Historic use of large shields in battle

[Robbo]

Absolutely they did! Just prior to having the place torn down around them ........

[Victorius]

[Victorius]

[MartinC]

Art is not to scale until late meadieval / renaisance The mosaic head and shield not to scale the Bayeaux tapestry figures are not to scale . The dug up can touch measure are the facts not drawings.

[Patch]

[Patch]

Good morning once again Martin .
“Art is not to scale until late meadieval / renaissance” –MartinC

I think by now I have provided more factual evidence for my shield than any piece of equipment in the entire history of NZ medieval historical reenactment.
The fact of the matter is that you have not asked for any proof or even evidence for any equipment that you can beat on the field, tube grip bucklers for example, but you have said again and again that you think that it is cheating to use battlefield equipment that you personally find... challenging.
“not this hoe you exploit the naama rule set,” –MartinC
You have to wonder when someone thinks that taking good equipment onto the field is some kind of cheat or exploit. Why on earth do you not make this complaint of spears as they dominate line battles far more than shields do. When was the last time you saw a grim and determined unit of well disciplined single-daggersmen take to the field? (that would be kind of cool though!).

Oh I might point out that there are dozens of people who use large shield on the NAAMA field, and tens of thousands across the world, I implore you to try your line of reasoning that the only piece of equipment consistently out of scale in hundreds of mediaeval illuminations are the large shields.

You really should also mention to all those people who have based their equipment on the maciejowski bible that their brand swords, for example, could be anything from 3 inches to sixteen foot long because medieval pictures are not to scale heh heh.


That’s it in the middle of this picture slicing some dude in two, oh look! Large shields.

In regards to scale in medieval pictures, people are more important than buildings so they are portrayed with a scale in accordance to their importance. Having said that, their equipment and clothing is not out of scale to themselves at all. For example the figure splitting a skull in twain in the center of the above picture is blindingly obviously not wielding a dagger, nor a two handed sword.

Thanks for reading.
-Patch.

[Patch]

“The mosaic head and shield not to scale” – MartinC
Oh do you mean the Illuminated Manuscript page of Emporer Frederik from my very first post?

“a moasaic borth not to scale the head and wall” – MartinC
Oh you do mean that! OK here is a better image for you. It’s no mosaic.



The person of relative insignificance is depicted smaller than the emperor because he is not as important. But it would be crazy strange to say you must not re-create the emperor’s boots or cloak because of scale issues.

As a final thought here is a picture crafted by expert researchers explicitly for medieval re-enactors. I will leave you to compose a message to these professional historians explaining to them that they got the shield completely wrong.
[img]http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/267/knight11901pc6.jpg/[/img]

Much as I have enjoyed playing matador, I reckon that this topic has been done pretty much to death, the final labored wheezing of the skewered beast falling gracefully to silence, time for a new complaint man.

-Patch.

[stephan]

ahhahahahahahhaahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah

dont they nomaly butcher the bull afterthe games?

[Jcm]

Personally i like fighting Patch with his shield it provides me with a challenge and makes me work for my kills.Also if you cannot beat someone at there game then why try at all...A good fighter will always adapt to any style either it be NAAMA or BON.If you can only fight one style then your limited in your fighting and personality that is a downfall of alot of fighters.I would rather be efficient in all aspects of fighting than be only good at one!!!.Take up all styles and never be limited.

I love fighting its fun...PLEASE all dont take the fun from fighting.

[Jcm]

“I’m not in this world to live up to your expectations and you’re not in this world to live up to mine.”



“Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way around or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves.

Bruce Lee

[stephan]

well said i hate the big sheilds as they provide me no challange to use but also hate them as they provide a challenge to fight lol
but i wont complain if people want to use them its there right

i remember fighting a fellow dressed as a late norman but he used a late perioid sword and he didnt have a problem with this clear discrepincy in HIS kit also i think he was holding it from the blade and useing it as a hammer

[Victorius]

[Norina]

That's great that you have your own standard of dress.
I will hapily fight anyone as long as they fight with control.
I hope you will fight me too, even though I often wear my polar fleece tunic, motorbike boots, machine stitched surcoat, souvenier shop gloves, shoelaced shin guards. I think my helmet and sword are from the same period but it matters more to me that the helmet fits, is comfy, the sword is balanced right, light and long and that I have fun while killing you all. Or are we playing a different game here?
Becoming more authentic is a lovely experience and is driven by personal interest and being impressed by other's efforts, not by rules.

[conal]

I've only got one set of gear. (Crusader - Norman C11th-C12th)

And have more than enough patching to do.

No pun intended.

[MartinC]

Hi Conal is your shield as wide and tall as a barn door?
Stephen echo echo