What Did Celtic Swordfighting Look Like?
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- čas přidán 6. 09. 2024
- I look into how Celtic swordsmen might have fought, bearing in mind we have no explicit references like treatises before the Medieval period hundreds of years later, so I will go from my HEMA experience to figure out how Gauls and Britons may have fought with swords. They were often referred to as "barbarians", but I feel that is a dismissive term for Bronze age and Iron age tribes.
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I'd love to see this practically implemented with a Celtic scale shield
@@tatumergo3931 Yeah I've seen the bro tha ks :)
@@tatumergo3931 If you like Celtic content bro head over to my podcast too "The Celtic History Podcast"
wow that is a big jump on quality improvement you did here sir! that was a really nice video! keep it up your great work!
Whenever you discuss swords it's worthwhile mentioning that in most historic periods they were not a warrior's primary weapon for battle, which in most cases would have been some type of polearm like a spear. In fact swords were rare and valuable status item for elites, and either carried as a backup weapon or as an everyday carry self-defense weapon to be used against other unarmoured opponents.
As you say true for most of the time but the sword was the primary weapon of the Roman legions from around the 3rd century bc. It seems to have been the primary weapon of the front rank of Celts even earlier.
most of these shields seem to me to have horizontal grips, so it was kinda triggering watching the positioning of your hand holding the imaginary shield with a vertical punch grip
Yes, unfortunately I noticed this detail AFTER making the video.
@@MedievalGenie happens bro haha, it's all good 👍 I'm over it now
After having numerous bouts with viking sheild edges facing out, it does work extremely well on a one on one situation, not against multiple opponants though, and having made a celtic sheild with as you said a horizontal grip this works even better. If you are interested it is explained very well on this video about using large centre grip sheilds in this manner czcams.com/video/hNeGypIkaCQ/video.html
I hope you get more views. Great content!
No sources? The Romans wrote a book called The Gallic Wars. There were several occasions in which they wrote about direct engagements with Celtic and Gallic warriors. You might call it exaggerated nonsense, but they were contemporary sources, primary sources, from a people that fought them directly on a scale that resulted in their virtual annihilation. I'd say that counts.
Great video. I've been searching for a long time for a video like this. I bought a celtic inspired sword and came to similar conclusions regarding the fighting style. Absolutely designed primarily as a sword and shield. I'd have a feeling cultural significance were attached to the each. The oval shields reach no doubt was used as an offensive weapon. The blunt force of the top of the shield would rattle you. I've yet to find a local supplier who sells oval shields. I guess I'll have to make one.
Thank you! Fascinating and clear presentation. All of this makes a lot of sense.
Keeping the sword back is a nice little tip
Also the flair near the hilt was there to stop scabbard rattle and should be a little bigger than the flair further up.
I think there are a few examples of bronze swords with edge damage and been hammered flat I think that would make them really brutal if you were to get cut by it. Like a rough sawblade.
I've always found that a serrated edge are far worse for cutting than a smooth, finely sharp edge. Unless you're cutting logs into planks of course!
@@MedievalGenie an interessting question is thier use in shield walls, where you cant raise your shield, the main weapon is the spear, and multiple sourses i know one greek that say dont throw your spear uless you have a spare coz a spear is worth two swords in a shield wall. still how would words be used, would that person simply break the wall to fight as an idifidual?, would they use it as a semi spear, / on its own (spears are blockedwith spear in a shield wall) how do you defend against a sword in a shield wall? i mean you got your friends with spears allaround you to support you, but what do you do just relly on them? Block with the spear? break the formation, get your sword out?
Instant subscribe.
Also, I would think that a shield would cause someone to be much more stabby than slashy. Slashy is fun and looks cool in the movies but the shield I’m standing behind to save my life is going to get in the way of me making big flashy (and calorically expensive) swings of my sword awkward, at best.
Depends on the cuts you're using, ESPECIALLY if the opponent is also using a shield. I've found that slashes/cuts to the weapon arm are much more viable against an opponent with a shield than thrusts to....pretty much anywhere.
Not even halfway thru the video and I subscribed. Great video
I'm glad you enjoyed it. Some viewers felt it needed more research first, so I will be aiming to improve.
Thanks so much for sharing common sense regarding Gallic and Brythonic sword play. Given that my ancestors in IReland and Galicia in ancient times actually had swords with quillions, at least on the anthropomorphic hilted swords so commonly used, what should we make of that?
It could be one (or more) of a number of factors:
- If the shields were smaller, the hand protection would come into play. I recommend looking into Sword & Buckler treatises for more on that.
- If fighters in duels or battles did more close up action, they could bind and manipulate much more easily. I recommend looking at general sword wind and bind play.
- Similar to point one, there may have been some instances of such swords being used on their own, without a shield at all.
- It could be simply about aesthetics, as the anthropomorphic design is interesting and doesn't impede sword quality.
- It could be for leverage. I found with a tightly set 'Viking' style sword I made, unlike big-hilted reenactment versions I could use the top and bottom of my hand on the pommel and quillons, powering cutting with my wrist rotation.
There may also be other factors that I hadn't considered.
great video i love it, can you please make a vid on "transitional armor" it was used with brigantine and plates on arms and legs and also sometimes great helm... apart from that i don't know much (where it was used, who used it, what battles it was used in etc...) so if you could grant my wish it would be amazing, thanks
Have you read the study regarding use of the bronze age weapons? Take a look at it. Makes for interesting reading.
There is one that got linked to me on Facebook, which I found really fascinating though a bit overwhelming in detail!
So, similar to Claymore and targe and/or Germanic sword and shield techniques.
Interesting stuff. Thank you . (North Wales, UK)
Why you show mostly bronze age swords? the celts as the romans encountered (and the romans themself) were ironage cultures. the late bronzage/early ironage period, which is called hallstatt-culture is loosley associated with proto-celts, but there is a time gap of 600 years of this swordstyle and the first mention of celts. and some of your swords are eary bronzeage, so the gap widens to 2000 years...
Great video, thank you for that !
Just a precision on the shield. The handle is horizontal not vertical, it changes a lot the way you use it.
Especially about the "opening" and "closing" of the shield when you strike. It is hardly doable with an horizontal handle.
From my experience, striking around your shield is a more valid hypothesis.
But as you say, there is no sources...
This video from Mr. Vernel illustrate what I'm trying to say.
czcams.com/video/pLNxVzqwwtI/video.html
So , when do we get to see
I love your videos and your accent. Haha. Keep it up.
We also had Falcata's
Did I forget to mention the falcata? I even forged one (sort of) and tested it in another video!
what are the advantages of Celtic shields over Roman ones?
Probably longer reach-at least.
The Romans copied or were inspired and improved Celtic weaponry, shield, sword, helmets and the chainmail was invented by the celts. Let's not forget the Celtic Welsh longbow and how the English was inspired to use the longbow. Before you mention ancient Celts and Welsh are related.
Oval shields deflect downward blows where the rectangle would bite into the shield. But they are very simular in size grip and construction so I think its down to tactics and skill rather than equipment
Ayo, alternate universe metatron.
Oh no, another Metatron comparison!
Is this guy the Metatron's cousin? 😂😋 great video 👍
I seem to get compared to him and Lindybeige a lot!
I only saw the Metatron part first but now that you mention it, you do seem like a perfect blend of Lindybeige and Metatron
Cool video btw
@@MedievalGenie that's funny!! 👍
Classical Celtic martial cultures are very diverse i guess.
You're the s*** don't ever quit