Gaelic research
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Haha, I don't remember that scene, what happened?rapier17 说:
Not miss, I was just not sure what part of the movie you were on about. D:rapier17 说:...bit hard to miss. At the end where the French were landing on the coast and there was that 'Peter Pans Lost Boys Pony Charge' and some boy killing a MAIL ARMOURED KNIGHT with two LITTLE KNIVES. Gods that made me sit up and rant!
Hahaha, quite right. I used to feel a bit pissed inside at this sort of thing in movies, but now I just laugh to myself because of it and I end up having more fun.
Oh my god Leo, you deserve a medal for even staying quiet during that. I saw them filming a bit of it down in Pembrokeshire, wasn't allowed on the beach though but it all looked wonderfully accurate. Then I saw the trailer in the cinema, I was sucked in I had to see it. Then I did and oh did I rant and rave, just thinking about it is making my head hurt. The price you pay for being a film student and a history buff.
FrisianDude
Archduke
Or if you have spent some time interested in history. I didn't rage during the movie, that'd be rude to my mates, but I did point things out afterwards. And obviously that meant I was being terrible.rapier17 说:
Lancer
Sergeant at Arms
Greetings once more.
Here's what should hopefully be some helpful info about the 11th century Gaelic military. The images are often not ideal and maybe I can update these posts with better ones in future, but I figured you'd want this sooner rather than later.
Military Overview
Gaelic warfare in the late 11th century is an evolving mixture of "modern" tactics and equipment, comparable to those of the Saxons and Norse, and their own archaic and conservative tradition. Gaelic warriors fought with and against Romans, Picts, and Saxons in their time (especially in Scotland) but it is only with the coming of the Vikings that they encounter a foe willing and able to take the fight to their remote homelands, forcing them to evolve their methods in order to survive. By 1066, Gael and Gall ("foreigners", as they dismissively call the Vikings) have been fighting for over 250 years, and a considerable number of Norse technologies (such as axes and heavier armour) and tactics (such as shieldwalls and combined land-naval operations) have been absorbed. These are mixed, sometimes uneasily, with traditional Gaelic concepts. They still prefer slings and thrown projectiles over archery, and mobile, skirmishing warfare to static defensive strategies in many cases. But their own traditions are also changing as their society evolves - cavalry, for example, are becoming increasingly important.
On the battlefield, a Gaelic army is still primarily infantry-based. Spears are the most common weapon, even among the elite, but they also make use of swords, axes, and other melee weaponry. They field some heavy, armoured infantry (often Norse or Norse-Gaelic mercenaries) but most troops tend to be somewhat "lighter" than their Viking or Saxon counterparts, with a greater emphasis on mobility, flanking and skirmishing. Almost all troops use some kind of throwing weapon, from small darts to heavy throwing spears. Light infantry use these to skirmish and wear down opposition, staying out of reach, while the heavier troops use them to disrupt an enemy's attack or soften them up before a charge of their own. Against organized formations, the heavily armed elite warriors lead charges attempting to disrupt the enemy's ranks and create holes that can be exploited by the lighter troops. Horses, traditionally only used for transportation to the battlefield, are increasingly ridden into battle, with horsemen acting as mounted skirmishers and flankers. As in other Northern European cultures, Gaelic kings and leaders are warriors first and generals second, leading their men into battle personally, traditionally on foot but more and more commonly from horseback.
Equipment: Clothing and Armour
I know that clothing and armour aren't really seperate things in M&B, but it's probably a good idea to go into a little detail about clothing and fashion if any modelling is going to happen, as it's probably the most unique and "alien" aspect of their equipment. For a start, this PDF is a pretty good treatment of Gaelic clothing in general, especially the images at the end. I'll try to quickly describe the main points here as well.
The primary Gaelic item of clothing for all classes is the long tunic/shirt called the léine. This is a long-sleeved shirt that hangs down considerably past the waist, generally stopping at the mid-thigh or the knee, though noble's might sometimes be longer. It's generally of solid colour, with simple shades like white and yellow being most common, and other colours requiring dyes being more expensive and rare. All but the simplest have ornamental embroidery about the hems, cuffs and so on, but its extent and quality varies depending on the status of the wearer. The léine is almost always worn with a belt.
Some soldiers and lower-status individuals would wear breeches. These are generally knee-length, though longer, trouser-style legs are depicted occasionally. They would generally be only lightly ornamented (if at all) and of dull, natural colours. They are strongly associated with the lower-classes and with lower-status soldiers. Nobles and those of higher status generally do not wear them, often having the longer, robe-like léine instead.
