Gallic Longsword Design

[Power2the1]

Its cool, lots of folks think they were all rounded, and some are. However, the pointed tips are in the majority overall. Most of the rounded tipped swords were used from horseback to slash down from above. This doesn't really require a tip as the blade will be doing all the damage even if it had a pointed tip. The length of these swords could have been used by infantry for long slashing blow of tremendous force, but cavalry is the main users of these long rounded tipped swords, especially ones with the very long tangs/pommels which has room for two hands but, as you may know, give rise to the thought they they were wielded like a two-handed sword. These rounded tipped swords came into their own during the La Tene phase 'D'. I can imagine an axe getting you messed up, but these swords and the momentum behind them could cut an unarmored man in half easily and keep on going. Nasty swords they are.

These long slashing swords, tips or rounded, denote the rise of the Celtic professional cavalry and the decline of the professional infantry warrior, although professional infantry did not disappear, its evident they did not play the role that they once did when it came to professional or elite status. In the later periods that went mainly to the cavalry.