Originally posted by gael
Quote:
"And the Celtic ruling classes (the superstrate that presumably brought the language, it being Indo-European) were often described as tall and fair."
Apparently the Irish are from this stock, and believe me, we are not all tall, fair, and strong limbed. We are the most ackward, ugliest, race on the planet.
These discriptions have been taken from a handful of references, and even these seem to contradict each other. The 'Tall and fair' discription has been explained in other references as a Celtic warrior custom of bleching the the hair with lime, and also wearing helmets with horns etc that enhanced hieght.
This was all new to the Romans. Most Celtic 'tales' are highly romanticised and exaggerated. The Romans fought with these headers for centurys. A lot of what they said was war propaganda, or just generalised assumptions.
Quote:
"Just to complete the history part. A Roman historian (don't remember the name) said that the Celt warriors were very dangerous, and that 10 roman soldiers would have a very hard hard time fighting 1 celt warrior, and would be sure to lose should he call... his wife for help"
It is true that the romans in thier early days were scared sh*tless of the Celts. The Celts famously sacked Rome in 8...ah...8th century BC. (can't rember the date, it was late 80s)
There is records of legions running away from them.
Eventually the Roman tactics and organisation conquered the celtic rage and heroic style of battle.
Sorry lads, i'm slabbering, I've a bit of an interest in Celtic history.
In 390 BC, the Celts (also called Gauls by the Romans) demanded three patricians to be handed to them after one of them stabbed to death a Gallic leader during negociations (!!). Romans refused and awaited the Gallish attack. 15,000 Roman troop were then annihilated 11 miles North of Rome and the Gauls besieged the Capitol fortress after sacking the rest of the city. Bren/Brennus asked for a huge amount of money to leave, making the Romans remember his "Va Victis" (Woe to the vanquished). These Gauls had settled in Northern Italy (Insubri, Senones) at the same time as some settled in "Galatia". They were to prove a long foe to the Romans, helping the Carthaginians as mercenaries or even as allies (though troublesome).
Celts then became THE enemy that ought to be completely destroyed... and was.
About Picts: they definitely seem to be a pre-celtic stock. They might be related but were surely in contact with the so called "Iberian" civilization ranging on an Atlantic belt from Portugal to England and who probably erected Stonehenge. When Celts (actually Belgium tribes with chariots) went into England, they probably mixed with locals while rejecting the bulk to the traditional social-ethnic conservatories of rough lands, such as the Highlands of Scotland and probably Wales, the same way Romano-Celts were pushed towards Scotland, Cornwalls and Wales.
About the Scots : they were an Irish tribe that left from Ulster to conquer parts of Scotland against both Picts and Romans.
About Irish: well Gael, I did part of my studies in Trinity College Dublin and I did not think I rish were so ugly (as far as the girls are concerned since my personal tastes don't include guys)
About their background, they are a mixture as most Europeans. The Celtic waves reached England in small numbers and mixed with prior stock, it is even truer for Ireland where most moved after the Roman conquer.
A recent study of genetic analysis between Welsh and central European dead Halstatt Celtic warriors proved very limited similarities which means that the Celts created a civilisation based on art, religious, social and political values that superimposed on different ethnic groups (very likely including some German tribes).
UTAH, after all it is your thread. Great Unit
and very localized. Sorry for a..picking earlier on but I definitely think the result was worth it.
Cannot wait to see him in action from behind !!!
Now, about that slinger....
), here is a quote from the "Armies of the Macedonian and Punic Wars" by Duncan Head about the Celts.....
