The well-known image of the torque is that of fierce Celtic warriors wearing it, armed with shield and spear, waging war against the Romans or other Celtic tribes. However, the torque is much more than just an ornament. In this blog, we discuss the deeper symbolism of the torque.
What is a Torque
A torque (Torq, Torque) is a large, rigid metal neck ring. It can be made from a single piece or consist of multiple strands twisted together. Most torques are open at the front, but some are fully circular with a clasp for wearing. Torques can be made from any type of metal, with many examples found in precious metals such as gold and silver.
Who Wore Torques
Torques are recognized as a characteristic Celtic ornament. This image arose because Celts are often depicted wearing torques, and because Romans emphasized torques as a distinctively Celtic item. However, other Indo-European peoples also wore torques. Torques were worn from the late European Bronze Age, around 1200 BCE, to the 3rd century CE, and this tradition was later continued by Germanic peoples such as the Vikings. Torques were also worn by peoples such as the Scythians, Illyrians, Thracians, Celts (Gauls), Germanic tribes, Vikings, and sometimes even the Romans. All of these peoples shared a common Proto-Indo-European heritage. The torque may thus trace back to the Indo-European steppe culture.
The Symbolism of the Torque
Indo-European Dharmic Society
The Indo-European peoples had a strongly oath-bound, dharmic culture, where their pagan religion focused on cosmic order. The Indo-European cosmic order is the principle of harmony and balance within the universe, where everything functions according to fixed laws. In Vedic thought, this concept is called Rta, while the Greeks referred to it as Kosmos. Rta is a dynamic force that governs both nature and abstract concepts like morality, ensuring balance in both nature and society. Acting in accordance with Rta, also known as dharma, is essential for individual and collective well-being. Violating these cosmic laws, known as adharma, leads to chaos and misery. Deities like the Norns, Matres, and Moirai guard this order.
To maintain this cosmic order, society was structured into different classes: the religious & ruling class, the warrior class, and the working class. Each class had its responsibilities, guaranteed by oaths. It is likely that torques and upper arm rings served as oath rings. These oath rings represented the vow between the wearer and the person, god, or tribe to whom the oath was sworn.
Oath Rings
Archaeologists debate the dating of torques; some may have been passed down through generations as heirlooms. Torques were probably as hereditary as an oath. In the works of Homer, warriors Glaucus and Diomedes stop their battle and exchange gifts when they discover that their grandfathers had a guest-host relationship.
In Celtic mythology, gods and goddesses are sometimes depicted with torques, such as the god Cernunnos, who in various images wears a torque around his neck, while others hang from his antlers or are held in his hand, as seen on the Gundestrup Cauldron. Beyond representing power and wealth, these torques likely symbolized their oath to the cosmic order.
Torques are often found alongside bracelets, which likely had a similar function.
The Ruling Class
The luxurious materials from which most torques are made show a clear association with the aristocracy. In the Indo-European aristocracy, religion and governance were often held by the same individual. For example, the Roman emperor was also seen as the high priest, and the Celtic druid held significant political power. Warfare, especially raids by warrior bands (the Kóryos), could be considered semi-ritualistic. The warrior class was the "free" class within society, comparable to legal personhood. It is likely that they also sometimes wore torques or arm rings. These items were highly prized by Roman legionaries as spoils of war after battles.
Torques for Rituals & Offerings
Torques are sometimes found in groups without a clear association with a burial. This could represent the ritual breaking of an oath, for example, when a leader died. It might also indicate a ritual oath sworn to a deity, symbolizing protection.
Besides being worn as jewelry, the torque might have also been used in rituals, with some examples containing rattling stones or metal pieces. Some torques, however, were too heavy to wear and were likely intended for cult statues.
Torques Worn by Men and Women
Up until the 3rd century BCE, torques were mostly found in women’s graves, whereas in earlier and later periods they were primarily associated with men. Depictions of gods and warriors wearing torques are also usually male. The precise meaning of this remains unclear. Although Indo-European society was patriarchal, it also had female aristocrats, some of whom were buried in prominent burial mounds. It is possible that the torques found in graves give a skewed picture because only a small percentage of graves have been discovered. It could also be that men gave their torques to women to wear during their lifetime or after their death.
