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Amazing Steel? Fact, Or Joke?

Can I tell you what amazes me?
Viking Re-enactors.
Dressed head to foot in chain mail; mabe bored civil servants can afford to have a mail shirt made, but tenth century warriors definitely could not.
And Swords! Where would a Scarl get the steel to make one?
The weapon of choice in Wales was a stick, yes a stick.
Even a good staff was a prized possession.
Give the Celtic Warrior a club and a wooden shield and he's happy.
Steel clad shining modern examples of rank and file privilege make me laugh.

Joke Fact Steel Amazing

You make some very good points Harkon. I would think leather covered shield or just wood would be the average front low life, a spear with steel tips, Leather helm and armor would be the reality as with the rest of the world. Iron was truly for the upper echelon for armor.

Many base their ideas on the mound finds. But to buried in a mound (Vessel drag on land and buried.) or sent out to sea in your vessel set to flames was an honor for the higher class not the poor.

But yes their swords would be metal and where their most prized possession. I think many of the shields had metal banding and center piece as they were used as a weapon also. After all what use would a wood sword be in a real fight.

Amazing Steel? Fact, Or Joke? Sports & Fashion Music Movies

We cant base our perception of Dark Age Warriors on what survives in barrow mounds alone. These were the most senior of their people buried there.
Vast armies of mail clad, metal helmeted warriors with keen iron swords and shields, in my opinion belong in films like Lord of the Rings.

The only metal short sword or knife was the single edged Seaxe.
Later they copied the Roman Gallus swords, and only Officers could afford a hard bladed double edged long sword.

If I was to copy a Celtic Warrior, staff, knife and short bow would be my choice of arms.

Joke Fact Steel Amazing

The staff would have been common weapon no doubt in one on one combate.

I am thinking now more of an army. Now even this in case of vikings might be disputed as to what it means but I am thinking small raiding units so in hundreds at best. Steel would be reserved for weapon edge only.

Your picture of a Celtic I think would be realistic. A good staff is very dangerous.