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 of medieval shields was prevalent during different eras of medieval times, including buckler shields, heater shields, parma shields, targe shields, mantlet shields, and others.
There were various parts of a medieval shield such as the boss, bouche, and enarmes.
Collection of different medieval shield designs
The history of shields can be traced back to Greeks in ancient times when a circular shield called hoplon was used. These shields were mainly made of bronze and wood and were used as far back as the 7th century BC.
Romans made innovations to the Greek shields and used a rectangular shield known as Roman Scutum, it consisted of three layers of wooden strips with different orientations for strength.
During medieval times, a variety of shields of different types were used in different eras. Medieval shield parts were also quite diverse although most of them had three main parts in common which are discussed below.
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.
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.
The Boss Part of a Medieval Shield close up
Two other important medieval shield parts were called Bouche and Enarmes. Bouche was the name given to a notch cut at the top of the medieval shield. This cut was used to rest a lance while jousting.
Enarmes, on the other hand, was the name given to the straps inside a shield for providing a solid grip on the shield. Previously, a single bar behind the boss was used to grip the shield and thus the enarmes were an improvement over previous shields.
Enarmes straps as highlighted
While the above were the three most important parts of medieval shields, there were various less important parts too. For instance, on the shields of the knights and the nobility, the coat of arms figured as an important part and served as identification.
Medieval Knights Coat of Arms
Use of the coat of arms became particularly widespread during the middle and late medieval times. There were various parts of the coat of arms that were considered important parts of medieval shields for the nobility and knights.
Some of these parts included a motto design, helmet or helm, the wreath or torso, and others.
Medieval Shields and Heraldry The Segar’s Roll
Medieval shields went through various transitions during different eras of medieval times. Their actual history can be traced back to ancient times when shields were extensively used by the Greeks and Romans.
During medieval times, however, specific parts of medieval shields were recognized and named.
The three most important parts of a shield were called the Boss, Bouche, and Enarmes. For the nobility and the knights, the coat of arms was also a very important part of a medieval shield.
We hope this article on medieval shield parts provided you with the information you were looking for, if you would like to learn more about medieval shields and medieval shield parts please look at the links below which will give you more information on different types of shields throughout history.
You can learn more about the medieval shields themselves and there will be additional information on medieval shield parts contained within this information.