Celtic Warfare

Celtic Warfare represented the barbarian warrior figure towards the Mediterranean. Although Celtic people/culture developed earlier, the oldest dates recorded of Celtic warfare was the beginning of 5th Century BC and reached the extents of Celts migrating  in 3rd Century BC to Ireland and Spain in the West leading on to Galatia in Asia Minor in the East. From the beginning of 3rd Century BC, the Romans took over the Celtic lands from the South. The Celts were courageous in the many numbers of Celts in a warfare group. For the Romans and Greeks of the time Celts were depicted as a nightmare that kept erupting in Europe.The Celtic warrior attributes shape the influences on the tribe which include the religion of warriors,physical attributes/degrees of warrior and weapons/armour. “I did not undertake the war for private ends, but in the cause of national liberty…” - Quote Vercingetorix to Caesar

Religion in relation to Celtic warriors was highly regarded as it shaped their belief system which they would take into battle. Celts were seen to be polytheistic which mean these Celts praised many gods and goddesses on a daily basis without having a pantheon in place as in the Greek and Roman systems. The Celts belief system in relation to religion saw the beliefs of life after death in form of reincarnation, beliefs that the soul is forever being immortal and the possession of sacred objects and sacred places. Sources used for information on the Celtic religion can be associated with the sculptural statues linked to the Celts in continental Europe and of Roman Britain as well as Celtic literature which reflected between the Roman and Celtic gods. Celts saw a strong bond as well between nature and religion. The influence on worshipping natures beauties such as water, trees, mountains, sky, mountains and earth was commonly seen in Celtic life as a way to respect the gods and goddesses as nature was a source for natural healing qualities and sacrificed votive offerings the Celts threw into rivers, water,etc, as  way to favor with the gods. Animals were also shown respect as they were closely affiliated with nature and made offerings to for their gods. The most honored god of the Celts was Mercury who was seen to be the inventor of all arts and the most powerful in realms like commerce and gain. The threefold hierarchy of worship towards the Celts were the Druids, the Bards and the Vates. No temples were used in Celtic time before the Gallo-Roman period and numerous religious ceremonies were located in the forest sanctuaries. Gaul was the location that held many human sacrifice practices as referred to by Caesar, Suetonius, Lucan and Cicero.As well as the sacrifices an rituals, festivals were a way for Celts to perform religious acts. In Ireland, these festivals were split into two periods of six months by the feasts which were Beltine (May 1) and Samhain (November 1) and both these two periods were divided by the feasts of Imbolc (February 1) and Lughnasadh (August 1). These religious festivals would involve feasts to the gods and religious practices in their depicted season.

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