You have all the Viking and Celtic shields right here, you can buy a shield as a decoration or a functional one ready for battle if you are a recreationist. There are also Viking shields for LARP.
VIKING SHIELD
The shield was for the Vikings their main defensive weapon, which also allowed them to use the Viking sword and ax with the other hand. The wall of shields that these warriors made is also well known, and numerous shields hung on the railings can also be seen on Viking ships.
Mainly we can distinguish two types of Viking shields. The round Shield, which was the most common until the 10th century. It was very light and not very thick, allowing the shield wall to be made. The most widespread size fluctuated between 75 and 90 cm. An advance on the round shield was the comet shield. Its shape is an inverted teardrop. It was used between the 10th and 13th centuries. The comet shield replaced the round shield because it better protected the combatant, not only the torso but also the legs. In addition, it was much more resistant.
The round shield was formed by stripes of wood, mainly linden, placed horizontally, and a metallic ring around its entire contour. They were painted in bright colors and curiously had no arm support. The Viking kite shield differs from the round one due to its greater weight and the addition of a fastening system. At first they were convex until little by little they became flat models.
The shield wall so typical in the fights against the Vikings was to make a kind of wall. The first line stood shoulder to shoulder with the shields, while the spearmen were placed in the second row. When surrounded, this type of defensive formation could move by adopting a circular position.
CELTIC SHIELDS
Like most Central European peoples, the Celts have used shields. Most were round made of wicker or metal. Those of the Gauls and Irish were distinguished by being larger, elongated and oval -sometimes also rectangular-. Shields have been found in La Tène tombs with an umbo formed by an iron cylinder with two wings nailed to the shield blades.
Celtic shields used to carry emblems and were profusely decorated with elements of great value -above all, the British ones-
The Celts lived in places called castros. These were fortified and located on high ground. Celtic warriors looked menacing. They generally covered their bodies with skins from their herds. They used swords, spears, and slings. They were protected with shields, generally made of wood. When they went into battle they did so naked and painted blue, and to intimidate the enemy they shouted, beat their shields and blew their war trumpets.
Both Celtic swords and shields were small works of art. Each warrior made his own shield. No two offensive or defensive weapons have ever been the same. Similar yes, but not exactly the same.
THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF VIKING SHIELDS
The Viking shield was the first defensive weapon of this Scandinavian people, since armor and helmets were very expensive, which most of the Viking population could not access. As benefits of this element of war, we can say that its use was very flexible, because, on the one hand, it could be combined with the Viking sword or axe, and secondly, it allowed the famous shield wall to be made. Curiously, the Viking ships had a special place to store the shields. They did it on the ship's railing, and this allowed the crew to protect themselves from the waves and the wind, and they also always had them at hand, expanding the space for the warriors to move inside the ship. Of the importance that the Viking gave to his shield, it is only necessary to say that they dedicated poems to them, including Ragnarsdrápa, from the 9th century AD. The greatest source of knowledge about these shields comes from what was found in the Gokstad funerary ship, which is buried in Noregua. Many things have been found in it, and among them, Viking shields.
It is widely believed that Viking shields were all round, but this claim is flatly false. Archaeologists and historical evidence prove the inequality between the different shields. In this way we can distinguish, in principle, two types of shields.
• Round shield . The most used in the early years of the Viking age and up to the 10th century. It was light and thin, but enough to make a shield wall. The size of the shields ranged between 45 and 120 centimeters, although they normally measured between 75 and 90 centimeters in diameter. These measures were increasing over time.
• Kite Shield . It had the appearance of an inverted teardrop, it was a circular shield breakthrough. It was used at the end of the Viking Age, between the 10th and 13th centuries of our era. In the Bayeuxl Tapestry we can appreciate this type of shield.
In addition to these shields there were others less used.
• Oval shield : Analogous to the round, but with a more oval appearance. Its use was rare among Viking warriors, but there are traces that it was used in the Viking Age.
• Kite shield – This type of shield was more angular and narrower in shape at the top and wider at the bottom. It is believed that it was used mainly by the Viking warriors in the region of England.
• Square Shield : Very uncommon among Vikings. It is believed that these warriors took these shields during their dealings with the Roman Empire.
