More than 2,000 years after Druids first emerged as a spiritual practice in Britain, the UK government has officially recognized Druidry as a religion. ""It's nice to have that official recognition," Phil Ryder, chairman of the trustees of the Druid Network told the BBC. "It's not why we applied originally. We applied because we were legally obliged to do so."
As an appreciation of Druids everywhere, LIFE published a series of photos from their archives in a slideshow titled "Druids: Mystery, Faith, and Myth." Image above, "Druids at the ruins in Stonehenge, 1978, ready to celebrate the summer solstice."
