In the mid-1st century BC, Julius Caesar described a ritual performed by the Gauls in which a large Wicker Man was filled with people and set on fire. According to the Roman general, druids preferred to sacrifice criminals, but innocent men might be burned when lawbreakers weren’t available.

Historians speculate that Caesar embellished the facts for self-promotion (his readers would have loved stories about barbaric Gaul behaviour). Plus, using a wicker frame would have presented logistical challenges, making the ritual pretty unrealistic.

And they definitely didn’t use bees to torment victims like in the 2006 film. Nevertheless, the famous ‘not the bees!’ scene is one of the most scientifically accurate bee scenes in any media. Bee scientists even wrote letters praising the film crew for their depiction of bee behaviour.