The other main element of a Gaelic outfit is the brat, a cloak or mantle, which is worn by all by the poorest individuals. A variety of styles and colours are depicted, with solid colours and simple checks (kind of like tartan, but not so complex) being the most commonly described patterns. All are fastened at the shoulder by a brooch of some kind, which would vary in sophistication with the wealth and status of the wearer. Some, especially the more practical cloaks of the common people, would have hoods.
In terms of footwear, firstly, a significant minority of lower-status Gaels (the lightest soldiers, in this context) would have gone barefoot often enough. There are various theories about why this habit was so popular, especially since it sometimes appears among people who could certainly have afforded shoes, but what what matters is that it's worth considering having the lightest class of troops default to no footwear. Such habits were the exception though, and most individuals would have worn some form of shoes, while a minority of the better-off soldiers and nobility might wear taller and heavier boots in a military context. What is most notable is the apparently complete absence in Gaelic dress of anything resembling hose or stockings. Except for the occasional boots, the lower leg is always left bare.
These two images both depict earlier periods, but the basic fashions did not change significantly and they depict them fairly well. In the top picture we see a fairly standard leine on the horseman and a longer version on the noble on the right, as well as several types of cloak, and lower-class breeches on the middle guy. In the second picture (much closer to our timeframe) the horseman (a Norse-Gaelic jarl) is dressed and equipped as a fairly conventional Gaelic noble outside of battle.
Armour
The simplest and most common form of protective clothing worn in the Gaelic world is the ionar, a type of jacket worn by soldiers and working men. At its simplest it is nothing but an extra layer of clothing, but a soldier's ionar would usually be reinforced in various ways such as padding, waxing, or backing with leather.
Still looking for a half-decent image for this one, this (from an M2TW mod) will have to do. It's a pretty straightforward reinforced coat covering the torso only as you can see.
Next (maybe) we have the cotun. This is word is usually used for a heavy over-tunic of quilted fabric, heavily padded and dipped in wax (almost an armoured version of the leine) but is sometimes used more generally in sources for any kind of non-metal armour (there are a few later references to them being constructed of links of some kind, for example) I say "maybe" because, while this garment is well-attested by the 13th century, it is not clear at when it first came into widespread use. Some sources argue (mostly on linguistic grounds) that it cannot pre-date the era of Norman influence (which would begin in the decades after 1066 for Scotland and a century later for Ireland) but others argue for a pre-Norman 11th century provenance. Personally I would include it for the sake of diversity, but (as often for this culture) it's historicity in this era is debatable.
This image (from an unreleased RTW mod, and based on concept art that doesn't appear to be online anymore) is one interpretation of a Viking-age cotun, if not definitive or very detailed.
Among the Gaels, only nobles and the most experienced, veteran soldiers would possess a luireach, or coat of mail. Some linguistic evidence and occasional references suggest that the Gaels had some kind of indigenous mail or scale armour (as the Picts did) but if so, it was costly and rare. The proliferation of metal armour in the Gaelic world owes much to the Norse, and the vast majority of their mail would be of Norse design, even when made indigenously.
Another image from the same source. Not all the details are accurate (the heavy leather gauntlets aren't really attested, for example) but it gives a good impression of how mail and Gaelic clothing look together.
Helmets and Headgear
The already mentioned hooded cloak would be the most widely occuring head covering, appearing often on lower-to-middle status soldiers. Beyond that, the most common form of helmet appears to have been a simple leather skullcap, of bowl-like shape. Working up from there, there would be metal helmets of a similar shape for some of the middle-ranking soldiers. Among the wealthy, many Norse-style helmets were in use, though a few indigenous designs remained popular as well. A number of details about Gaelic helmets can be gleaned from literary sources, but again, sparse archaeological or pictorial evidence leaves their exact appearance a matter of speculation. The references seem to suggest that most were dome-shaped or conical, only sometimes with noseguards or cheekguards, and were often richly decorated. Crests or plumes of coloured hair had apparently become popular by the eleventh century for battle leaders and elite warriors, but again, exactly what they looked like cannot be determined from textual sources.
Images from the Last Kingdom mod for M2TW and Song of Taliesin/Brytenwalda for M&B, with good intepretations of the lower-status bowl helmet, metal bowl helmet, and noble helmet respectively. The horseman in the last image is a Pict, but Gaelic helmets were likely to have been fairly similar, especially in Scotland.
Hope that is useful. Again, I apologize for the poor selection of images, I'll continue to look for better ones but in some cases it may not be possible, there really is a dearth of good pictorial material or artistic concepts for this culture at this time, something I've never entirely understood. Anyway, stay tuned for part two, covering weapons and shields, which should (hopefully) have a better crop of images.
