Medieval Shields on a Battlefield

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Medieval Shields on a Battlefield
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If you ask people what they know about medieval
swords, most would probably mention the most
famous one - the legendary Excalibur. Who would
forget this special sword and the story of
Camelot, King Arthur, and the Knights of the
Round Table?
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Books were written and movies were shown
depicting this sword in different lights but it
always held the distinction of representing the
triumph of good over evil.
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This may have been because during the Middle
Ages, the medieval sword also became a symbol of
honor.
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The Middle Ages saw the rise of the powerful and
rich chieftains or lords. They have their own
soldiers and serfs under their rule and
protection. A plant or animal representation
was the usual decoration on the medieval shield
and serve part of the coat of arms of a
particular clan or group.
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Like the sword, the shield played an important
role in medieval warfare. Aside from being a
defensive piece of armor, it became an identifier
of sorts. Once in the battlefield, the shield
helped distinguish friends from foes.
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The medieval shield varies in material, size, and
shape. However, these shields have but one
purpose and that is to protect the warrior
carrying it from attacks by hand-held weapons
such as axes, maces, and swords. It also served
as protection from arrows.
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These were made of wood, metal or a combination
of both. Warriors typically carried the shield
on one arm for deflecting blows while gripping
their swords on the other hand.
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The shield should be tough enough to provide
protection without its weigh and size hindering
them from fighting. The effectiveness of the
shield in hand-to-hand combat relies greatly on
its construction.
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As there were different medieval swords, knights,
and warriors also used different shields during
the Middle Ages. Instead of the usual round or
circular shields, the kite shields that were
typical in the early part of the medieval period
were constructed differently.
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Rounded at the top but was slightly tapered
downwards, the shield was made to provide
protection to the legs without making it heavier.
It provided additional safeguard as a knight
wore chain mail as body protection.
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As the body armor improved, so did the design of
the shield. The heater shield was much smaller
than the kite shield and used by those on
horseback. Both the kite and heater shields were
made of laminated wood.
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The crossbowmen and archers used the pavise
shield for protection. These were large
freestanding shields providing safeguard for
crossbowmen and archers as they reload their
weapons.
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In time, soldiers preferred the buckler shield,
which was made of metal, and were a lot smaller
and lighter. It was round in shape and was 8 to
16 inches in diameter. This medieval shield can
easily be carried by the soldiers as these can be
hang from the belt and very effective in
hand-to-hand combat.
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As the shield was made lighter and became easily
wielded, it has become the perfect partner to the
sword, mace, or axe.
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It was a great way to block attacks and at the
same time most effective for glancing blows.
While deflecting the blow sideways using the
shield, it then provided an opening for a
counterattack.
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