The origins of the Picts are an interesting and hotly debated topic. Fundamentally, they were Celts, and numerous similarities exist between Welsh, Irish and British contemporaries. Their role as an enemy of Rome and their place in Dark Age Britain is often underrated. The Pictish warrior was not "ordinary" - he was noble - and warfare was enshrined in law as the duty and privilege of the landed aristocracy only. The warrior, whether one of the king's household troop, or a member of a wandering mercenary band, was part of an identifiable and close-knit unit. In these fraternities the warriors lived, ate, slept, fought and died together. This volume shows how, despite this, group cohesion does not seem to have been a military strong point and the emphasis for the warrior was on individual skill in single combat.

Illustrated by: Wayne Reynolds