Fighting in the Buff: Did Celtic Warriors Really Go to War Naked?

The Celts were known in ancient times to have been ferocious warriors. According to certain written sources, some of these Celtic warriors went a step further by going into battle carrying only their weapons and shields. Apart from texts by ancient writers, the image of such a Celtic warrior is also captured in a famous sculpture known as the ‘Dying Gaul’.  

The Dying Gaul, in the Capitoline Museums, Rome. (Jean-Pol GRANDMONT/ CC BY SA 3.0)

Origins of the Celts

The Celts were a people who lived in Europe during the Iron and Medieval Ages. Whilst they are not a distinct racial or genetic group, the Celts spoke Celtic languages, and shared certain cultural similarities. There were a variety of tribes referred to as ’Celtic’ that inhabited Europe during the Iron Age. The name ‘Gaul’, for example, was given by the Romans to the Celtic tribes inhabiting the areas that are today the central, northern and eastern parts of France.