Round Shield Designs

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Viking Age Compendium articles on Shields:

Wargear

Wargear

Round Shields Overview

Round Shields Overview

Shields found in Britain

Shields found in Britain

Round Shield Bosses

Round Shield Bosses

Kite Shields

Kite Shields

Wargear

Wargear

Round Shields Overview

Round Shields Overview

Shields found in Britain

Shields found in Britain

Round Shield Bosses

Round Shield Bosses

Kite Shields

Kite Shields

Evidence for Viking age shield designs come primarily from art. Literature seems to only mention that the shields were painted. One of the things that differentiates post Roman shields from those of the Roman era is the use of spiral designs. These dominate on depictions of shields after AD 400. 16 silver pendants from Birka appear to copy shields complete with spiral design and possible shield handles. ^{(ARWIDSSON 1989 p.9-11)}

Colours

Art

Literature

Archaeology

Discussion

Plain

From Art Carolingian Manuscript: c.800-900 Nancy Cathedral Treasury Manuscript: c.800-900 Vatican Lat.124 Ottonian Manuscript: c.900-1000 Venice Cod. GrZ.479 Manuscript: c.985-987 Vatican Lat. 9820 Manuscript: c.1000-1050 Arras, BM MS 559 (435), vol. 1 Anglo-Saxon Manuscript: London, British Library, MS Cotton Cleopatra C VIII Manuscript: Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 23 Manuscript: London, British Library, MS Add. 24199 Manuscript: New York, Pierpont Morgan Library, MS 827 Manuscript: London, British Library, MS Cotton Claudius B IV Manuscript: Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Douce 296 Norman / Romance Textile: c.1076 Bayeux Tapestry Manuscript: c.1050-1100 BNF Lat 6 (1) Manuscript: c.1050-1100 BNF Lat 6 (2) BL MS Add. 49598 Psychomachia Vatican Lat. 9820

Spirals

4 Spirals

From Art Carolingian Manuscript: c.820-830 Stuttgart, Bibl. fol. 23 Stuttgart Psalter Scandinavian Amulet: c.800 Silver Valkyrie figure, Hårby, Denmark. Amulet: Birka, Silver amulet, Gr.954 Stuttgart Psalter Hårby Valkyrie Birka

Spiral_triads_4

4 Spirals with Triads From Art Carolingian Manuscript: c.845-855 Vivian Bible Manuscript: c.849-851 Paris Lat 266 Paris Lat 266 Vivian Bible

5 Spirals

From Art Merovingian Stone Carving: Hornhausen C4th to 7th (DEVIRES AND SMITH 2007 p.226) Ottonian Ivory Situla: c.1000 Aachen Cathedral Treasury Aachen Cathedral

Spiral_triads_5

5 Spirals with Triads From Art Carolingian Manuscript: c.915 Basel, Universitätsbibliothek, ubb-B-IV Ottonian Manuscript: c.1000-1010 London, British Library, Harley 2886 Basel ubb-B-IV BL Harley 2886

6 Spirals

	From Art Carolingian Manuscript: Württembergische Landesbibliothek Stuttgart, Bibl. fol. 23. (WLB Online) Stuttgart Psalter , c.820-830 Manuscript: Ottonian Manuscript: c.1000 Munich clm 4453 2 Manuscript: c.1000-1050 Arras, BM MS 559 (435), vol. 1 Anglo-Saxon Manuscript: London, British Library, MS Cotton Cleopatra C VIII Manuscript: London, British Library, MS Harley 603 Arras BM MS 559
	6 Spirals with Dots From Art Carolingian Manuscript: Württembergische Landesbibliothek Stuttgart, Bibl. fol. 23 Manuscript: St. Gallen, Stiftsbibliothek, Cod. Sang. 2 Manuscript: c.900 Bern cod. 264 Peristephanon Manuscript: c.900 Bern cod. 264 Pychomachia Ottonian Manuscript: c.990 Aachen, Liuthar Gospels Manuscript: c.1000 Munich clm 4453 2 Manuscript: c.1000-1020 Bamberg MS A. II. 42 Bamberg Apocalypse
	6 Spirals with Triads From Art Carolingian Manuscript: c.800-900 Rome, San Pao;o furori le Mura Manuscript: Württembergische Landesbibliothek Stuttgart, Bibl. fol. 23 Manuscript: c.825 Vercelli CLXV 9C Manuscript: c.850-950 Linden Cod. Perizoni F17 Maccabees Manuscript: c.870 Munich clm 14000 Anglo-Saxon Manuscript: Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 183

7 Spirals

From Art Scandinavian Lillbjars, Gotland, C8th (HEATH 1985 p.53)

7 Spirals with Dots From Art Anglo-Saxon Manuscript: London, British Library, MS Cotton Cleopatra C VIII Manuscript: Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 23

