"Nudity amongst Celt warriors; femaes also?" Topic

I was prepping a batch of figures from the mountain and came across three varieties of nude female warriors. There were archers, javelinwomen and some carrying 2 handed swords. All are completely nude. I have ascertained they are from Museum Miniatures.

Having 15mm Ancient armies I was wondering if it is possible to use these in any way? The swords tend to suggest Celtic rather than Greek, however is there any suggestion that Celtic women fought naked, or even as part of the battleline? I was thinking possibly priestesses of the Druids (if there is such a thing) but other than that I am a bit stumped how to use them.

cheers
Jon

Apologies for the double post and the typo in the title. Should be 'females'.

Edit:
Now I'm confused, the thread title when opened has femaes, yet on the main page where all topics are listed it says females.

Boudicca is supposed to have fought naked

Two-handers were not a Celtic weapon, and archers uncommon. I suspect you've got a collection of Museum Miniatures female fantasy figures (I used to use them as shieldmaidens, with little excuse save voyeurism).

@freerangegg – thanks for that, I considered it but thought she was topless rather than full nude?

@Sobieski – yes mate, those are the ones and despite it saying they could be Greek, Celt etc I figured I was up against it! I went with the 2 handed because of the long slashing swords….:) I don't have fantasy armies so looks like they may get put back on the pile….

thanks guys

Tacitus, at Mona Island against the Druids:

On the opposite shore stood the Britons, close embodied, and prepared for action. Women were seen running through the ranks in wild disorder; their apparel funeral; their hair loose to the wind, in their hands flaming torches, and their whole appearance resembling the frantic rage of the Furies. The Druids were ranged in order, with hands uplifted, invoking the gods, and pouring forth horrible imprecations.

I have my doubts about anybody going into battle naked. Lots of thorns, pointy rocks, fallen tree limbs and other things around to inflict scratches. Also, it is usually the other guys, the uncouth, savage, primitive enemies of whoever is writing the account that seem to turn up without their clothes. So, any nude figures I get tend to get at least partially clothed using green stuff. I got a bunch of naked Viking axemen, most of whom ended up with pants, but remained bare chested. Females usually get skirts; I've read that in every society on the planet, females wear at least a loin cloth sort of thing to cover their genitals. Breast coverage is optional. I sometimes turn chain mail bikinis into dresses. The point being that, with a little green stuff, your nude females can be used in a variety of ways.

Grelber

The point being that, with a little green stuff, your nude females can be used in a variety of ways.

Exactly.
In fact I wish there were more nude figures. I'm pants at sculpting so I can use them as dollies

Boudicca is supposed to have fought naked

Supposed by whom?

"In stature she was very tall, in appearance most terrifying, in the glance of her eye most fierce, and her voice was harsh; a great mass of the tawniest hair fell to her hips; around her neck was a large golden necklace; and she wore a tunic of divers colours over which a thick mantle was fastened with a brooch. This was her invariable attire."
(Cassius Dio LXII.2.3)

Grelber – usually, not always. Total nudity is by no means unknown. Check out parts of central Africa, pre-Columbian South America, Australia, Cap d'Agde.
What is "chain mail"?

Thanks all.

I had a look at Tacitus but I am wondering if it was an exception rather than a rule, although at a pinch I could modify a few.

Cheers
Jon

As for rocks and thorns being a problem while fighting nude, for one thing rocky, thorny places were not popular choices for battles, which tended to be fought where there was enough open ground for two armies to deploy their lines. And in any event I don't think comfort was the first priority.

The Romans certainly considered the Gauls to be barbaric, but when Livy describes the Gallic soldiers fighting naked at Telamon, he doesn't hold it up as evidence of their inferiority, but rather describes them as brave and most especially intimidating.

It seems like an absolutely bizarre and counterproductive practice to us today, but but that doesn't mean it didn't have a clear logic to the practitioners at the time – presumably one tinged with religious thought and permeated with strong ideas about machismo.

I can't off the top of my head think of a historical example of naked women in the battle line. Perhaps a "harem slave revolt" scenario? If so I'm pulling for the ladies.

I would not personally fight naked- physically, I have a good deal to be modest about- but how much protection do you actually get from clothing, at least against stuff that happens on a battlefield? A wool or linen shirt or pants will not stop anything bad from happening to you.