[req] Germanic Shields illustrations

[caprera]

Hi everybody,

i'm working on a mod for M&b, and i'm in need of some help about shields' graphics. The setting is the 4th century, and the populations listed are at the moment, Alamanni, Franks, Lombards, Saxons, Burgundians, Marcomanni, Quads and Goths. The problem is that the followings are the best i could find and most of them are out of time:




Can somebody help me ?

[Robert Vermaat]

Hi Francesco,

From what I can see, there's a lot of 'fanciful interpretation' in those images. Some seem clearly 'based on' late Roman shield designs, and some on modern car colours (especially those chequered ones!).. I suspect none of them are authenric. I see a lot of Osprey influences, and forms from art. The simpler ones (I think!) are the better ones.

The round and oval shield shapes seem basically OK, although I would personally go for a slightly less oval shape.

I don't know about German shield colors or designs, but I can help you with Late Roman shield designs of the late 4th century from the Notitia Dignitatum. These, although a Medieval copy, give a good idea of the colors and forms found on Roman shields. My guess (a guess only) would be that Germanic shield design would not be very different, although I doubt that there were Germanic 'units' with the same shield colors. I suspect that Germanic warriors had their individual colors, or perhaps smaller groups around a single nobleman had similar shield designs.

[caprera]

Thanks you for the response but the Notitia has already been stored in our mod "database", as it's quite famous even for those who are not that into the subject.
No our problem is about the German factions that are supposed to be the main course but about whose we have little informations in comparison to the Romans. Again talking just about equipment the standardization of the Imperial army is obviously a great help, while the complete, let's say, disorder on the other side is killing us...

[Agraes]

Go for dragons, cross, crescents, everything you can find on germanic art of the period (such as metalwork), some shields of the ND beeing very germanic. Leif Erikson on the Fall of Rome mod for RTW did a brilliant job with shields.

Here an exemple, not very detailed, of a 5th century saxon buckle:


You can see dragons, and a cross design in the circles.

[caprera]

Many thanks Agraes

[Agraes]

You are welcome. I would like to help you more but I really don't have the time, as I'm already helping a lot with Song of Taliesin.

[caprera]

I understand. Good mod SoT. In some ways it inspired me into this one...

I followed your advice and asked for Leif but he's not really active on-line lately. My usual luck.

I still have a possibility to ask for those shields. We'll see.