How Good Are Viking Shields? - Pros & Cons
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- čas přidán 30. 04. 2021
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In this video I talk about the Viking round shield compared to other types, like the Roman scutum (also centergrip) as well medieval kite and heater shields (strapped). Each one has its own uses, benefits and drawbacks. There are factors like maneuverability, weight, and construction / durability (thickness, single-layer planks vs. plywood, etc).
A more general video about shields and bucklers (as opposed to two-handed weapons or single-handed sword with or without parrying dagger or other off-hand weapon):
• Shields! - Top 5 Pros ...
The spear you see in this video (affiliate link):
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** Sources **
Reproduction shield tested against arrows on Tod’s Workshop
• Lockdown Longbow - Do ...
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** Music **
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Outro:
"Highland Storm" by The Slanted Room Records
theslantedroom.github.io/stev... - Zábava
"... The way i'm currently shaped- SHUT YOUR MOUTH" made me laugh SO HARD. 10/10 love your humor Skall!
Thanks. :)
10:27 😊
Made me laught soo hard 😂 No worries Skal, the pandemic killed most of our gains (Thats my excuse!)
My Shape isn’t the best either. But I’m about to change that. Starting today.
Note about anachronistic kit: you are sporting a perfect example of gear set looted from the battlefield or from raided settlement.
vinland saga type beat
Or just early game rng-provided loot
Or a rich dude grabbing what he had on hand in an emergency.
I'd say it's more likely to be that he killed a rich dude in battle and took his fancy, if old, heirloom helmet as a prize. Still not rich enough to get a hauberk or sword for himself, but now he has a flashy trophy helmet and a neat story to go with it.
I mean the Icelandic Sagas do claim that Gellir, an 11th century Icelander, carried Skofnung, a sword that had belonged to the legendary Danish king Hrolf Kraki who lived in the 5th or 6th century....
ah man you and your wife are so wholesome!
When they looked at each other and she kissed him omg 😳 so cute 🥰 wtf
A point about the shields getting destroyed in battle: the main purpose of shieldmaidens was to bring shields to the warriors in battle.
I'm no historian, but the argument I can make for the round shield being wider than a person wielding it, is a "shield wall" or a formation that protects you and those around you.
Interlocking shields with one another to boost strenght and protection, would also explain why they were thinner on the outside, where shields would meet and centre protects the person wielding it.
Edit;Spelling.
Plus, if two people hold round shields and stand next to each other, that leaves some space for someone to poke a spear out from between the two.
Also, being round they can be formed into a multi-level shield wall with a hexagonal pattern. This formation was illustrated several times on the show Vikings when resisting archers.
@@odinlindeberg4624 Exactly right. This is how Greeks used the hoplon and dory with the front row under the shield and the row behind coming over the shield.
That's true, on the battlefield it's not an issue at all. I was thinking one-on-one dueling (Holmgang for instance).
www.ancient-origins.net/artifacts-other-artifacts/dissolving-myths-vikings-did-not-hide-behind-shield-walls-008969
Of course the article could be off about Vikings not really fighting in shield walls (as in portrayed in books like “the last kingdom” series) but it is worth a read.
Wow, youtube actually alerted me that you had a new video. Pleasantly surprised!
Welcome to the club.
When you inherited your great-great grandpa's pimp helmet but that's the only thing he left you...
Or when you defeat an enemy by fluke and he only drops a high lvl. helmet
@@Ironpine27 that's what the stash is for
Agh! It’s so nice to see you two on camera even for an ad, you guys are CZcams’s most adorable couple :)
i like the Skall, he's got some gall, he's orange and tall, like a viking is.!
describe the brawl, got a northern-drawl, saw him at the mall, he knows 'bout sword-biz.!
he was in the store, where they offer more, sharpenings and score, for slicing-off lids,
he's never a bore, humble to the core, ready to learn for, then teaching the kids.!
Nice! But he's not tall at all, from what I gathered. Lloyd and Matt are tall!