Lancer/Antagonist
Here's what should hopefully be some helpful info about the 11th century Gaelic military. The images are often not ideal and maybe I can update these posts with better ones in future, but I figured you'd want this sooner rather than later.
Military Overview
Gaelic warfare in the late 11th century is an evolving mixture of "modern" tactics and equipment, comparable to those of the Saxons and Norse, and their own archaic and conservative tradition. Gaelic warriors fought with and against Romans, Picts, and Saxons in their time (especially in Scotland) but it is only with the coming of the Vikings that they encounter a foe willing and able to take the fight to their remote homelands, forcing them to evolve their methods in order to survive. By 1066, Gael and Gall ("foreigners", as they dismissively call the Vikings) have been fighting for over 250 years, and a considerable number of Norse technologies (such as axes and heavier armour) and tactics (such as shieldwalls and combined land-naval operations) have been absorbed. These are mixed, sometimes uneasily, with traditional Gaelic concepts. They still prefer slings and thrown projectiles over archery, and mobile, skirmishing warfare to static defensive strategies in many cases. But their own traditions are also changing as their society evolves - cavalry, for example, are becoming increasingly important.
On the battlefield, a Gaelic army is still primarily infantry-based. Spears are the most common weapon, even among the elite, but they also make use of swords, axes, and other melee weaponry. They field some heavy, armoured infantry (often Norse or Norse-Gaelic mercenaries) but most troops tend to be somewhat "lighter" than their Viking or Saxon counterparts, with a greater emphasis on mobility, flanking and skirmishing. Almost all troops use some kind of throwing weapon, from small darts to heavy throwing spears. Light infantry use these to skirmish and wear down opposition, staying out of reach, while the heavier troops use them to disrupt an enemy's attack or soften them up before a charge of their own. Against organized formations, the heavily armed elite warriors lead charges attempting to disrupt the enemy's ranks and create holes that can be exploited by the lighter troops. Horses, traditionally only used for transportation to the battlefield, are increasingly ridden into battle, with horsemen acting as mounted skirmishers and flankers. As in other Northern European cultures, Gaelic kings and leaders are warriors first and generals second, leading their men into battle personally, traditionally on foot but more and more commonly from horseback.
Equipment: Clothing and Armour
I know that clothing and armour aren't really seperate things in M&B, but it's probably a good idea to go into a little detail about clothing and fashion if any modelling is going to happen, as it's probably the most unique and "alien" aspect of their equipment. For a start, this PDF is a pretty good treatment of Gaelic clothing in general, especially the images at the end. I'll try to quickly describe the main points here as well.
The primary Gaelic item of clothing for all classes is the long tunic/shirt called the léine. This is a long-sleeved shirt that hangs down considerably past the waist, generally stopping at the mid-thigh or the knee, though noble's might sometimes be longer. It's generally of solid colour, with simple shades like white and yellow being most common, and other colours requiring dyes being more expensive and rare. All but the simplest have ornamental embroidery about the hems, cuffs and so on, but its extent and quality varies depending on the status of the wearer. The léine is almost always worn with a belt.
Some soldiers and lower-status individuals would wear breeches. These are generally knee-length, though longer, trouser-style legs are depicted occasionally. They would generally be only lightly ornamented (if at all) and of dull, natural colours. They are strongly associated with the lower-classes and with lower-status soldiers. Nobles and those of higher status generally do not wear them, often having the longer, robe-like léine instead.
The other main element of a Gaelic outfit is the brat, a cloak or mantle, which is worn by all by the poorest individuals. A variety of styles and colours are depicted, with solid colours and simple checks (kind of like tartan, but not so complex) being the most commonly described patterns. All are fastened at the shoulder by a brooch of some kind, which would vary in sophistication with the wealth and status of the wearer. Some, especially the more practical cloaks of the common people, would have hoods.
In terms of footwear, firstly, a significant minority of lower-status Gaels (the lightest soldiers, in this context) would have gone barefoot often enough. There are various theories about why this habit was so popular, especially since it sometimes appears among people who could certainly have afforded shoes, but what what matters is that it's worth considering having the lightest class of troops default to no footwear. Such habits were the exception though, and most individuals would have worn some form of shoes, while a minority of the better-off soldiers and nobility might wear taller and heavier boots in a military context. What is most notable is the apparently complete absence in Gaelic dress of anything resembling hose or stockings. Except for the occasional boots, the lower leg is always left bare.
These two images both depict earlier periods, but the basic fashions did not change significantly and they depict them fairly well. In the top picture we see a fairly standard leine on the horseman and a longer version on the noble on the right, as well as several types of cloak, and lower-class breeches on the middle guy. In the second picture (much closer to our timeframe) the horseman (a Norse-Gaelic jarl) is dressed and equipped as a fairly conventional Gaelic noble outside of battle.
