Medieval Shields


Medieval shields, as the term suggests, had a definite purpose in protecting or shielding warriors, such as knights, archers, and other foot soldiers from all sorts of attacking weapons used during the medieval period.

Early Medieval Shields 5th – 10th Century

In early medieval times, the most common shield used was the round shield that originated from the ‘Hoplon Shield’  that was used by ancient Greek warriors.

buckler-shield-fancy-design

Hoplon-Shield-Medieval-Shields

Hoplon shields were circular in shape and made from wood and bronze. These types of shields were developed based on earlier models that were completely made from bronze.

Viking Shields

Vikings-in-Battle-using-Medieval-Shields-of-the-Viking-Era

The Vikings used Round shields that were strengthened by a metal central boss.

viking-shield-3d-illustration-Viking-Shields-Medieval-Shields

The most important among all the parts of medieval shields was the Boss. It was the round central part of a shield and was, therefore, the most crucial with respect to defenses.

viking-shield-3d-illustration-Viking-Shields-Medieval-Shields

Special attention was paid to making this part stronger in order to deflect the heavy bows of enemy swords and other weapons. Among the parts of medieval shields, the boss part was generally made of wood or thick metal and was sometimes also known as the Umbo.

Viking-Shields-Medieval-Shields
The most common size of Viking Shield was around 30 – 36 inches in diameter

Medieval Shields 11th – 13th Century

Norman-Knight-Kite-Shield

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

Buckler Shield
Buckler Shield

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.

 

Heater Shield
Knights Templar Heater Shield
Knights Heater Shield
Medieval Knight Holding a Heater Shield

Late Medieval Shields 14th – 15th Century

Among a number of shields that continued to be developed were the Pavise, Targe, and Mantlet shields, these were the most popular shields during this period.

The Pavise shield was typically larger and rectangular in shape while it was commonly used by crossbowmen and archers.

Pavise Shield
Large Pavise Shield protects advanced medieval crossbowmen

The Targe shield was developed in Spain and was concave, they were made from iron or iron-plated wood. Finally, the Mantlet was a large shield that was used to stop arrows and would usually be mounted on a wooden carriage while being protected by soldiers.

Medieval Shield Training

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.

Medieval Housecarls in battle

Medieval Shield Types

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.

Medieval-Shield-Types

A number of them were circular in shape apart from the rectangular, kite, and heater-shaped types that were developed during the Late Middle Ages.

 

Kite Shield
Kite shield associated with norman soldiers, protected cavalry lower body parts, and legs.
Heater Shields Used by Jousting Knights
Heater Shields –  kite-shaped shields associated with Mounted Knight and Jousting
Pavise Shield
Pavise shield commonly used by advanced crossbowmen * Could create a shield wall
Targe Shield Stuart medieval Period
Targe Shields traditional Scottish round shield *Targe Shield of Medieval Stuart Period
Early Medieval Fighting Practice Using small Buckler Shields
The Buckler Shield *Small round shield often used for fighting and practice *Early Medieval Fighting Practice Using small Buckler Shields

Medieval Shield Materials

The most common type of medieval shield was made from linden wood along with leather which covered both sides of the shield apart from this, other types of materials were used to make shields

  • Wood
  • Bark
  • Metal
  • Animal skin
  • Wicker

As a whole, the art of making shields always depended on two factors: its weight vs its ease of use on the battlefield.

Who made Medieval Shields?

The blacksmiths *armorers were the ones responsible for making both weapons (shields included!) as well as body armor.

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.

Medieval Armourers

Medieval Shield Parts

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 that was used by soldiers to carry the shield.

 

Medieval Shield Parts Enarmes
The enarmes parts of a shield were the straps as highlighted in the image*

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.

Jousting Knights

Finally, the Boss was located in the center of the 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.

Boss Part of medieval Shield
The Boss Part of a Medieval Shield

Knights Shields

The heater and kite shields were the most common shields used by knights. This was for the simple reason that they were suited for those warriors on horseback, complemented their body armor adequately as well as being much smaller in size.

At some point during the Middle Ages, knights went on to omit shields and focused on solely using their weapons during battle.

Medieval knights coat of arms
Knights Heater Shield Heraldry

What is the best Medieval Shield in Battle?

Among the types of medieval shields at their disposal, both the kite and heater shields were the most effective types of shields used in battle. Known not only to protect the knights from attack but they could be used for deadly counters as well.

Not only were they strong but light and which meant that they could be used for faster movements on the battlefield but were less strenuous to wield too.

Medieval Knights History

End of the Medieval Shield

Without a doubt, the shield not only served as a defensive measure against attack but could also be used to counter too.

It was, for all practical purposes, a warrior’s best defense and without which, could render them vulnerable. Of course, their use was rendered obsolete with the increase in the use of gunpowder weapons in the late medieval periods.

Medieval Gun Powder Medieval Inventions

The Kite shield provided body cover and protection for the legs for cavalry *mounted soldiers since chain-mail was the only type of armor used in the Early Medieval Period.

Shield Symbols and Meanings

During the medieval period, the use of shields became popular as a central part of the coat of arms. As the use of the coat of arms spread among the

Medieval Shields and Heraldry

Shield Colours and Meanings

The use of shields in the coat of arms became a popular practice in Europe during the High Middle Ages. It primarily evolved in response to a need for knights

Knights Shields

The use of shields in medieval Europe was inherited from the legacy of the Roman Empire where the soldiers used a wide variety of shields. The type and design of

Medieval Shield Designs

Soldiers Shields Types

Soldiers in Western Europe had been using shields in battlefield combat as early as the period of antiquity. This tradition continued into the medieval period when shields remained a vital

Map of the Byzantine Empire

Byzantine Shields

The Byzantine Empire existed from the 5th until the 15th century. For most of this period, the Empire had the most formidable military in the whole of Europe which was

Anglo Saxon Timeline

Anglo Saxon Shields

Anglo Saxons arrived in the British Isles in the 5th century and became the dominant power in England fairly quickly. They ruled over most of Britain for the next 6

Carolingian Shields

The Carolingians were the pre-eminent military power in Western Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire. The military might of the Carolingians was based on the fact that their

Cavalry Shields

The Cavalry is an important military unit that began to be utilized in early medieval Europe. By the High Middle Ages, the cavalry had evolved into the knightly class and

Shields and Heraldry

Heraldry refers to the coat of arms and related pieces of design that were used in the medieval period to identify a knight or a noble family. The use of

Targe Shield Stuart medieval Period

Targe Shield

The Targe Shield was one of the most popular medieval shields particularly during the late medieval times. Its shape was predominantly circular and it could be decorated with a coat

Medieval Shield Designs

Medieval Shield Parts

During medieval times, fighting with a sword was one of the most common ways of warfare and this resulted in a lot of importance for medieval shields. A wide range

Norman Knight Kite Shield

Kite Shield

The Kite shield was one of the most popular types of medieval shields and the one from which various other types of shields were derived during later medieval times. This

Heater Shield

Heater Shield

The Heater shield was one of the most popular medieval shields and was extensively used in particular during the late medieval times. The shield itself was derived from the previously

Medieval Shield Design

A medieval shield was one of the most important components of medieval defensive armory and thus special attention was paid to it. During the middle and late medieval times, various

Pavise Shield

The Pavise shield was among the most common medieval shields used on the battleground. This shield was mainly used by infantrymen, in particular crossbowmen. It was much larger compared to