@@LuxisAlukard i would guess 5' 10 ish, 6 ft..? do u actually know for real...? i am curious.? plus dear sir, what else rhymes with "skall".? that's kinda why i used it, it was a lazy rhyme...........peace
@@bumpstockbilly4263 well, he would be considered tall in viking period
@@LuxisAlukard He might not be tall in some standards, but definitely somewhat tall for the global average. Or at least tall enough that the rhyme is not wrong.
@@bumpstockbilly4263 Your ryhmes are great, no problem with that. I think he once said he's average height, by Canadian standards - so, around 174cm, or 5'8-5'9.
P.S. Skull is good, morbid rhyme for Skall =D
I know the audio messing up wasn't ideal, but I wouldn't stress out over it. Things happen and the video was still just as good. The quality of the information didn't change, which is the important part. Plus, it gave more of an "instructor" classroom feel with the echo that brought me back to the school days :D
The Viking Gods tried to stop him from saying all the drabacks of their shields.
Skallagrim: Viking Shield
Shadiversity: Kite Shield
*Captain America Medieval War*
Remember the video Shad did about duel wielding shields? Kite shield in one hand viking in the other
Random guy nobody cares about: TARGE!!
Metatron: Scutum
Actually, not being able to afford little more than anything but a helmet, a shield, and a spear was a pretty common circumstance! Probably for many thousands of years!
Then again such an expensive helmet would probably not be used in that case
@@jaojao1768 It was an out-of-date helmet, though.
@@pRahvi0 not really, as both the Jermundbu helmet and the Yarm helmet, witch both were viking helmets, have the same shape. What this helmet lacks is the maille curtain around the neck.
@9:30 - THANK YOU. It is so rare, I find, that someone on CZcams will actually mention just how heavy (or light) a piece of kit is (much less show a chart of example sizes with actual numbers!)! rather than just describe how it feels FOR THEM to carry/wear.
Now if only the shield could wrap around you all the way giving you 360° protection.... why is Shad pointing at his new barrels?
Roman scutums kinda wrapped around
Because he got accidentally Mormon drunk again?
Dual wielding scutums???
that black shield is a thing of beauty!
The centre bossed shield being many centuries by many nations, it speaks for itself really. Shape didn't change much until armour improved and use of cavalry.
02:30 Just tell people you're cosplaying a looter and you're good to go Skall
There is still a common saying in Germany about "carrying evil inside the shield" which refers to someone hiding their true intentions which are most likely not that nice
Edit: I did some brief research and the comments are right. It doesn't originate from carrying a hidden weapon behind the shield but from the heraldic symbols used in the high middle age.
And originally the saying did not specifically meantioned the 'evil' part but only in the last centuries it became emphasied
"böses im schilde führen" i never thought about where that comes from. thx
@@JDKDKDLDKDKDKDKKKDERYY I didn't even think of it when reading "carrying evil inside the shield"...
Edit: Apparently the general saying "Etwas im Schilde führen" stems from heraldry though since you essentially carry your crest "in" the shield.
@@l.o.b.2433 Well, I could be wrong because my only source is a viking enthusiast I met somewhen in the 2000s 🤔
"A dude I met once said it came from carrying a hidden spare weapon behind the shield" is not the most trustworthy statement 😁
@@l.o.b.2433 wenn man was böses im schilde führte, hatte man also ein "böses" wappen?
I, Brittas boyfriend, would say, when someone , etwas im Schilde führt' then you notice, he has a plan from which you don't know it it is good,bad or simply unexpected/strange.
Really needed this video. Recently joined a Viking reenactment group that do blunted steel combat and I really needed to weigh out the idea of shield. Thanks skall!
Talk to your trainers, if they do not tell you of such, they are not doing their job. You can also join Ulfhednir open forum or Ask open forum on Facebook and discuss and learn from people with 30 years of experience.
While watching this I found myself asking strange question: How effective are strikes inside of shield. I do know that pointy sharp weapons are capable of doing damage even without much force, but it looked a bit strange. Maybe even uncomfortable for shieldbearer.
Interesting and entertaining as always, my friend, your persistence in getting this content out for us, in spite of the technical issues you encountered, is much appreciated!
Take care, stay safe and have a good one ;-)
What? You guys got hitched? Missed that. Congratulations to you both. From a Nova Scotian I wish you both the best and will definitely look into these rings myself.
