Medieval Shields Introduction

The shield is almost as representative of the medieval knight as the sword. Colorful, sturdy, and from many cultures, the mark of a warrior, the shield was ubiquitous throughout medieval warfare. Surely one of the earliest forms of defense, the warriors in history, the shield is as old as human records of the fighting. The first signs were probably made of hardened animal hide over a new basket or woven images with layers off. Signs of wood replaced, followed by many forms of composite shields, with wood and metal elements. With the Renaissance, shield made entirely of metal are not uncommon, and control of the riot police today to shields made of special high-impact plastic and ceramic.

The Roman historian Tacitus wrote about the Germanic tribes fought Rome, that the barbarians, "The loss of a shield is the lowest of crimes." It is clear, the sign was a great symbolic importance, even before the Middle Ages.

By the Middle Ages, the sign had by all Christian symbols often Christ in his ability to block the Man from the devil. Or rimmed with iron, rawhide, or left corners and edges, the edge of a shield can break bones, crush armor and wreck pieces of teeth, if used. As with the armorers, sign-makers had always to create a balance between protection and heavy or light and heavy maneuver can. From small, hand-held bucklers to door-sized pavisses, medieval shields ran the gamut of shape and size.