8 Spirals

From Art Anglo-Saxon Manuscript: London, British Library, MS Cotton Cleopatra C VIII Manuscript: Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 23 Manuscript: London, British Library, MS Add. 49598 Ottonian Manuscript: c.1025-1075 BL Harley 2908

10 Spirals

From Art Anglo-Saxon Manuscript: Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 23 Scandinavian Amulet: Birka, Gr.58A; Gr.817 Birka Gr.817

10 Spirals with Triads From Art Anglo-Saxon Manuscript: Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 23

12 Spirals

From Art Anglo-Saxon Manuscript: Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 23 Manuscript: London, British Library, MS Add. 49598 MS Add. 49598 Psychomachia

12 Spirals with Triads From Art Anglo-Saxon Manuscript: London, British Library, MS Add. 24199 MS Add. 49598 Psychomachia

Deformed Spiral

From Art Carolingian Manuscript: Württembergische Landesbibliothek Stuttgart, Bibl. fol. 23. (WLB Online) Stuttgart Psalter , c.820-830 Anglo-Saxon Manuscript: Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 23: fol.2r Stuttgart Psalter Corpus Christi MS23

Circles

Outer Circle

From Art Carolingian Manuscript: Württembergische Landesbibliothek Stuttgart, Bibl. fol. 23. (WLB Online) Stuttgart Psalter , c.820-830 Manuscript: c.998-1018 BL Egerton 3763 Byzantine Manuscript: c.998-1018 Paris Psalter

Separate Circles

From Art Insular Manuscript: c.875-900 St Johns College, MS 9. C, fol.68v, Southhampton Psalter 'Goliath' Scandinavian Amulet: c.900-1000 Hedeby, Valkyrie pendant Southhampton Psalter Hedeby Valkeyrie

Overlapping Circles

From Art Carolingian Manuscript: c.800-825 Amiens Corbie Psalter Corbie Psalter

Spokes

Thin Spokes

From Art Carolingian Manuscript: c.800 Trier Apocalypse Anglo-Saxon Manuscript: London, British Library, MS Cotton Claudius B IV Manuscript: London, British Library, MS Cotton Tiberius B V Manuscript: London, British Library, MS Cotton Caligula A XIV Trier Apocalypse

Thin Spokes with Dots From Art Anglo-Saxon Manuscript: London, British Library, MS Cotton Claudius B IV

Flared Spokes

From Art Carolingian Manuscript: Württembergische Landesbibliothek Stuttgart, Bibl. fol. 23. (WLB Online) Stuttgart Psalter , c.820-830

Curved Spokes

From Art Scandinavian / Slavic Amulet: Poland, Lisow, Woj. Lubuskie

Crosses

Simple Cross

From Art Norman / Romance Textile: Bayeux Tapestry

Complex Cross

From Art Anglo-Saxon c.1000 Oxford Junius 11, Caedmon Manuscript p.57 Caedmon Manuscript

Stripe

From Art Norman / Romance Textile: Bayeux Tapestry

Stripe with cross From Art Norman / Romance Textile: Bayeux Tapestry. , c.1076

Flared Cross

From Art Ottonian Carving: c.1015 Hildesheim door Manuscript: c.1000-1050 Arras, BM MS 559 (435), vol. 1

Open Flared Cross From Art Ottonian Manuscript: c.1040-1055 Biblio. Mun. Avranches MS76 Anglo-Saxon Manuscript: London, British Library, MS Harley 603 Arras BM MS 559

Oseberg Cross

From Art Carolingian Manuscript: c.790-795 BNF Lat. 12048 Gellone Sacramentary Scandinavian Textile: c.834 Oseberg Tapestry Gellone Sacramentary

Goliath

Carolingian

From Art Carolingian Manuscript: c.800-825 Amiens BM MS18 Corbie Psalter Manuscript: c.820-830 Stuttgart, Bibl. Fol. 23 Stuttgart Psalter Corbie Psalter

Late Saxon

From Art Carolingian c.820-830 Stuttgart, Bibl. Fol. 23 Stuttgart Psalter Anglo-Saxon London, British Library, MS Cotton Tiberius C VI:fol.9r,16r Tiberius Psalter

Checkered

From Art Ottonian Manuscript: c.1000-1100 Biblio. Mun. Avranches MS50 Avranches MS50

References

Arwidsson, Greta (ed.) (1989) Birka II:3 Systematische Analysen der Graberfunde. [Systematic Analysis of the Graves Findings] Birka, Kungliga Vitterhets Historie och Antikvitets Akademien: II:3

 ^{(ARWIDSSON 1989)}

Devires, Kelly & Robert Smith (2007) Medieval Weapons, An Illustrated History of Their Impact.

 ^{(DEVIRES & SMITH 2007)}

Heath, Ian (1985) The Vikings. Osprey: Elite 3

 ^{(HEATH 1985)}