Why were shields important in the middle ages

Other shield designs were developed such as the 'bouche' which was designed to be used with the lance. Construction of Medieval Shields Medieval shield construction started with the type of materials that would be required for a particular type of shield.

These were chosen according to the style of combat and armor worn by the owner to determine the weight and style of the shields. Medieval shield construction used the following materials:. A Medieval shield construction might also include a strap called a guige that allowed it to be slung over the knight's back when not in use or on horseback. Medieval Shield Symbols Medieval shield symbols included a knight's coat of arms, a heraldic design.

Different symbols were originally used to decorate the clothing, or surcoat, worn over the knight's armor for recognition purposes. Fast recognition was necessary on the battlefield - colors, shield designs and shield symbols such as various animals. Medieval Shield Symbols - Designs The designs used with Medieval shield symbols were plants and animals depicted on the field of the shield.

The field of the shield could be divided into different sections called "honourable ordinaries". The word 'pavise' originates from Pavia, in Italy, where pavise shields were originally made. On the battlefield the English Medieval crossbowman was particularly vulnerable when he was reloading his crossbow. Crossbowmen therefore protected themselves with a tall shield which was known as a pavise.

The crossbowman would duck behind the pavise to re-load his crossbow during a battle. The pavise was a a large convex shield, measuring 4 to 5 ft. A pavise shield would be carried slung on the back of the crossbowman.

Some of the early medieval shields that developed as a result of the Hoplon was the kite shield because it was shaped in such a manner. The Kite shield provided body cover since chain-mail was the only type of armor used in the Early Medieval Period.

The shields in the Middle Period of middle times were the buckler and heater shields. While the former was carried by infantry troops and much smaller in size, the latter was used by jousting knights.

The heater shield was called so because it resembled the bottom of a clothes iron and was developed from the kite shield that was in use during the Early Middle Ages.

It was smaller than the kite shield and could be mounted or carried easily on foot. Among a number of shields that continued to be developed were the Pavise , Targe and Mantlet shield, these were the most popular shields during this period. It was important for soldiers to train for hours together so as to hone their skills when it came to using both the sword and shield in warfare.

This was done by using a training device known as the Pell which was really a wooden stake driven into the ground. During practice, soldiers would use a wooden sword known as the medieval baton. However, when the shield developed into an attacking weapon, this also became an aspect of practice when at the Pell.

There were a number of types of shields that were developed during the Middle Ages and that differed in shape, size, thickness and material used. Apart from this, these types of shields were designed so to suit the purpose of either foot soldiers or knights. A number of them were circular in shape apart from rectangular, kite and heater shaped types that were developed during the Late Middle Ages.

The most common type of medieval shields were made from linden wood along with leather which covered both sides of shield itself. Apart from this, other types of material used to make shields included wood, bark, metal, animal skins as well as wicker or basket work. As a whole, the art of making shields always depended on two factors: its weight vs its ease of use on the battlefield. Quite interestingly, for the entire period of the Middle Ages, it turned out to be an arms race of sorts. Not only were stronger and lighter weapons created for war but some of them were designed to pierce chain-mail.

This, in turn, led to plate armor which further resulted in the creation of thinner and sharper swords that could pierce plate armor and get into small openings. Given that the feudal system had knights , foot soldiers and archers apart from royalty, all of them used different medieval weapons which included shields. Apart from this, depending on which part of Europe they hailed from, different shields were used be it the Parma , Targa or even the Pavise as they were made in these regions.

Also, knights and the royalty used color and symbols to mark their shields as to be distinguished from others. There were three common parts associated with medieval shields namely the Enarmes, Bouche and the Boss. The Enarmes was a leather strap attached to the back of the shield and that was used by soldiers to carry the shield. The Bouche was a notch that was cut on top of the shield so as to place the lance when jousting found on the Heater shield. Finally, the Boss was located in the center of shield and helped to reinforce it to deal with attacking blows.

This Boss part was made of wood or thick metal and was usually mounted on round shields. These times the knights did not only fight in serious conflicts but also played in the tournaments. They used special kind of shield named ecranche featured with a cut out for jousting lance to go through. In late Middle Ages a pavise was introduced to infantry units.

Pavise was a shield large enough to fully hide a man behind it made of soft wood covered with multiple layers of leather or cloth. It could be utilized to raise a continuous row in a similar way as ancient Romans did. Thus created wall was called pavisade. The whole body protection provided by these enormous shields was also appreciated by the crossbowmen or later shooters , who would otherwise be vulnerable while they were loading their weapons. Technological progress of 16 th century removed the shields slowly away from the main European battlefields but they still kept important place in heraldry.

The shield displaying a coat of arms is called escutcheon. Escutcheons were firstly carried by the knights on medieval tournaments in order to distinguish each other among fully armoured competitors. Escutcheons and coats of arms were also later used by other people and institutions such as clerics and church orders, town citizens and towns themselves, craftsmen and their guilds etc. They came in various styles:. The discipline concerned in escutcheons and coat of arms is called heraldry.

Using of heraldic symbols was constituted by specific rules such as rule of tincture defining the colours. The escutcheon should be composed from permitted colours which were red called gules , blue azure , green vert and black sable , metals gold displayed as yellow or silver displayed as white or furs black and white ermine or blue and white vair.

In order to keep enough contrast there was a rule that colours could not touch other colours and metals other metals. Only colour-metal contact was possible. On the other hand, the furs could be combined with both. Later there were some other colours allowed like purple, sky blue etc. Around the escutcheon we can see other non-compulsory elements.

Sometimes the shield might be coated in princely coat or royal tent. Above the shield there can be placed a crown or a coronet or mantled helmet with a crest which might be on a torse.

The shield can be held from both sides by the supporters animal or human standing on a compartment. On the top there might be written a battle cry and in the bottom a motto. Periods: Schield Tournament Armor. Comments 0. Brave knights, to arms! Helmet, armour, iron gloves, sharp sword Not quite. Without a robust shield, you can't deflect powerful blows nor flying arrows. Whether you've pledged your allegiance to Julius Caesar, King Arthur or Wenceslas IV, you can defend yourself against any foe if you have a good shield and a good commander.

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