The Celtic Warrior in Britain

By the year 75 BC, the Celtic tribes dominated Britain, having pushed the former stone-age inhabitants into the far corners of the island. Although little is known about the day-to-day life of the average member of Celtic society, a great deal is known about Celtic Warriors. There are two primary reasons for this. The first is archaeological. The Celts were a bronze and iron-age people and constructed their weapons out of these metals. Thus, unlike most items of Celtic construction, a large number of weapons have survived to the present day. The other reason we know so much about Celtic Warriors is from the Romans. The great writers and records keepers of the ancient world, the Romans faced the Celts many times on the battlefield, and much of this writing has survived to the present day.

Celtic Weapons:

Sword and Spear: There is much debate among historians as to the primary weapon of the Celts. Some say that Celts were primarily swordsmen; others say that the spear was the most common weapon. Mostly likely is that it varied from tribe to tribe and depended on the wealth and mineral resources of a given group. Swords certainly had a higher degree of status attached to them. The standard Celtic sword was 55 to 80 cm in length, but a few longer examples have survived, and it is possible some swords were wielded with two hands. Quality of the blades varied immensely, some being so well crafted that it has been argued they should be qualified as “steel.”

The Celts employed two different types of spears. One was a long, heavy spear designed for hand-to-hand fighting, the other was a light spear that was used for throwing and could be classified as a javelin.

Missile Weapons: The Celts are known to have used both slings and bows, but there is no hard evidence for the use of bows by Celts in Britain. The sling seems to have been the primary missile weapon. The sling could fire a hand-sized stone with a force capable of breaking limbs and even fracturing a skull protected by a helmet. Although their range was limited, their accuracy could be deadly.

Celtic Armor:

Shields: The primary defensive equipment of the Celt was the shield. These were normally just over a meter tall, constructed of wood reinforced with metal, and shaped in either an oval or an oval flattened at the top and the bottom.

Helmets: Helmets were expensive to produce and it is thought that only the wealthier warriors would have owned them. Styles varied immensely from a simple conical metal cap, to a cap with heavy cheek guards and stylized metal ornamentation displayed on the top.

Armor: Body armor was very rare among the Celts. However, the wealthiest warriors and chiefs probably wore some kind of scale or chainmail shirt.

Nudity: In many classical depictions, Celtic warriors are naked. This has lead to a lot of debate among scholars. Current theory is that these men were part of special mercenary units that used nudity to identify their status.

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