• Leather shield : Also used in a testimonial way by the Vikings. They offered little protection, although the warrior was much more mobile in combat.
The circular shield only protected the upper part of the warrior, which is why it was replaced by the kite shield that also defended the legs. In addition, the comet one weighed more and was harder to resist blows. This type of shield had a set of elements that perfected its grip.
HOW THEY MADE THE VIKING SHIELDS
Let's talk now about the way of manufacturing the shields
1. -Round Viking shield . The structure of this shield is wooden slats placed horizontally. The wood used to be basswood, but it was not uncommon to find shields made of fir, alder, and poplar. The slats were thicker in the central part, about 1 centimeter.
These slats were thicker in the central area (1 cm) and thinner at the ends, as they barely measured 5 millimeters. The slats were glued to each other by the action of resins. Like many shields of the time, it was very common to reinforce them with a leather cover. The outlines of the shield were metallic. In addition to gluing them, and to favor the union between the slats, they placed a handle in the interior area, almost always accompanied by two plates. The material of these additions was iron or bronze. The function of the handle was to hold the shield with one hand. This hand took care of the blows of the opponent, by a metal umbo located on the outer face of the shield. It is a remarkable fact that the Vikings did not use any element to hold the shield to the arm, although later you can see a strap inside the shield. The umbo was made of iron metal, not very large as it was about 15 centimeters in diameter, and 3 to 5 millimeters thick. Iron rivets were normally used to attach the umbo to the shield. These shields were decorated with bright colors. The figures were quite simple, which did not prevent some from being more sophisticated, like mythological beings. There was also no shortage of gold and silver decorations.
2.- Viking kite shield
The main differences with the previous shield was its greater weight, which ranged between 6 and 7 kilograms. Another notable difference was the way the shield was attached, which replaced the handle. Like the round shield, its structure was formed by sheets of wood covered with leather, and they were also decorated. At first the kite type was convex and they had the umbo to protect the hand. But over the years these two peculiarities were disappearing, appearing then the flat shields.
shield wall or Skjaldborg, was widely used by the Vikings. They were arranged in two lines. In the first line the men stood side by side, forming a wall with their shields. The second line of warriors fought with their spears above the first. If they were surrounded they would position themselves in a circular fashion. The round shields, more than for the protection of the warrior, were projected to be used as a shield wall. Since the 10th century, with the appearance of new forms of combat, it forced the Vikings to use kite shields, which protected the warrior much more. Another form of fighting was svinfylking, in which the warriors formed a wedge in order to break the lines of the enemy.
Many researchers into the Vikings and their customs thought that the leather with which they covered their shields was done solely for the purpose of adorning them. The latest research demolishes this theory, since the leather increased the strength of the shield and better protected its structure , and this was due to the fact that leather hardens and shrinks over time. In addition to leather, cowhide or sheepskin could be used instead of leather, although studies are not conclusive about this practice.
Although it is normal for the wooden sheets of the shield to be placed horizontally, shields have been found in which these sheets were arranged in a circle . Wood covered with leather was the main element in Viking shields, more shields have been found, in a very small proportion, made of iron. Another peculiarity of the shield is that it was used as a representative unit of belonging to a clan.
WHAT DOES THE VIKING LOGO MEAN?
Three looped horns form the Viking Triskel. A sign that symbolized the God Odin, and also knowledge and poetic enlightenment. The three horns emulated the horns in which the blood of the god Kvasir was deposited, which was combined with honey to form the mead of the lyric.
WHO WAS THE GREATEST OF THE VIKINGS ?
The greatest Viking that ever lived was the legendary (there are some doubts about his existence) Ragnar Lothbrok . In the television series Vikings he is the main protagonist. There is no doubt about his person is that he is one of the undisputed protagonist characters of the Vikings series and one of the most identifying figures of Scandinavian cultures. Ragnar became one of the kings of Denmark and Sweden, suffering bloody civil wars during his tenure.
WHAT WOULD A REAL VIKING LOOK LIKE?
It is very common today to have the image of the Vikings as men, tall, strong with a lot of muscles, blond hair , blue eyes and very white skin, but this was not general, but the appearance, among the Scandinavians or Vikings, there was diversity, although much less than what we can see in our time.
