05-15-2006, 02:36 PM
All Vendel period references I have seen to date were round, but that doesn't mean much. I don't think we have surviving shields. Now, the finds from Nydam and Gokstad indicate tzhat there was a continuous tradition in Scandinavia of flat, round shields while the evidence from southerly parts shows that dished shields were at least known (and I am *so* not going to argue common/uncommon). The Sutton Hoo shield, allegely Scandinavian-influenced, too, was round (and flat, at least that's what the British museum thinks).
Oval shields most often show up in images from Late Roman sources. Most later Migration-era pics (Carolingian, Anglo-Saxon and such) show fairly clearly circular shields, though in some cases especially in the 9th and 10th centuries, oval makes a comeback). It has been argued that oval shields are just a misrepresentation of circular ones, a misguided attempt at foreshortening. I'm not the expert on that, you had better ask Vortigern Studies or Aitor there. BUt it is very likely Late Rokman shields were (at least at times) curved or dished, whereas north European shields seem to have been mostly flat.
And when you get to Pictish or Irish shields, all bets are off. They're just weird.
I have fresh pics of the Nydam shields, BTW. If you want them, drop me a line with your e-mail.
Oval shields most often show up in images from Late Roman sources. Most later Migration-era pics (Carolingian, Anglo-Saxon and such) show fairly clearly circular shields, though in some cases especially in the 9th and 10th centuries, oval makes a comeback). It has been argued that oval shields are just a misrepresentation of circular ones, a misguided attempt at foreshortening. I'm not the expert on that, you had better ask Vortigern Studies or Aitor there. BUt it is very likely Late Rokman shields were (at least at times) curved or dished, whereas north European shields seem to have been mostly flat.
And when you get to Pictish or Irish shields, all bets are off. They're just weird.
I have fresh pics of the Nydam shields, BTW. If you want them, drop me a line with your e-mail.
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