![]() ![]() Many Viking weapons have been found in furnished burials: although this pagan burial custom had begun to die out among Irish Vikings several generations before the battle of Clontarf. Other tools, such as slings, clubs and even flails were mentioned as being used as weapons in some early ninth-century Irish literary sources. Usually only the iron bosses of these shields survive in the archaeological record, as the wooden body of the shield decays over time. Warriors protected themselves from attack by using small round shields. Unfortunately, these sword types were no match for the Viking slashing swords and the Irish quickly began to adapt Viking blade forms into the manufacturing of their weapons. the claideb, a longer sword designed for slashing or cutting (similar to the Roman gladius). the colg, thought to be a small thrusting sword (similar to the Roman spatha) There were two types of swords in Ireland before the Vikings: Much of the influence of Bronze Age European metal ornament lends itself to the influence Celtic master craftspeople.Swords on the other hand, were expensive and usually used only by the nobility.Īccording to Nancy Edwards when the Irish came into contact with Romans they abandoned a particular La Tène type of sword in favour of smaller versions of the Roman spatha and gladius. Some swords also show that the Irish metalworkers may also have been influenced by the Germanic world. Spectacular works can be found all over Europe left behind by Celtic masters in gold, silver, bronze and later, in iron. One of the famous works the Celts were known for was their masterful works in metal-smithing. Highly unusual at the time, the Celts viewed both men AND women with equality, holding women in high regard with their matriarchal religion. Along with their reputations of chivalry, courage and maniacal bravery, their more aggressive tendencies were offset by a great sensitivity to the arts and philosophy. They were famous to fight just for the sake of fighting and often, they were employed as mercenaries of the great armies of ancient times. The Celts were largely a decentralized military aristocracy made up of independent chieftains ruling various geographical regions. Among the many military victories the ancient Celts can lay claim to are the sacking of the cities of Rome and Delphi. During the 1st century BC, the Celts were at the height of their power and were the dominant ethnic group in much of Europe, even ruling over the Germanic tribes. After this time, Celtic tribes spread eastward again, moving into northern Italy, Bohemia, Silesia, the Balkans and even into present day Turkey with a tribe called the Galatians establishing a Celtic city called Galatia. ![]() After that, in the La Tene period, western Europe becomes heavily occupied by the Celts as they invade much of Germany, France, the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal), the British Islands and Ireland. This era is known as the Hallstat period named after a Celtic archaeological type-site in a lakeside village in Austria. During the Bronze Age, they move westward and by the Iron Age in the 8th to 5th centuries BC, these tribes make their homes in what is now southwest Germany, eastern France and parts of Switzerland and Austria. They first inhabited regions across Eastern Europe now known as Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania and the Balkans. A very highly recommended ancient weapon of a culture and region very rarely seen if ever, offered for sale.Īround 2000 B.C., barbarian Celtic tribes invaded Europe. The loop in the bottom of the axe body was designed to have prevented the loss of this expensive prestige weapon by tying a retaining cord around it and to the handle should the axe become broken in battle. This highly aesthetic combat axe would have been a very costly object of prestige in ancient times. In addition, this beautiful flared bit hub war axe is of an unusual design as most axes of this type have a straight blade and body. Ancient Celtic artifacts from France are very scarce. ![]()
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