Scroll far enough back and you'll find their wedding video.
@@johndododoe1411 yeah it's around 10 years old I think
2:04 Unrelated to the video, but, I love the claw nails
My god, this helmet is so fucking beautiful
I hope the many dedicated videos guys like you do will inspire more realistic historical fight scenes in movies and TV...
The Norse shield I use is 12mm thick and fairly large, nearly 900mm diameter. A good rule to be aware of with these is that if someone was using an axe and they hit near your shield arm with the haft hitting the shield rim, the axe head ideally shouldn't strike your elbow. So I made mine with these considerations in mind, which made for quite a heavy shield. That being said, once I got used to the weight I found it still easy to manoeuvre and the extra weight allows for more effective shield strikes or blocks due to the extra mass. Also I find picking up most other shields to be very light and I can easily throw them around with little effort.
ModernhistoryTV made a video on using round shields on horseback, and why kite shields are better for cavalry...
They got some nice rings, bought the sizing thingy to see what fits. Thanks for advertising a cool product!
Never before have I seen someone replaced their wedding rings with rings from the company they were sponsored by.
That's high praise, to be honest.
I've never seen an athlete wear a "sponsors" gear before ether
Shad: Did someone say kite-shield?
One other advantage I can think of is that if you need to don a shield quickly, having one that you can just pick up would be far better. If your shield breaks and you need to pick up a backup or if you get attacked when you aren’t ready, you may not want to take the time to strap on a complex shield 🛡
2:00 that little moment is so pure it put a smile on my face :)
those northbands rings are really nice to look at i probably wont have a reason or money to consider buying but something to keep in mind
find your vids fascinating man keep up the good work
when you said bad audio i thought it would be bad but that isn't bad is just acoustic of the room, so don't worry skall, is fine, keep it up!
On leg protection... take a wide-ish crouching stance (obviously not suitable while on the move) and put your shield arm low. With a moderate diameter shield you can get quite good coverage. A rectangular or oblong shield can give even more - depending how it's strapped - but it's still better than some people might think, and in my experience fighting that way, can be surprisingly intimidating to opponents who aren't used to seeing someone take a stance like this. Also it's surprisingly easy to raise the shield if you need it high, because the low crouch means it doesn't have to come up as far.
Gonna check out Northbands for sure. Thanks Skalla, for making such edutainment. My viking shield seems to have gained weight on me. Heavier than I remembered... at least my bucklers are still light.
thnaks i build my own sheild and wasent sure if il make it center grip or straped and this video helped a lot
A couple of potential advantages occurred to me. It is large enough to brace against your shoulder and knee when you and your comrades are in a dense formation and shield to shield with a densely massed enemy but still light and maneuverable enough to use in the ways you have demonstrated. Secondly, despite the fact that its lightweight construction makes it weaker along the grain, being light, round, and centre-gripped means that you can rotate it to receive a blow on its stronger side by rotating your wrist 90 degrees or less; being round makes it balanced in rotation and means that it covers exactly the same area regardless of rotational position.
Thanks for another awesome video!
Skall looks really good as a viking ngl
You are perfectly kitted out for someone who bought a new spear, then mugged a rich old man for his helmet.
Or a rich young man whose helmet is a family heirloom.
@@a-blivvy-yus A rich young man could afford mail.
@@yastreb. Yes, but who would he be writing a letter to?
Awesome video!
Skall is looking like when you sell your whole set of armor just because that helmet will give you a +1 DEF compared to our whole set.
I'm glad that you have multiple microphones recording at once.
love the shrink curve on the tan shield.
Today's sponsor may have caught me them some nice rings. Great video as always. Cheers from Alberta, Canada
Hey Skall, good vid! I wanna mention one thing tho: I recently talked to Roland Warzecha about a video I made on shields in the game Valheim. I also used the roman scutum for a comparison and I said they could be up to 10 Kilos. Roland said that would be very unlikely and they were probably more like 5 Kilos.
Note that based on the reconstructions ThegnThrand made & the one sent to
JoergSprave, Viking shields can be extremely durable if covered & glued.
A covered shield also hides the grain from attackers, but experience will tell them it's perpendicular to the handle and can be located from the movements.
