Egyptian People Vs Germanic People Essay

The accounts of these beliefs show the differences between not only the Germani and the Celts, but also between groups within the Germanic peoples and within the Celtic peoples.

A major difference that can be seen between the Celts and the Germanic peoples is that Celtic society included Druids. Druids are one of the two classes of Gauls that had any sort of power (the second being knights). Their role within society was to ‘officiate the worship of the Gods, regulate sacrifices, private as well as public, and expound questions of power for religion.’ (Caesar, 1908). This means they organised religious happenings such as sacrificial events, which included human as well as animal sacrifices. Druids were also the judges who settled disputes within their societies. Druids were highly privileged as they were exempt from paying taxes. They also did not have to take any

They practiced divinity and cleromancy so that they could understand the will of the gods. The process of cleromancy, or casting lots, used marked strips of fruit tree branches. These were believed to show whether or not further consultation, though divination, was allowed that day. Divination was used to try and work out what the gods wanted.

In Celtic religion, it was believed that the Gauls were all descendants of the first man, Dis Pater. Dis Pater controlled the underworld as he had been the first to die. They believed that when they died, their spirit would travel down to the underworld to join their ancestors.

Funerals were very important for the Celtic folk. Caesar described them as ‘splendid and costly’ (Caesar, 1908). Along with cremation of the deceased, there would usually be a big burning held of all the belongings that had meant something to the dead person. This sometimes included living beings such as pets or slaves (Caesar,