Armour
The simplest and most common form of protective clothing worn in the Gaelic world is the ionar, a type of jacket worn by soldiers and working men. At its simplest it is nothing but an extra layer of clothing, but a soldier's ionar would usually be reinforced in various ways such as padding, waxing, or backing with leather.
Still looking for a half-decent image for this one, this (from an M2TW mod) will have to do. It's a pretty straightforward reinforced coat covering the torso only as you can see.
Next (maybe) we have the cotun. This is word is usually used for a heavy over-tunic of quilted fabric, heavily padded and dipped in wax (almost an armoured version of the leine) but is sometimes used more generally in sources for any kind of non-metal armour (there are a few later references to them being constructed of links of some kind, for example) I say "maybe" because, while this garment is well-attested by the 13th century, it is not clear at when it first came into widespread use. Some sources argue (mostly on linguistic grounds) that it cannot pre-date the era of Norman influence (which would begin in the decades after 1066 for Scotland and a century later for Ireland) but others argue for a pre-Norman 11th century provenance. Personally I would include it for the sake of diversity, but (as often for this culture) it's historicity in this era is debatable.
This image (from an unreleased RTW mod, and based on concept art that doesn't appear to be online anymore) is one interpretation of a Viking-age cotun, if not definitive or very detailed.
Among the Gaels, only nobles and the most experienced, veteran soldiers would possess a luireach, or coat of mail. Some linguistic evidence and occasional references suggest that the Gaels had some kind of indigenous mail or scale armour (as the Picts did) but if so, it was costly and rare. The proliferation of metal armour in the Gaelic world owes much to the Norse, and the vast majority of their mail would be of Norse design, even when made indigenously.
Another image from the same source. Not all the details are accurate (the heavy leather gauntlets aren't really attested, for example) but it gives a good impression of how mail and Gaelic clothing look together.
Helmets and Headgear
The already mentioned hooded cloak would be the most widely occuring head covering, appearing often on lower-to-middle status soldiers. Beyond that, the most common form of helmet appears to have been a simple leather skullcap, of bowl-like shape. Working up from there, there would be metal helmets of a similar shape for some of the middle-ranking soldiers. Among the wealthy, many Norse-style helmets were in use, though a few indigenous designs remained popular as well. A number of details about Gaelic helmets can be gleaned from literary sources, but again, sparse archaeological or pictorial evidence leaves their exact appearance a matter of speculation. The references seem to suggest that most were dome-shaped or conical, only sometimes with noseguards or cheekguards, and were often richly decorated. Crests or plumes of coloured hair had apparently become popular by the eleventh century for battle leaders and elite warriors, but again, exactly what they looked like cannot be determined from textual sources.
Images from the Last Kingdom mod for M2TW and Song of Taliesin/Brytenwalda for M&B, with good intepretations of the lower-status bowl helmet, metal bowl helmet, and noble helmet respectively. The horseman in the last image is a Pict, but Gaelic helmets were likely to have been fairly similar, especially in Scotland.
Hope that is useful. Again, I apologize for the poor selection of images, I'll continue to look for better ones but in some cases it may not be possible, there really is a dearth of good pictorial material or artistic concepts for this culture at this time, something I've never entirely understood. Anyway, stay tuned for part two, covering weapons and shields, which should (hopefully) have a better crop of images.
Lancer/Antagonist
FrisianDude
Archduke
Can't he just block you? On steam?
On steam?
(Shhh, English people are uncoordinated in the ways of the block people button! Don't tell people that!)King of Scotland 说:No, he's English.FrisianDude 说:Can't he just block you?
FrisianDude
Archduke
I just read Lancer's post. Very informative.
Lancer
Sergeant at Arms
Aaaaannd we're back with Part 2. Here's a description of the various weapons and shield types to be found in a Gaelic army.
Equipment: Weapons, Shields, and other stuff
The Gaels made use of broadly the same range of weaponry as the other factions, at least in close combat. Even there, however, there are a number of relatively unique designs which should serve to differentiate their equipment list.
Spears
Although swords and axes had become increasingly widespread and popular by the 11th century, the spear is the primary weapon of the vast majority of Gaelic warriors, both at range and in melee combat, and several different types were in use. Indeed, Gaelic literature uses several different words for spears depending on their type, manner of use (thrown or melee) and so on, which sometimes makes it difficult to understand exactly what weapon is being referred to in different circumstances. Most warriors would carry multiple spears, a main weapon to fight with and several others for throwing.