In multi battle vikings did not focus on protecting themself, but protecting the person next to them. I am not sure about this, but look it up if you want to.
12:52 thanks for the note Skall, 'cause here I was thinking it was my bluetooth speaker dying.
Speaking of shields, I just learned that one of your vid thumbnails shows up as one of the first images when you google “buckler” guess the content is so good even google noticed :)
Thanks dude.. one of the best things in life these days, crack a fucking freezing bottle open and chill watching Skall
when they reconstructed the Trelleborg shield, they had leather on the front and back and a leather rim also, it made it really quite resilient to damage for not being super heavy, though one assumes if you had trained enough with it then it would help deal with the weight. They did make a video of the test, its online somewhere but i cant seem to find it
Edit: Found it! - czcams.com/video/eCYEaGMGKGY/video.html
Thegn Thrand made an excellent reconstruction with a thin layer of rawhide glued on with homemade casein glue and then demonstrated its ability to support his weight and withstand sword cuts to both edge grain and end grain.
czcams.com/video/EAnkAG5JsYc/video.html
czcams.com/video/35zOBZ665Gw/video.html
It's been almost a year since he posted anything. I hope that he's alright.
Great video
Nice work :)
So I made a shield for a viking costume I put together for Halloween one year. Tried to make my outfit pretty accurate but made some concessions. One thing I did was make my shield a bit bigger and thicker than most. It’s 36 inches across and 1/2 inch thick oak plywood. 12 gauge steel boss with a rawhide rim. Thing is freaking heavy. I’m left handed so I normally carry my shield in my right but to be able to use it effectively at all I have to carry it in my dominant hand. I just weighed it for the first time today. It’s 13 pounds with a center grip.
I'm pleasantly surprised by how good that helmet looks every single time you wear it in a vid :) The rings in the sponsor spot are cool as heck but damn they expensive too lol. Great vid again, thanks :))
12:49 The next drawback is Ḩ̵̸̴̴̴̵̴̴̴̸̷̷̶̸̸̴̷̸̵̸̷̷̸̨̡̡̢̨̨̢̧̨̧̨̡̨̡̢̨̢̢̨̨̢̢̧̢̛̛̛̛̛̣̫͕̯̟͍͔͉͔͔͔͍͉͍̫̻͔̥̠̗̦͓͓̖̖̞͎̺̲̫͚̺̱̖͔̪̥̥̼̻̲̮̞̟̜̘̝̤͉̲̲̯̻̩͎̺̜̱̤̼̻̤̹̩̟̣̖̞̫̬̲͇̣̙̘̣̰̲͖̦͎̞͓̦̮̙̤̹̹̩̭̮͚̞͎̗̖̼͉̲̞̯̪͔̬̬̠̺̺̞͔̪̯̦̯͍̯̬̞̰͚͔̜͎̳͖̥̯̺̣̻̣̯̟̪̫̝̻͙̯̼̪͚̘̮͙̙̖̪̹̜̙̲̰̗͔͙̙̰̣̲͙̥̬̱͓̪̝̠̦͚̮̌̈́̓̎̑̀̐̋̽̈́̐͑̄͐͛͋̆̃̊́̾̽̾̈́̄̓̀́̏͊̏̈̅̍̓́̃͒̀̽̓̉̐̐̃̓̈͊̌̾̄͗̑́͊͗̏͑̀͗̏̿́̊́̃̎̉͂̈͒͐̇̇͋̎̾̂̀͑̎̽̆̓̍͊͐̈͆̀̇͛͌̾͂́̉̿́̿̂͑̋̈́̆̀̏͑̀̔̑̔̆̓̐̊̌̃̉̈́̏̊̍̓͐̓̅̉̿̿͒̿͆̈́͊̋̏̇̏̈̌̆̈̀̓̍̽̌̐̋̏͂͋͗̍̒̀͂͒̐͘̕̚͘̕͘͘̚̕̕͜͜͜