the.com/round shield
A circle of wood that turned chaos into a wall of grinning, overlapping death.
means A circular shield, typically made of wood with a central metal boss, carried by warriors to deflect blows and lock together with others in formation.
from "Round" comes through Old French "reond" from Latin "rotundus," meaning wheel-shaped or circular. "Shield" is solidly Germanic — Old English "scield," related to a root meaning "to cut" or "divide," possibly because early shields were split from boards of wood; a cousin of the same root that gives us "shell" and the idea of a protective covering. The round form itself is ancient and widespread, from the Greek "aspis" to the Viking shield wall, where overlapping circles literally made the "wall" of the kenning.
- Material
- Mostly thin planks, not metal, wrapped in rawhide
- Shield wall
- Vikings overlapped them into a moving fortress
- Iron boss
- Center dome doubled as a punching weapon
- Lightweight
- Often under five kilograms for fast deflection
- Decoration
- Painted bright to terrify and identify allies
greek hoplon — bronze circular shield used by hoplites in ancient greece, ~7th-5th century bce
roman parma equestris — circular cavalry shield used by roman cavalry units, 1st-3rd century ce
viking shield — wooden round shield with iron boss used by norse warriors, ~793-1066 ce