01-25-2011, 12:48 PM
Not all Germanic shields were necessarily covered in leather or rawhide, or even had rawhide re-inforced rims ( which is something of a 're-enactorism' to protect the rims of shields exposed to far more combat than a real one had to endure!).
Tacitus, writing in the 1 C AD, (Annals II.13) has Germanicus say in AD 16:-
"...even their shields are not reinforced with iron or leather, but are merely plaited wickerwork or flimsy painted boards..." and in the 'Germania' "...there is nothing ostentatious about their equipment: only their shields are picked out in the colours of their choice..."( the colours may have been tribal in some cases, for we hear of the Cimbri with white shields (Plutarch 'Marius' 25), and elswhere we hear of the Harii having black shields, and later the Frisii brown and Saxons red shields.)
Here is a description of a reconstructed 'Hjortspring hoard' shield dating from c. 350 BC Denmark ( the 'Hjortspring story' is fascinating in itself). This type of shield continued in use well into the second century AD.
http://www.myarmoury.com/nateb_othr_nate_hjort.html
Dimensions for that reconstruction are:-
Length: 35.5"
Width: 21.75"
Thickness: 0.75" tapering to 0.25" at the rim
(the shields varied in thickness from around 12-20 mm/0.5-0.75 inches in the middle to 3-6mm/0.15-0.25 inches at the rim, so this reconstruction is one of the larger heavier ones)
Umbo: 12" long, 4.75" wide, 3.5" high
Weight: 8-9 pounds
Other reconstructed German and Celtic shields are also on that site.
The fifty or so intact Hjortspring shields were each individual - no two alike - many were cut from a single plank, while others were made of two boards glued edge to edge ( these, if any, may have been covered in thin leather or hide glued to the surface front and back). A few were made from three boards. These were joined with tenon-and-rebate joints.
One rectangular narrow shield, with the usual rounded corners; 80 cm/32 " x 33 cm/13.2", was carved boss, handgrip and all from a single piece of wood.
The wooden Ash handgrips had rebates or tenons cut in the back - which made them slightly 'springy' and shock-absorbing. They were held in place by the 'barleycorn' shaped boss usually, though some were nailed, often no glue was used and tenon joints used. Some spare handgrips seem to have been carried for some have clear cord marks from a tie on them. The shields themselves were of light softwoods ( alder or lime), though two were of hardwood (oak?) .
( The above is from "Hjortspring Fundet"; Grosenberg)
More information can be found here:
http://www.hjortspring.dk/wold/shields.htm
Tacitus, writing in the 1 C AD, (Annals II.13) has Germanicus say in AD 16:-
"...even their shields are not reinforced with iron or leather, but are merely plaited wickerwork or flimsy painted boards..." and in the 'Germania' "...there is nothing ostentatious about their equipment: only their shields are picked out in the colours of their choice..."( the colours may have been tribal in some cases, for we hear of the Cimbri with white shields (Plutarch 'Marius' 25), and elswhere we hear of the Harii having black shields, and later the Frisii brown and Saxons red shields.)
Here is a description of a reconstructed 'Hjortspring hoard' shield dating from c. 350 BC Denmark ( the 'Hjortspring story' is fascinating in itself). This type of shield continued in use well into the second century AD.
http://www.myarmoury.com/nateb_othr_nate_hjort.html
Dimensions for that reconstruction are:-
Length: 35.5"
Width: 21.75"
Thickness: 0.75" tapering to 0.25" at the rim
(the shields varied in thickness from around 12-20 mm/0.5-0.75 inches in the middle to 3-6mm/0.15-0.25 inches at the rim, so this reconstruction is one of the larger heavier ones)
Umbo: 12" long, 4.75" wide, 3.5" high
Weight: 8-9 pounds
Other reconstructed German and Celtic shields are also on that site.
The fifty or so intact Hjortspring shields were each individual - no two alike - many were cut from a single plank, while others were made of two boards glued edge to edge ( these, if any, may have been covered in thin leather or hide glued to the surface front and back). A few were made from three boards. These were joined with tenon-and-rebate joints.
One rectangular narrow shield, with the usual rounded corners; 80 cm/32 " x 33 cm/13.2", was carved boss, handgrip and all from a single piece of wood.
The wooden Ash handgrips had rebates or tenons cut in the back - which made them slightly 'springy' and shock-absorbing. They were held in place by the 'barleycorn' shaped boss usually, though some were nailed, often no glue was used and tenon joints used. Some spare handgrips seem to have been carried for some have clear cord marks from a tie on them. The shields themselves were of light softwoods ( alder or lime), though two were of hardwood (oak?) .
( The above is from "Hjortspring Fundet"; Grosenberg)
More information can be found here:
http://www.hjortspring.dk/wold/shields.htm
"dulce et decorum est pro patria mori " - Horace
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff
