This is a very old style of shield dating back over 3,000 years. Bronze age artwork shows warriors with such shields. We know from the Romans that Celto-british warriors were still using this sheild at the time of their invasion of Britain. Both Bronze Age and Iron Age people believed shields could hold the magic to ward off harm. When celebrating victory a chieftain was sometimes carried on the shield of a dead enemy. After the celebration the shield was sent to the bottom of a sacred lake or burned in a fire - a gift to the gods giving thanks that their tribe's magic had been greater than their foes. The Romans also took shields as trophies for their gods, laying them at the feet of bound prisoners to be sent to be paraded in triumph in Rome.

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Ref.HPAB

We often think of the rectangular Scutum shield used by Imperial Legions in the first and second century as 'the Roman Shield'. But this the oval Clipeus was older, used by more troop types and used long after Scutum. We know from stone carvings left by the Romans which troops had carried oval shields and some of their designs. Soldiers stationed on Hadrian's Wall used thisshield, as did Roman cavalry; the cavalry shield was a slightly thinner oval than the infantry's. Nearly all the late Roman-British infantry and cavalry used oval shields. If Authur of the Britons (King Arthur) lived, and he probably did, went to battle as a Roman-British cavalry officer. His shield would have been much like this, probably with a Christian device such as the Holy Grail depicted on its front.

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Ref.HPRA

In the seventh and eighth century mounted troops in what is now France used their spear under arm and pointed their horse at the enemy, rather than hitting out to the side in the older fashion. This style meant they could balance a longer spear, that spear became the lance. With this new style of fighting a tight fitting shield was needed, one that covered the whole leg as you charged headlong. The kit shield was developed with its taper that meant it could be held close to the body, covering nearly all the left side. Viking Invaders of Northern France liked this shield. When warriors were massed in tight shield walls the taper blocked under cuts to their legs. The Anglo-Saxons copied the Vikings and used this shield for their heavy armed House Carl infantry. Our Norman ancestors were descended from Viking invaders of France, so we tend to think of this as a Viking or Norman shield.

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Ref.HPVW

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Ref.HPNK

This shield developed from the larger medieval heater shield. As knight’s body armour had become more effective the shield became less important for direct protection. No longer having to protect the body a smaller shield was easier to move in reaction to an opponents attack. This shield was more able to glance a blow and better body armour could stop any weakened glanced blows. With the body and face covered in a suit of armour no one could see who was who. Colours and devices painted on the shield were used to show who was in that armour. These designs were inherited but sometimes, after marriage, half the father’s designs were added to half the husbands. With passing generations this practice became very complicated, so the laws of heraldry were developed.

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£9.99

Ref.HPKE