͝͝͝͝͠͝͠͝͠͝͝͝͝͠ͅͅͅͅͅA̸̷̶̷̴̶̷̷̷̶̶̴̵̵̵̶̵̡̢̧̨̢̡̡̧̧̢̢̢̢̧̨̡̛̛̯͖̙̮̜̳̳̼͙̞̼̼̙̫͓̰̪͈̙͖̬͈͇̲̻͈͍̼̮̻͓̙̗̝͚̙͔̻̹̙̱̗̠̤̖̺̣̠̫̯͓͔̝̞̞̝̞̲̥͖̙̞̼̙͓͕̼͍̹͕͕̞͚̤̩̙̥̭̭̦̩̙̟͚̬̭̦̫̫̟͙͙̯̼̳̙̤͖͎̪͍̥̻̪̳̩̩̹̰̹̳̫̭̩̫̍͛́͗̐͛̏̓̾͂̑̊̂̊̏̃̋̉́̎̂̾͋̌̀͐̃̈́͒̏͂̍̈́̀͗̓̎͊̈́͛͗̇́̉̿͛̋͒͌̓͂͒̈́̉̐̽̃̂̇̄͛̈̅͆̎̃̅̊̅̅̽́̊̑͛͒͒͒̽̃͛̇̀͋̊̔̍̋̒͗͒̀͑̎͌̾̑̃̈́̋͑̊́͊̓̋̄́̂̊̄̒͗̿́̊͆͊̌̈́̔̾̉̈̂̇̏̿̀̈́̄̿̔͐͘͘̕͘̕̕͘̚̕̚͜͝͠͝͠͝͠͝ͅḨ̶̷̸̴̷̸̵̶̷̵̷̷̴̷̶̶̷̸̴̴̵̶̡̨̧̨̡̨̨̢̨̧̧̡̢̨̨̢̨̛͚̫̻̺͎̭̦̘̝͔͉͓̠͚̭͕̙̻̘̯͖̯̖̥̪̼̣̗̹̼̯͎͉̩͕͍͈̝̮͙̙͚͕̞̱̰͕̤̬̙͙̜̬̠̠̙̲̹̦̠̺͍̲̥̳̖͎͔͙͕̜̰͔̪̝̯͈͈͎̪͚̜̼̩̣̣̦̻͉͔̲̰͉̟͖͍̺̻͔̭̹̲͚̤̻̙̲̞͈̣̦̰̞̼͉̠͚̠͉̪͖̩͕͉̘͍̼͓̹̹̤̟͎̤͖͇̼̳̮͚̮̗̱̹͔̯̝̣̖̫̺̘̲̱͙̙̯̜̬̣̣̘̖̟̮̘̜̩̗͛̐͂̔̿̈̃̑͂͋̓̒͋̉̄̄̔̀̈́̊̈̄͐̀̒̍̀̈́̈̄̽̐̐̃̑̅̐̉́̽̆́̈́̽̈́͋̽̿̇̂͗̅̋͌̏͑̇͌͒̈́̋̀͛̈͑̅̄͋̈̉͊̌̔̇́̊͋̂̈̔̉̈̓̓̾̃͂̒̊̉̽͂̓̄͋̽̄̆̋̃̑͐͒͊̓̔̄͆̾́͆̾̔͂͋͌͛̐̅̄̄͋̏͐͑̐̀̄̍̉̊͒͋̀̀̽́͐͊͒̃͆̉̾̀͆͐͑́͌̐̆̎̏̅̀͗́̐̎͘̕̕̕̚̕͘̚͘̚̚̕͘̚͜͜͜͜͜͜͜͝͠͠͝͝͝͝͝͝͝͠͝ͅͅͅS̷̸̶̸̷̸̸̷̴̷̶̶̸̢̧̢̡̧̨̧̢̛̛͉̳̱̬͉͚̜͈̭͎̙̬̺̬͕̣̞̥̮̖̬̗̬̗̯̝̬͉̳̙̳͙̻̱͈͉̠͎̠͖̝̼̦͔̙̺͓̲̩̘̻͖͇̟͖̺̹̯̟̣̲̝̜͙̩͚̦̗̬̗͉͖̖͙̗̘̬̠̺͍̮͎͕̗͈̄̋́̽͛̐̏͂͒̀̿͆́̿̌̑͆̽̑͗͂̽̂̑̓̓̇̿̍̊͒͛̑̽̄̉̽̇̎̈́̿͌͗̈́͆̇͒̈́̓̊͊́̀̀̎̍̾͊̅̍͂̓̒̑͋̒́͂́̂̂̋̋̌͊̓̍̀͐̀͛́͊̒͗̑́͛́̒̾́́͛̕̚̚̚̚̕̚̕͝͠͠͝͝͠͝͠͝͠͠ͅͅH̴̷̶̷̵̸̸̷̸̷̵̶̸̸̴̶̨̢̨̨̡̧̧̛̛̛̛̺̥̘̹̦̺̭͎͕̟̗̜̻̜̜͈̖̹̦̬̤̹̠̯̝̮͈̙̣̘̰̻͙͔͎̺̟͈̫̳͓̟̞͖̳̜̻̬̫̙̲̳̟̜̪͚̯̼̯̞͖͎̘̣̘͓̪̙͉̭̥̥̲̰̝̺͎͚͕̼͍͉̟̰̰̰͉͇͚̖̜̖͌͑̇̌̈͌̃̆̿̋̈́̈́͋͑̈́̽̽̆̋̇̈̔͛̔̈́͌͑̔̓́̄̅̽̊̍̀̐͗̏̽͗͐̿̒̔͋̔̒̏̋̽͐̋̊̍͒̎̀̐̃̂̀̐̄̒́̑̀̄̓́̾̀͌́̎͋́̾͋͑̑̋̋̋̄̔͛̂́͂͐̽͂̐͊́̊͋̆̔̔̄̈͆̾̇̀̊̃͌̌̈́̅̇́̈́̀̃̋͐͂͒̊̈́̌͂͛̽̕͘̕̕͘̚̚͘̚̚͘͜͜͜͠͝͝͝͠͝͝͝͠͠͠ͅH̴̷̷̷̴̶̴̴̴̶̴̵̵̸̷̶̴̡̨̧̢̨̧̧̡̡̡̧̧̨̢̛̹͕̪