Late Medieval Shields: I was WRONG!

I was wrong about late medieval shields in one important way. But I also learned a lot!

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[djNM]

This seem like pretty good example of why "living history" and "experimental archaeology" are so important, to actually give what we think we know a "reality test".

[Thrand]

This is Thrand, Love the Video Matt excellent and in my opinion shields are always in fashion! Its always better to put something in the way than trust ones armour as the only defense!

[jackgilchrist]

Those small bucklers always make me think that at some point someone decided to get rid of the shield and just use the boss.

[silverjohn]

8:40 It makes me wonder if the increased use of longbows and crossbows during the period led people to change the way they held the shields. Todd's Workshop did some videos where reproduction shields could be penetrated a few inches (in one case it even penetrated a piece of mail armor he'd placed on the back of the shield) before the friction of the shaft passing through the shield stopped it. By using a boss gripped shield and holding it slightly away from the body you reduce the amount of your arm and body that's close enough to the shield to still be penetrated.

[lindybeige]

That heater's boss looks a bit small for a gauntleted hand.

[Binidj]

Moral of the story: Always test your kit before you go into battle. 😄

[LuxisAlukard]

Matt: "I was wrong!"
We really need more people who can say that...

[daemonharper]

Experimental archeology via a reenactment route, all good.

Your usual insightful content, cheers Matt.

[benjaminodonnell]

This seems like a genuine historical/archaeological insight. It's definitely a fascinating hypothesis.

[tomnaughadie]

As you point out, the straps aren't in the way of the boss having a grip.
I've always thought my ideal shield would have both.

[jm]

Glad to see that a teacher is always learning themselves. Confirmation bias is an evil thing; great video.

[dlatrexswords]

Hehe, sounds like you need to plan out a week to live on your harness to discover all the things you can and cannot do while plated up!

It’s always fun to be “wrong” if it means making a new discovery. Cheers Matt

[wylde_hunter]

Great video Matt. You're the BOSS!

[acertainredpanda]

I love all the pictures from the event. It's soooo cool to see people wearing historical armor, especially the late medieval types, because you don't see it that often.

[matthewzito]

1) That makes a lot of sense. Also, you could severely injure your elbow and/or shoulder if you were unable to slip your arm out.
2) Also, it just occurred to me that a buckler is basically just a boss without the rest of the shield. I wonder if that's how they were invented.

[wren]

I cannot begin to express how much I love Matt, this channel, THIS COMMUNITY, and the crap we're trying to explore.
I was a grown woman in high school screaming at the top of my lungs to the "sword boys" in the late nineties, trying to gather resources and share with them "how to fight with a longsword."

It's a cathartic dream come true that we're HERE today. I'm no less sane, and in fact my autoimmune disease prevents me from practicing as much as I want, but even just two months ago after my hip replacement I was teaching my occupational therapist the techniques I used from Liechtenauer longsword and how it VERY efficiently trains the whole body. It's such a great joy to finally be able to step a bit, gathered/passing and more. My left side unterhau is still a travesty that I think I'll carry to my grave,

but the very fact that I can talk to some of you here and you know what I'm saying and might even learn from my stupidity?
It's all been so much worth it. Matt, you and your channel is a lifesaver, thank you.

Thank you all.

[messylaura]

when you cut the hole in the shield for the hand hole i like to leave the top of the hole as a flat, this gives the glove / hand / gauntlet an easier surface to spin around on when needed for a hand turn rather than the whole arm, where the hole is fully circular at the top i find the hand etc can get caught on the dropping parts of the circle.

[mikewilson]

This a very good example of practical historical work. And I have to add I had quite a bit of difficulty with my professors with my historical interest because they always told me my work had no value for research. It did not impact modern problems. But I enjoyed this. Others will to. I no longer feel I need to produce work that addresses issues of race and gender in our time to produce work that people will find useful.

[knutzzl]

Boss gripped shields where found from the stone-age, the early medieval round shield evolved a point on the bottom in Norman times and developed the straps, keeping the boss for a good 200 years

[Atrahasis]

This is my guess as well, and exactly you can see it on some later medieval art, with knights blocking from an upwards blow for example. I think there were lots of hybrid shields, with both straps and center grip, straps to more easily put it on your arm on horseback lance, and center grip when dismounting.