The heavy spear, or craiseach, was the main weapon of many middle- and high-ranking soldiers. Described as being equally effective at bashing or crushing as at piercing attacks, it would have a wide spearhead and a thick shaft of the strongest wood available. It would be of average length for an infantry spear for the most part, although elongated "pike" versions are also recorded. Although it could be thrown to great effect in some circumstances, it does not seem to have been intended as a throwing weapon.
The sleagh or gae seems to have been a lighter spear, faster to wield and with a longer, thinner head more suited to piercing. This was probably the most commonly seen weapon on a Gaelic battlefield, being used (with variations in quality) by soldiers of every rank and station. It is mentioned both in the context of a throwing spear and a melee weapon, although the confusion in terminology I mentioned is a particular problem here. It may be that some versions were shorter and balanced for throwing, but similar enough in shape to have the same name.
There's also mentions in a few places of a third type of "Norse" spear, though I haven't found out as yet what that might mean or how it might have been different.
Finally we have darts (fota). These are small, short weapons (about a foot long) solely intended for throwing, looking not unlike an over-sized arrow. They of course had considerably less power than heavier javelins, but could be thrown with considerable accuracy by a skilled fighter, and good deal more of them could be carried at once (at least 5 or 6 in the off hand)
A plate with a selection of spearheads from a Viking-age horde in Ireland. The second picture is a good representation of Gaelic darts (though not of fashion).
Blades
As in other cultures a knife (scian) of some description is a very important tool frequently seen in a military context among poorer soldiers unable to afford a sword. A number of different blade types have been discovered or described, but one or two deserve particular mention. The first is a straightforward curved hunter's knife, broadly the same thing as a saex. The second, more interesting design is the long, extremely pointed and tapering weapon which would later become associated in English with the Gaelic world scian/sgean. These knives were used universally by Gaelic light infantry in later centuries (indeed, a shorter version of one is still part of the modern "kilt" costume) but a few archaeological finds suggest that it was already around during this period and before.
Swords were always in use in Gaelic warfare but were largely confined to the aristocracy until the Vikings came on the scene. By the 11th century a sword of some description was considered a necessary secondary weapon for all middle-status soldiers (lighter troops had knives), but relatively few would use it primarily or exclusively.
The pre-Norse Gaelic world, particularly Ireland, had a number of different sword forms in use, some pretty unusual. A La Tene-style Celtic longsword was the most popular, but there were also shorter "leaf-shaped" blades used for thrusting at close range, longer blades thicker at the tip than at the base (which may have had a two-handed grip) and even curved blades. However, it is unlikely that many of these types would still be in common use in 1066, as Norse-style swords had completely overtaken them in popularity (probably due to the better quality of the metal and forging techniques) Most Viking-era sword finds have Norse-style hilts as well, though often with Celtic-style decoration.
First image is from the same find in the Lagore crannog (fortified lake island) of different blade types in use in the early 10th century. Second image is a reconstruction of a Norse blade found in another crannog. Since it's literally just a Norse sword it won't be anything new to you guys but I thought I'd include it. I saw several good examples of Norse swords with Gaelic decoration at the National Museum here in Dublin a few days ago, but unfortunately I can't find images online (and my phone's camera is broken) Next image is from the Scottish National Museum, a good example of the "dirk" style of long, very thing and pointed knife. Last image is a reconstruction of that style.
Clubs
Wooden clubs are rarely but consistently mentioned in Gaelic literature. From what little can be gleaned from description they were mostly just simple shaped pieces of heavy wood, in both one and two-handed varieties, but some might be reinforced with bands of iron.
"Polearms"
An unusual and mysterious weapon reference occasionaly is the sáfach or pole-arm. This is another one of those situations in which an object is known from textual sources only and never really described in detail, but it seems to have involved some kind of blade attached to a shaft which is sufficiently different from an axe to have its own name. Some speculate that it may be the ancestor of the lochaber axe, a bardiche-like Gaelic poleaxe which first appeared in Scotland in the 13th century, but seems to be no way of knowing for sure.
A reconstruction of a 14th-century lochaber axe. It's a good a bet as any that early Gaelic polearms looked like less ornate, more primitive versions of this weapon.
Axes
The axe as a military-grade weapon was a Norse introduction into the Gaelic world, but it was enthusiastically adopted. By 1066 axe-wielding soldiers would be a fairly common sight, and if anything it would become more popular as time went on (English sources throught the Middle Ages consider axes as the Irish national weapon, for example) They were used in all the same contexts as among the Norse, from simple one-handed wood axes among poorer soldiers to ornate and well-forged two-handed ones for wealthy and elite warriors. Being a Norse introduction they seem to have been based strongly on Norse design, and probably wouldn't differ in any meaningful way from Norse ones. There are a few accounts (though no findings that I've seen) of unusual designs, such as "reverse beard" axes with a point facing upwards, bayonet-style.
