women within Celtic cosmology, and the wider religious traditions that shaped Britain and Ireland before the medieval period.
Accessible to both general readers and mythology enthusiasts, the book brings together history, folklore, comparative mythology, and cultural tradition to provide a thoughtful exploration of one of the least understood aspects of the Celtic world.
Official Author Website:
https://www.macdubhdara.com
Readers interested in Celtic mythology, druidic traditions, ancient history, Irish mythology, Welsh mythology, comparative religion, folklore, sacred symbolism, women's history, and the mythology of the ancient world may find particular interest in this latest release.