Celtic Shields

[Calumma]

I'm building several armies/warbands for a number of different games and looking at ways to draw units from the same pool of painted figures. For Hail Caesar I'm building an Ancient Briton Celtic army. For SAGA/Dux Bellorum/Lion Rampant I'm putting together Welsh and Strathclyde Welsh warbands.

In the main, I don't see any reason not to use the same pool of figures for these different forces. The stumbling block is shields. Celtic shields have a very different appearance to the later Dark Age round shields typically portrayed as used by the Welsh. Since the Dark Age Welsh are descendants of the Ancient Britons I'm interested in learning if, when and why shields changed design/shape.

Game wise, one possible option is to use round shields for my Celtic cavalry, but not sure that is really appropriate. Most depictions of Celt cavalry illustrate them with typical Celtic shield designs. Still, that may be a more acceptable compromise than trying to use large oblong shields for Welsh.

Any thoughts?

[Atheling]

All we know is that at some point the more oval shields transmuted into the rounder versions. Not my 'arena' but I reckon that's about all we know and putting a date on it would frankly be speculation. Probably happened when certain Civitates were abandoned (the one's that were so's to speak) so I'm guessing that the time would have varied.

Darrell.

[Calumma]

For cavalry, I'll use smaller shields with Celtic boss designs. These will be a good fit for the Celt cavalry and won't look too out of place for the Welsh.

Still intrigued as to why the design changed though. Celts did use round shields alongside more oval designs. Perhaps it was simply time/cost? By the Dark Ages the round shields were considered 'good enough' so no need to spend additional time/resources making something more complicated. Doesn't explain why Pict shields were different though. Probably a combination of many factors including subtle changes in culture I guess.

[guitarheroandy]

One factor is probably the type of warfare. If you are fighting Imperial Roman legionaries in a stand-up slog, you'd want a larger shield and ovals seem popular with so many peoples, it must be something to do with balance and protectiveness.

if you are raiding and aren't going to get involved in massed pitched battles, a smaller round shield is infinitely more suitable than a huge oval. I'm not convinced that early British cavalry would have had oval shields as they were quite 'light' their fighting methods. Later 'Welsh' cavalry were also much more concerned with light cavalry tactics so smaller round shields there too.

Also, location plays a part. If you are a hill/mountain-dwelling tribe, e.g. Western Welsh, Picts, etc, you'd need something small and light and easy to carry when running up and down steep hills all day...

[Emir of Askaristan]

Archaeologically its normally only the shield boss that survives unless any other fittings are present, however round shields have been found in bogs in Denmark dating from the 3rd or 4thC AD.

I'd suggest that fashion, handiness, "tribal" differentiation, manufacturing ability and availability of materials all played their part in the changing of shield shapes. from a practical point its easier to "humph" as roundshield onto your back than an oval one if it is smaller (Late Roman oval shield were pretty big!). If its smaller its usually lighter and if it provides a similar or acceptably less degree of protection then its probably going to get adopted by a soldier at some point.

On bosses - the pointy or projecting "spiked" boss in Frankish shields (and hence a close neighbour and influencer of British warfare), gave way to a rounder smooth boss over time and one theory behind this was the change from an individual style of fighting to one where the shield wall was a key tactic.

So the question is how "Traditional" are your Celts? Are they cultural holdouts whose way's hark back to their ancestors who opposed the Caesars or are they led by a warlord who knows they must adapt and adopt to survive this new way of warfare brought over from the continent?!?!?

[Calumma]

Ha yes, I think the Welsh will definitely be traditional holdouts!

I do wonder if we have become too hung up on the Battersea type Celtic shield. Such shields must have been very cumbersome and as I understand it, the few that have been found were ceremonial and probably not used in battles.

I can certainly see the relevance of shield boss designs changing. Celts used shields offensively, so as more defensive shield wall type fighting styles were deployed I can understand how the boss could evolve into a rounder shape. Perhaps this then influenced the overall shield designs somehow? Perhaps a larger more offensively orientated shield boss required a different shaped wooden shield to provide sufficient support?

Anyway, smaller round and oval shields it will be - at least for the cavalry. Gripping Beast have several suitable designs and transfers are available from LBM. My Welsh infantry will be individually based for SAGA. Although some may find their way into movement trays for Dux Bellorum, I already have plenty of painted infantry for Hail Caesar. That said, it's good to have choices and you can never have too many Celts! So I'll no doubt mix in some of the smaller oval shields for the infantry as well.

Thanks for the feedback folks.

[Emir of Askaristan]

The smooth rounded boss is less objectionable when a mate pushes in into your back in the press of a shield wall....no one likes a smart arse with a pointy boss showing his way in from the back! 

Now you've decided we demand some pictures of course!

[Calumma]

Well, they've been undercoated...

But painting has to wait until I finish the Saxons sat staring at me from the painting table ;-)