the.com/kite shield
the medieval body-condom that finally let knights protect their legs and their horses
means A large medieval shield, narrow and rounded at the top and tapering to a point at the bottom, shaped to cover a rider's body and exposed leg.
from Named for its silhouette: the elongated, pointed teardrop shape echoes a flying kite, the toy that takes its name from the kite — a graceful, hovering bird of prey, from Old English 'cȳta.' The shield itself spread across Europe around the 11th century, famously seen on the Bayeux Tapestry, where Norman horsemen carry exactly this long, leg-shielding form.
- name origin
- Shape resembles a flying kite, not the bird
- horse logic
- Tapered point shielded the rider's left leg
- bayeux fame
- Stars across the 1066 Bayeux Tapestry
- obsolescence
- Better armor shrank it into the heater shield
- curved design
- Often bent to wrap around the body
norman kite shield — used by william the conqueror's army at the battle of hastings, 1066
heater shield — evolved from kite shield design in 12th century europe, became standard heraldic shape