Celtic Warriors
Who were the Celts
It is said that the Celts dominated Western Europe for as long as a thousand years and were a major force and widespread over many countries. They were renonowned as fierce intimidating fighters who would disregard body armour in battle. The basic history of the Celts traces them back years where they are believed to have started life in Austria, before spreading widely across Europe. The Celts lived a fairly simple existence in so far as they were not as advanced as civilizations like Rome and Greece. Living a mostly rural existence they did not strive to build large cities or towns, yet they were still the dominant group in the Iron Age era, before Rome and Greece became serious forces.
“In Battle Celtic warriors threw caution to the wind and their style of combat was highly aggressive and unrefined”
Celtic Warriors
Celtic Warrior going into Battle
Celtic warriors are said to have enhanced their appearance by painting blue patterns all over their bodies. They would also use white lime mead, and pead in their hair, combined with the patterns on their bodies this would give the Celts a powerful visual image and instantly striking and recognizable in a fight on the battlefield.
Celtic Weapons
Celtic weaponry used a variety of materials but for metal weapons a combination of bronze and iron was popular. the Celts were around for the majority of the iron age and they were well renowned for their mastery of metalwork with items dating back as far as 750 BC, found in Wales. The common weapons used were swords and spears, with shields used too as a defensive item. Celtic warlords would often wear more armour including metal armour surrounding their midsection, a trade off in mobility on the battlefield in return for better protection from the enemies melee attacks.
Celtic Warrior Shield
Celtic Battle Tactics
In Battle Celtic warriors threw caution to the wind and their style of combat was highly aggressive and unrefined. They were considered in later years by civilizations like the Roman’s as Barbarian’s possibly due to their ferocious nature and rural wild living standards. Often they were said to have disregarded armour and fought naked, but armour has been found from Celtic warriors including helmets and breastplates. These items would have belonged to higher ranking Celts, who would have armour and helmets adorned with intricate patterns or often animals and symbols.