Slings
I don't think these are even possible in M&B, but I'll mention them for completeness. The sling, rather than the bow, was the traditional long-range weapon of the Gaelic battlefield. The sling is consistently regarded quite highly in Gaelic literature, and was certainly taken seriously as a lethal weapon. Slingers might have had some quantity of forged or shaped bullets, and then switched to whatever appropriate stones they could find once those were expended. The sling was probably still in use in 1066, but was slowly being phased out as bows came into more widespread use.
Bows
Again, I mention these mostly for completeness sake. It's possible that Gaels in Scotland would've used them prior to contact with the Vikings, but what's quite extraordinary is that it seems pretty clear that the bow and arrow was essentially extinct in Ireland by 800 AD. Reintroduced by the Norse, it would take some time for it to attain widespread use among Gaelic soldiers, but this process was well under way by this period. Therefore it wouldn't be inaccurate to include short bows for Gaelic light infantry, but they would not be the main ranged weapon, and personally I think it would be more interesting (and accurate) to keep the light infantry class as a short-range throwing weapon skirmisher.
Shields
Even the lightest warriors make some use of shields (sciath) in the form of small, cheap bucklers of wood, sometimes with a plain leather covering. These would be circular or rectangular in shape. Most Gaelic soldiers would use round shields, varying in size but always smaller than the largest Viking or Anglo-Saxon forms. Gaelic shields are described as being constructed of wood covered in layers of leather and then embossed, rimmed and (at least among the wealthy) decorated with metal. Literary sources describe the colour of shields as being green, golden or (most commonly) red as well as brown, though whether it is the leather or the decorations which provide the colour is unclear. While its generally unwise to make comparisons between such remote periods, it is striking how much a description of an eleventh-century Gaelic shield sounds like the targes used by the last generation of Gaelic warriors in the 18th century.
Some literary accounts imply that shields were generally worn on the back initially, then transferred to the off-hand once throwing spears had been used (though this sounds quite cumbersome for the heat of battle) Interestingly, there are references to starga, a word used only in the context of a shield worn on the back. This could mean that they simply had a different word for it in this context, but some scholars have interpreted it as evidence for the use of two shields, one in the hand and one worn on the back for extra protection.
As in most areas, Norse influence did make its presence felt here and it appears that some Viking shield forms were in use, but unlike in other areas they do not appear to have supplanted the indigenous design in popularity. Norse-style Gaelic shields would be painted in the indigenous style of insular art. Also, while they are probably unlikely to have survived as late as 1066, if you wanted variety I guess you could think about including some of the interesting and unusual wooden shield designs common among the Picts, particularly for poorer soldiers (who would've been less Gaelicized than the aristocracy).
The mod image and the miniatures are good illustrations of various types of Gaelic leather shield. The last image is an 18th century Highlander targe shield, but as I said, it certainly sounds from descriptions as if the fundamental design was the same even seven centuries before.
Standards
While banners and flags in general had always been used, the concept of a battle-standard for identification and organization in battle was relatively new among the Gaels, though widespread by the 11th century. Neither archaeology nor literature ever describes what a standard was shaped like, but the name (merige, from merrke) seems to imply that it was adopted from the Vikings, and therefore presumably looked the same.
That's pretty much it as far as equipment goes. I can maybe provide more detailed descriptions of particular things if they're necessary, just let me know. In the meantime I'll keep an eye out for more/better images.
Lancer/Antagonist
Equipment: Weapons, Shields, and other stuff
The Gaels made use of broadly the same range of weaponry as the other factions, at least in close combat. Even there, however, there are a number of relatively unique designs which should serve to differentiate their equipment list.
Spears
Although swords and axes had become increasingly widespread and popular by the 11th century, the spear is the primary weapon of the vast majority of Gaelic warriors, both at range and in melee combat, and several different types were in use. Indeed, Gaelic literature uses several different words for spears depending on their type, manner of use (thrown or melee) and so on, which sometimes makes it difficult to understand exactly what weapon is being referred to in different circumstances. Most warriors would carry multiple spears, a main weapon to fight with and several others for throwing.
The heavy spear, or craiseach, was the main weapon of many middle- and high-ranking soldiers. Described as being equally effective at bashing or crushing as at piercing attacks, it would have a wide spearhead and a thick shaft of the strongest wood available. It would be of average length for an infantry spear for the most part, although elongated "pike" versions are also recorded. Although it could be thrown to great effect in some circumstances, it does not seem to have been intended as a throwing weapon.
