Britain's Prehistoric Wars
The Celts, who are believed to have reached Britain during the Iron Age, have a penchant for wars. The Celtic men were born warriors and being true to their nature, they had the tendency to start a war if there wasn’t one to fight in. The Celts did not care if they fought with other Celts, as long as some group challenged them to a battle, they would surely fight till the end.
The wars that the Celts joined were always bravely fought. Sometimes they would even dye their hair and bodies in fierce colours to terrify their enemies. The early British people were seen to employ effective warfare tactics, which only further showed their preference for the art of war. Some of the tactics they used were the strategy of screaming to scare away their enemies, going into battle fully naked and just their skins painted, and assuming a fierce formation to give the idea of a strong army.
The Celts also embellished their weapons as if doing so would give them victory. They also used different paraphernalia such as golden shields, breastplates, helmets, and trumpets in warfare. And because the Celts already knew how to domesticate horses and use them in battle, they were able to construct chariots and handle them skilfully during the battles. Two trained horses usually drew a single Celtic chariot.
The Celts were certainly superior warriors, but they never got around to uniting with each other or other tribes to control the rest of Britain. Each tribe fought its own battles, and never joined anybody else's, and to showcase the might of a tribe as well as individual power, the Celtic warriors beheaded their war enemies and used the severed heads as trophies.
Original Authors: Phil Post
Edit Update Authors: M.Harris
Updated On: 24/07/2008
