After the downfall of traditional Druidism, the myth of the witch became even more popular. The myth of witch cults had existed during the time of Celtic Paganism, but its source lied more with the Pagan rituals and traditions of sorcery.
After Christianity became the main religion on the British Isles witches became synonymous with the work of the devil. Ellis, a Celtic Scholar believes that "female druids have become reduced in [old Celtic] stories to witch-like figures" since the onset of Christianity.
Archeological evidence that "female magicians or witches" existed in on the outskirts of Pagan Celtic religion are strong. The Larzac stone which dates to about 100 AD shows the existence of rival bands of witches while graves excavated in a Romano-British cemetery show that the treatment of these women was very different from that of female Druids. Lankhills and Winchester cemeteries contain burials of old women dating to about the 4th c. AD
Full article, by Auron74:
Witches: The Legacy of the Druidesses
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