The sleagh or gae seems to have been a lighter spear, faster to wield and with a longer, thinner head more suited to piercing. This was probably the most commonly seen weapon on a Gaelic battlefield, being used (with variations in quality) by soldiers of every rank and station. It is mentioned both in the context of a throwing spear and a melee weapon, although the confusion in terminology I mentioned is a particular problem here. It may be that some versions were shorter and balanced for throwing, but similar enough in shape to have the same name.
There's also mentions in a few places of a third type of "Norse" spear, though I haven't found out as yet what that might mean or how it might have been different.
Finally we have darts (fota). These are small, short weapons (about a foot long) solely intended for throwing, looking not unlike an over-sized arrow. They of course had considerably less power than heavier javelins, but could be thrown with considerable accuracy by a skilled fighter, and good deal more of them could be carried at once (at least 5 or 6 in the off hand)
A plate with a selection of spearheads from a Viking-age horde in Ireland. The second picture is a good representation of Gaelic darts (though not of fashion).
Blades
As in other cultures a knife (scian) of some description is a very important tool frequently seen in a military context among poorer soldiers unable to afford a sword. A number of different blade types have been discovered or described, but one or two deserve particular mention. The first is a straightforward curved hunter's knife, broadly the same thing as a saex. The second, more interesting design is the long, extremely pointed and tapering weapon which would later become associated in English with the Gaelic world scian/sgean. These knives were used universally by Gaelic light infantry in later centuries (indeed, a shorter version of one is still part of the modern "kilt" costume) but a few archaeological finds suggest that it was already around during this period and before.
Swords were always in use in Gaelic warfare but were largely confined to the aristocracy until the Vikings came on the scene. By the 11th century a sword of some description was considered a necessary secondary weapon for all middle-status soldiers (lighter troops had knives), but relatively few would use it primarily or exclusively.
The pre-Norse Gaelic world, particularly Ireland, had a number of different sword forms in use, some pretty unusual. A La Tene-style Celtic longsword was the most popular, but there were also shorter "leaf-shaped" blades used for thrusting at close range, longer blades thicker at the tip than at the base (which may have had a two-handed grip) and even curved blades. However, it is unlikely that many of these types would still be in common use in 1066, as Norse-style swords had completely overtaken them in popularity (probably due to the better quality of the metal and forging techniques) Most Viking-era sword finds have Norse-style hilts as well, though often with Celtic-style decoration.
First image is from the same find in the Lagore crannog (fortified lake island) of different blade types in use in the early 10th century. Second image is a reconstruction of a Norse blade found in another crannog. Since it's literally just a Norse sword it won't be anything new to you guys but I thought I'd include it. I saw several good examples of Norse swords with Gaelic decoration at the National Museum here in Dublin a few days ago, but unfortunately I can't find images online (and my phone's camera is broken) Next image is from the Scottish National Museum, a good example of the "dirk" style of long, very thing and pointed knife. Last image is a reconstruction of that style.
Clubs
Wooden clubs are rarely but consistently mentioned in Gaelic literature. From what little can be gleaned from description they were mostly just simple shaped pieces of heavy wood, in both one and two-handed varieties, but some might be reinforced with bands of iron.
"Polearms"
An unusual and mysterious weapon reference occasionaly is the sáfach or pole-arm. This is another one of those situations in which an object is known from textual sources only and never really described in detail, but it seems to have involved some kind of blade attached to a shaft which is sufficiently different from an axe to have its own name. Some speculate that it may be the ancestor of the lochaber axe, a bardiche-like Gaelic poleaxe which first appeared in Scotland in the 13th century, but seems to be no way of knowing for sure.
A reconstruction of a 14th-century lochaber axe. It's a good a bet as any that early Gaelic polearms looked like less ornate, more primitive versions of this weapon.
Axes
The axe as a military-grade weapon was a Norse introduction into the Gaelic world, but it was enthusiastically adopted. By 1066 axe-wielding soldiers would be a fairly common sight, and if anything it would become more popular as time went on (English sources throught the Middle Ages consider axes as the Irish national weapon, for example) They were used in all the same contexts as among the Norse, from simple one-handed wood axes among poorer soldiers to ornate and well-forged two-handed ones for wealthy and elite warriors. Being a Norse introduction they seem to have been based strongly on Norse design, and probably wouldn't differ in any meaningful way from Norse ones. There are a few accounts (though no findings that I've seen) of unusual designs, such as "reverse beard" axes with a point facing upwards, bayonet-style.
Slings
I don't think these are even possible in M&B, but I'll mention them for completeness. The sling, rather than the bow, was the traditional long-range weapon of the Gaelic battlefield. The sling is consistently regarded quite highly in Gaelic literature, and was certainly taken seriously as a lethal weapon. Slingers might have had some quantity of forged or shaped bullets, and then switched to whatever appropriate stones they could find once those were expended. The sling was probably still in use in 1066, but was slowly being phased out as bows came into more widespread use.
