Is this picture representative of the outfits of ancient celts/gauls?
Among the warrior aristocracy, yes.
Representing the top elite, yes
>>355527
If he was in the elite he wouldn't be doing much fighting himself. They would have been ceremonial to show their rank.
>>355997
>Wrong.
The one on the left would not be going into battle and fighting like that.
>>355500
That's early Celts, 1000-500BC
They would go into battle like that, why not. It's only like a Napoleon era bearskin.
>>355775
>If he was in the elite he wouldn't be doing much fighting himself.
translation
>I know nothing about Celtic culture but I'm going to pretend i do
If he's in the elite he's the only person doing the fighting. In high Celtic culture only the elite were worthy enough to take part in combat, which was highly ritualised.
>>355515
>warrior aristocracy
Tell me more. My ignorant ass assumed the majority of men would fight if need be, just like the Mongols, Bedouins, and Norse.
>>355500
They look like kings/chiefs/high nobles. Hardly surprising considering the intricately decorated armor other nobles from other cultures wore.
>>356405
>if need be
Well sure, you could be part of the peasant levy but you wouldn't have that quality of weapons/armor.
>>356405
Celtic society was divided in 3 classes.
The unfree, peasants basically, tied down to the land. They could be levied to fight but only in truly desperate times.
The free. Normal people with skilled crafts, they might form their own warbands and would fight, could also be levied
The noble classes. These people did nothing but train for war, that was their purpose, they did the majority of fighting in the continual small scale tribal warfare that occurred with the Celts. It was very ritualised, and everyone wanted to become a hero who would be sung about.
On when with proper invasions would all 3 fight.
>>356405
I'm no expert but I can summary some of what I've read in Peter Berresford Ellis book "A brief history of the Celts", a book I recommend for getting an overview of Celtic society. Especially interesting are the comparisons with the Indo-Aryan society, giving a sense that the celtic society might be the 'original' caucasian society from pre-migration.
Celtic society was divided into the working class(Irish: ceile, Indian: sudra), the warrior class(Irish: flaith/aire, Indian: arya), the intellectual and religious class (druids, bhramin) and the kings (Celtic: rix, Indian: raja).
The warrior class and the kings were the ones that mainly fought its' wars and various conflicts. Either as a part as a kings bodyguards, retinue or retainers, or as a part of a dedicated military band, politically or religiously motivated. I quote about the difference between Celtic and Roman military thinking, a reason for their defeat at the Roman hand:
"To Celts warfare was a matter of honour which could begin and end in a personal single combat. It was often a matter of individual courage. Generally, the Celts were not interested in central authority and discipline (...) It was the Celtic custom, as Diodorus Siculus remarked, when gathered for battle, for a warrior to step out of the ranks and challenge the most valiant champion among the enemy to single combat, (...). Depending on the results of the combat the entire battle could be decided."
I heartily recommend the book .
>>358911
Are you sure the peasants weren't slaves rather than serfs?
>>355500
That castle in the background is medieval.
>>356036
>It's only like a Napoleon era bearskin.
Bearskin hats would not weight nearly as much as those metal helmets tho
>>359160
Pretty sure it isn't
>>358926
>Celtic society was divided into the working class(Irish: ceile, Indian: sudra), the warrior class(Irish: flaith/aire, Indian: arya), the intellectual and religious class (druids, bhramin) and the kings (Celtic: rix, Indian: raja).
I can only speak for Ireland but the partition here didn't really work that way.
One "class" was those without property legal status, Thralls, serfs or travelling workers.
Next were property owning commoners. They had legal status, and an honour price.
Nobles were defined by having clients, as well as more property and a higher honour price.
Kings were one step above, and had the highest rank of honour prices, though they were still subject to law (though in the cases of more powerful kings this was often unenforced)
Alongside these classes were the "Aos Dána" or people of the arts. They too were ranked, based on skill or learning. These included Poets, Judges, Druids, Bards, doctors and craftsmen such as blacksmiths. Each of these professions had their own ranks and grades and received honour prices accordingly. Only the highest Poets and perhaps in early days Druids (few pre-christian written sources) could reach the status and power of kings. Judges and bards could reach the status of lords, blacksmiths and doctors could only get smaller still, and the least, such as weavers could only got a meagre honour price.
Much of this structure was influenced by ecclesiastical grades, though the stratification was in origin pre-christian. Clerics had according grades. Bishops were equal to kings and high ranking poets.
Within all of these there were subdivisions, e.g. the "ríchúige" (provincial king) is higher than the Ruirí (overking) who is in turn higher than the Rí tuath (tribal king) The highest was the "Ard-Rí" or high king of Ireland though this position was rarely filled.
So what do we know about Indo European culture and how linked are celts with germanic mythology?
>>358937
Maybe somewhere in between, we cant fit everything into systems of today.
>>359164
These guys didn't get the message.
>>359164
I've worn traditional grenadier bearskin hats as a part of ceremonial military service and I've worn accurately weighted helmets as a part of re-enacting and the bearskin hats are a lot worse. Unbalanced, weighty and uncomfortable as hell.
"Their hair is blond, but not naturally so: they bleach it, to this day, artificially, washing it in lime and combing it back from their foreheads. They look like wood-demons, their hair thick and shaggy like a horse's mane. "
Celts looked pretty much like picrelated.
>>358926
>Berresford Ellis
He's a bit too fanatical to be taken seriously. His work on the Galatians is embarrassing.
His major problems is using later particularly irish terminology/myth and examples and assuming that they were identical in the past for every celtic tribe.
Further more he does a poor job citing his sources.
