Hello ladies and gents this is the Viking telling you that today we are talking about
VIKING SHEILDS
- The Vikings used round shields made of wood.
- Most Viking shields measured between 80cm and 90cm in diameter, but they could be as large as 95cm or as small as 70cm. Shields were often custom made to be the perfect size for the warrior who was going to be using it.
- Nearly all of the Viking shields to have survived to this day were made from single planks of wood butted together, but written evidence states that the shields were constructed from two layers of linden wood. The written evidence also suggests that the shields were strengthened with iron bands.
- The archaeological evidence tells us that shields were also made from pine wood, spruce wood or the wood from fir tree.
- Viking shields weren’t strapped to the arm, they were gripped in the hand at the centre behind a boss made of iron. This meant that the angle of the shield could easily be changed.
- The metal boss, attached to the wooden part of the shield by nails, protected thehand.
- Viking shields were rimmed with leather or rawhide. This stopped the shield from splitting if it was hit by a blade on its edge. Some shields may have had iron rims, but there isn’t much archaeological evidence to support this.
- Shields were often slung over the shoulder with leather straps when the warrior wasn’t fighting, or when he wanted to use two hands to wield his weapon.
- It is thought that the fronts of some Viking shields were covered with leather. This made the shields heavier, but was a simple way of making the shields stronger and less likely to split in battle. As an alternative to leather, some Viking shields were probably covered in linen.
And as always have a chilled day from the Viking
Comments
Post a Comment