Bows
Again, I mention these mostly for completeness sake. It's possible that Gaels in Scotland would've used them prior to contact with the Vikings, but what's quite extraordinary is that it seems pretty clear that the bow and arrow was essentially extinct in Ireland by 800 AD. Reintroduced by the Norse, it would take some time for it to attain widespread use among Gaelic soldiers, but this process was well under way by this period. Therefore it wouldn't be inaccurate to include short bows for Gaelic light infantry, but they would not be the main ranged weapon, and personally I think it would be more interesting (and accurate) to keep the light infantry class as a short-range throwing weapon skirmisher.
Shields
Even the lightest warriors make some use of shields (sciath) in the form of small, cheap bucklers of wood, sometimes with a plain leather covering. These would be circular or rectangular in shape. Most Gaelic soldiers would use round shields, varying in size but always smaller than the largest Viking or Anglo-Saxon forms. Gaelic shields are described as being constructed of wood covered in layers of leather and then embossed, rimmed and (at least among the wealthy) decorated with metal. Literary sources describe the colour of shields as being green, golden or (most commonly) red as well as brown, though whether it is the leather or the decorations which provide the colour is unclear. While its generally unwise to make comparisons between such remote periods, it is striking how much a description of an eleventh-century Gaelic shield sounds like the targes used by the last generation of Gaelic warriors in the 18th century.
Some literary accounts imply that shields were generally worn on the back initially, then transferred to the off-hand once throwing spears had been used (though this sounds quite cumbersome for the heat of battle) Interestingly, there are references to starga, a word used only in the context of a shield worn on the back. This could mean that they simply had a different word for it in this context, but some scholars have interpreted it as evidence for the use of two shields, one in the hand and one worn on the back for extra protection.
As in most areas, Norse influence did make its presence felt here and it appears that some Viking shield forms were in use, but unlike in other areas they do not appear to have supplanted the indigenous design in popularity. Norse-style Gaelic shields would be painted in the indigenous style of insular art. Also, while they are probably unlikely to have survived as late as 1066, if you wanted variety I guess you could think about including some of the interesting and unusual wooden shield designs common among the Picts, particularly for poorer soldiers (who would've been less Gaelicized than the aristocracy).
The mod image and the miniatures are good illustrations of various types of Gaelic leather shield. The last image is an 18th century Highlander targe shield, but as I said, it certainly sounds from descriptions as if the fundamental design was the same even seven centuries before.
Standards
While banners and flags in general had always been used, the concept of a battle-standard for identification and organization in battle was relatively new among the Gaels, though widespread by the 11th century. Neither archaeology nor literature ever describes what a standard was shaped like, but the name (merige, from merrke) seems to imply that it was adopted from the Vikings, and therefore presumably looked the same.
That's pretty much it as far as equipment goes. I can maybe provide more detailed descriptions of particular things if they're necessary, just let me know. In the meantime I'll keep an eye out for more/better images.
Lancer/Antagonist
Eirikur sure is a very patient chap, much more so than I thought.King of Scotland 说:Eirikur...
Turanien
HarkonHakoon 说:Eirikur sure is a very patient chap, much more so than I thought.King of Scotland 说:Eirikur...
Do not confuse patience with ignoring.
FrisianDude
Archduke
I just read it, very interesting. Lancer, do you have pictures of the scian?
Because I've seen that weapon mentioned in Wikipedia as something Hobelars might have carried but it links to general 'knife' which has no picture of it. And an article IS referenced to in the bottom of that page but I've only skimmed it (it's not in a very pleasant lay-out) and has no pictures.
Because I've seen that weapon mentioned in Wikipedia as something Hobelars might have carried but it links to general 'knife' which has no picture of it. And an article IS referenced to in the bottom of that page but I've only skimmed it (it's not in a very pleasant lay-out) and has no pictures.
Well played!Turanien 说:HarkonHakoon 说:Eirikur sure is a very patient chap, much more so than I thought.King of Scotland 说:Eirikur...
Do not confuse patience with ignoring.
Lancer
Sergeant at Arms
FrisianDude 说:
I already posted a picture of an archaelogical find, but looking around a bit more I found a good reconstruction here: http://www.armor.com/custom937.html
I believe that specific example is from later finds (14th or 15th century) but the design has been found long before that.
I'll add it to the original post.
Lancer
FrisianDude
Archduke
Ah, thank you. That's a pretty brutal looking knife. Looks as if it might not have very much trouble with padded coats and even mail. I think I might try modelling one.
I think I might try modelling one.