Bronze Age Torques
The oldest known torques were made in various forms, such as the "twisted ribbon" type and variants with square, X-shaped, or round cross-sections. Examples date back to the 12th or 11th century BCE and have been found in Tiers Cross, Wales. The Milton Keynes Hoard included two large torques with thicker, rounded shapes similar to bracelets. Bronze Age torques, often small in size and sometimes used as bracelets, armlets, or jewelry for children or statues, have also been found in England.
Eastern Torques
Torques also appear in Parthian and Scythian art. In Parthian art, the "Shami statue" depicts a nobleman with a necklace lacking the characteristic details of the Iron Age. Scythian torques from the early Iron Age feature classical Eastern decorations and are found in Thraco-Cimmerian art.
Notable finds include the gold torques in the Mooghaun North Hoard (ca. 800–700 BCE) from Ireland and Scythian torques from the Kuban region in Russia, dating back to the 4th century BCE. Torques with animal motifs are also seen in the art of the Persian Achaemenid Empire.
Celtic Torques
Torcs were prominent in Celtic cultures that extended along the Atlantic coast, from Spain to Ireland, and on both sides of the English Channel. In Great Britain and Ireland, late La Tène-period torcs have been found, often richly decorated and dating from the 3rd to 1st century BCE.
Another remarkable find is a heavy silver torc with bull head terminals from Trichtingen, Germany, dating back to the 2nd century BCE and weighing over 6 kilograms. The Snettisham Torc, found in Norfolk, England, contains a kilogram of gold and is one of the most refined examples from the 1st century BCE.
One of the most famous classical depictions of a torc can be seen in the Roman copy of the Greek sculpture The Dying Gaul, which shows a wounded Gallic warrior naked except for the torc. This image references Polybius's descriptions of the gaesatae, Celtic warriors from Northern Italy and the Alps who fought in the Battle of Telamon in 225 BCE. The torc was also prominently featured on early Celtic statues of human figures, such as the Warrior of Hirschlanden from the 6th century BCE.
In medieval Irish mythological texts, such as the Lebor Gabála Érenn (11th century), torcs are also mentioned. Elatha, a figure from Irish mythology, was said to have worn five gold neck rings when he met Ériu.
After the Roman conquest of Britain, from around 75 CE and for at least a century thereafter, a new type of torc emerged in Roman Britain, known as the "beaded torc." This type of jewelry was especially common in the northern frontier regions and came in two variants: Type A, composed of separate beads, and Type B, crafted from a single piece. Unlike earlier Iron Age Celtic torcs, often made of precious metals and associated with the elite, these Roman versions were made from copper alloys. This suggests that these torcs were more widespread and worn by various social classes, rather than exclusively by the elite.
Roman Torques
The Romans adopted the torc as a military decoration, as illustrated by the legend of Titus Manlius, who killed a Gallic warrior in 361 BCE and took his torc. This led his family to adopt the nickname Torquatus. During the Roman Republic, the torc was used as an honor for distinguished soldiers. Although few Roman torcs have been discovered, Pliny the Elder reports that the Romans collected 183 torcs from the Celtic dead after the battle in 386 BCE.
The Gallic-Roman warrior of Vacheres, depicted in Roman military attire, may wear a torc as a symbol of his Celtic heritage. Quintilian mentions that the Gauls offered Emperor Augustus a gold torc weighing nearly 33 kilograms. A torc from the Winchester Hoard, dating to the 1st century BCE, features Celtic style but was made using Roman techniques, suggesting that such objects may have served as diplomatic gifts between Romans and Celtic chieftains.
Torques in the Migration Period
Celtic torcs fell out of use during the Migration Period, as the Germanic tribes preferred other types of rings. By the Viking Age, the torque regained popularity, especially in the form of silver chains styled as torques. Similar neck rings are also characteristic of the jewelry styles of various other cultures and periods.
Germanic Torques & Oath Rings
Rings and arm rings play an important role in early Germanic cultures, as evidenced by archaeological finds and textual sources. They are primarily associated with wealth and served as currency in the early Middle Ages. Additionally, rings were essential in the swearing of sacred oaths, often in connection with the gods. In Germanic mythology, rings symbolize sacrality and are crucial for maintaining relationships between rulers and their vassals. This cultural significance of rings persisted even during and after the Christianization of the Germanic peoples, with the gifting of rings and the swearing of oaths remaining lasting traditions.