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Medieval Shields
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A shield is a portable
devise that protects the user during an attack. Shields
have a long history and in medieval times could be found
in a variety of sizes and designs. As with most things
medieval, the shield’s quality was proportionate
to the owner’s wealth.
The operation of the shield was quite simple. It would
be place between the user and his attacker to block blows,
swords, arrows or projectiles. Different shields were
used by different types of knights and fighters. The more
mobile the needs of the soldier, the lighter his shield
would be. Knights on horseback or crossbowmen would use
larger heavier shields to provide more protection, infantry
would use smaller ones.
It was common for the shield to be designed to suit the
fighter. For example, a knight on horseback would have
a shield that would be flared or cut away at the top and
tapered at the bottom to allow for use on horseback. Perhaps
the shield would even have a cutaway for a lance.  Typically
the medieval shields were made of layered, laminated wood.
As armor improved, shields decreased in size and many
abandoned then completely in favor of two handed combat.
One shield that did develop as a result of this was a
small shield called a buckler, one of the shields made
of metal. This shield attached to the arm and was designed
for hand to hand combat. However, the invention of gunpowder
and firearms rendered the medieval shield virtually obsolete.
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