| | | Celtic Swords
| Celtic Swords. The Celts were renowned for their fighting prowess, so it is hardly surprising that they placed a high value on fine weaponry. Iron-working had been introduced during the Hallstatt period and, by the sixth century BC, warriors were using heavy, long-bladed slashing swords. Many had richly decorated hilts, inlaid with amber, ivory or gold-leaf. Scabbards, shields and helmets were similarly decorated. At a very early stage, a clear distinction was made between functional weaponry and parade gear. The latter was highly ornamental, but usually too fragile to withstand genuine warfare. Dead warrior princes were sometimes laid on the back of a chariot, sword in hand, and weapons were deliberately discarded as a form of sacrifice in lakes or rivers. There is a likely echo of this practice in the way that Excalibur, King Arthur's sword, was cast into the water at the time of his death. Naming weapons and attributing special powers to them was typical of the Celts. Fergus' magic sword 'Cladcholg', which may be related to Excalibur, was said to stretch the whole length of a rainbow and slice the tops off hills. Similarly, in the Táin, the hero Cú Chulainn wields the 'Gae Bolga', an awesome spear presented to him by Scáthach, his supernatural combat tutor.
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