͉̳͚̘̹̤͙̦̘̦͔̬̻͍̬͉̳̥̞̫̩̩͖͚͍͙̭͇͙̟̖͎̥̝̠̪̲͓͇̭͙̙̬͇̳͍̘̬̱͖͕̫̺̖͔̙̭̰̩̞͚̹̙͍͚̫̜̫͎̘̼̙̲̘͖͙͕̺͈͚̳̪̗͎͕̟̗̤̱͈̭̗̗̯̳̩̳̥̥͛̾̓̽́̔̀͛͑̈͐̌̿̀̂́̐̅̇̆̇̍̌̔̌́̒̂͒̀̄̏̀̈̄̐̀͒̾͒͛̆͛̈́̍̄̅͂̉̌͗͂̇͑̈̈́͋̃̔̓͗̑́̑͆̇̉̇̌̈́͗͗̊̓̂̂̓̅̂̎̆̉̋̎̓̋̆̽̽̒͛͐̓̐̓̀̿̋́̀̂̈̈͘̕̕͘̕͘͘͘͘̕̕̕͜͜͝͝͠͠͝͝͝͠͝͝ͅS̶̸̸̵̴̸̵̴̸̸̴̶̴̸̶̸̶̶̸̨̡̡̨̧̨̡̡̨̡̢̢̡̛̛̛̛̠̟̮͈̻̤͈͖͙̻̮͎̘̳̯͍̩̻̫͍̣̬͈̦̥̮̤̤͖͕̻͚̲̝͔̻̲̮̲̲̬̻͎̥͎̤̠̖͍̻͔͇͕̹̞̣̘̝̣̦͎̜̯̗̫͇̮̱̭̙̜͔̞͔̲͚͚̲̣̳̞̬͚̤̻̥̩̝̙̦̘̭͚̖͖͍͎͚̯̼̗̰̖̤͇̞̙̘͓̠̠̯̖͍̖̲̪̫̭̪͚̞͓͍̯̼̪̹̼̥̠̦͉͎̩̥̣͔̹͛̍̊͒̓̾͛̈́̑̓͑̂̇͑̒̀͗̆͗́̀̈́͛̅̈́̀̇͐͐̿̆́͗̓́̿͗̊̅͛̒͗͑͒̌̽̒͌̆̌͆̈̽̎͐͋̽̏͐͗̐̋̈́̎́̅̉͌̑͆̋̌͗̃̈͊͒̅͆͐͒̾̂̀̒̅͛͊̀͗̒́̇̐̈̂̏͗͂͂̋̉̿̅͗͊͆̽̊̋̏̾́͂͛̓͋̐́̐͆̿̓̏̓͒͗̚̚͘̕̚̕̚͘̕͘͘̕͜͜͜͜͜͠͠͝͠͝͠͝͠͝͠͠͠ͅḦ̴̴̸̶̷̷̶̴̶̷̵̸̷̴̸̵̴̵̴̸̷̷̨̧̨̢̧̧̧̢̡̧̧̡̧̧̢̨̧̨̡̧̛̛̛̛̖̻̜̤͕̩̬͉̜͇̤̳̠̩̹̬͓̭̫̦͍͖̘͔͉͎̲̙̱̲̥̥̣̰̪̙̳̟̘̱̞̻̙͔̰̳͔͇͚̳̠̲̗̹̠̯̪̬̥͖̥͉͚̜̭͕̼̩̜͖͇͔̩̳̘̪̗̥̰͔͕̤̜̟̗͔͈̫̩̗̞̥̦͇̳̰̤͔̤̻̭̪̼̝̱̙̫͙͕̣͕̣̞͔̹͔̠̻̝̲̥̘̯͇̖̝̟̩̠̤̖͉̠͚̣͚͚̤̼̙̭̥̰͚͈̥͉̮̦́̔̌̇̅̅̑̈́̊̒́̊̅͌́̂͊̓̏͗̃̀̽͌͋͗͆̈́̐͂̍̌̄̽̒̾͌̃́̂̎͒̍́͒̋̊͑̄̽̇̓͌͂̽̊͋͆̄̄̑̈̈́́̔͒̄͗͑́̅̑̑͑͆̎̎͆̆́̔̌̎̃͒̓̾̑̋͛͛̑̇͒̽͋̊̈́́̀͌͒̈́̉̓͒̆͋͐͌͑͊͂̊͒̐̑̄̀̋̐́̈́͆̑̂̎̈͐́̌̅͛̒͊͒̀̏̇́͊̓́̒̿́͋̒̃̑̉̈̇̀̾̌̊͗͂̎͑̓͋͊͂̾͊͘̚͘̕͘̚͘̕͜͜͜͝͝͠͝͝͝͠͠͝͝͝ͅͅͅͅĖ̷̸̶̴̴̵̵̶̸̴̵̵̶̴̵̸̴̸̷̴̴̸̶̢̨̡̧̢̡̨̢̢̡̧̡̨̧̧̡̧̡̢̧̢̨̛̛̛͈̯̤̩̥̥̘̼̰̖͖̜͖͎̦̥̦̯͎̺̳̙̣̼̱̗̯̮̬̱͈͍̣̲̳͍͕͇̻̺̻̖̮͇̫͕̺͖̘̮̱͇̭̻̭̝̹͓̼͚̪͔͉͔͙̱͉̫͔̻͇̝̞̘̬̯̻̤̼̪̭͇̲̝̖̠͈͕̺̪͓̭̤̭͖̯͚̘̥̙͇̫̫͎̱̥͎̱͕͙̜̮̣̫̻͇̞̻͙̥̱̼̱̮͖͙̘̩͓͖̜̰̮̺̝̭̪͇̜͓͙̺̟͚̹͓͈̫̞̦̥͓̬̮̦̖̱̭̭̜̟̥̦̞̜͈̩͙̱̣͎̗͍̯́͒̿̽̅͌̆̀͆̽̐̓̿͆͌̑̂̋̄̀̈́̂̌́̓̌̅͂̒̉̒́̐́͂̂̇͊͗̍͂̽̀̎̋̍͐̒̒̀̎̌̽̾̄̈́͗̂̒̒͑̿̀́̔͛̀͊̒͂̂͗̓̓͗́̒̽̃̇̀̉͊́̀̂̆̒̉͑̀̅̽̎́͑̓̈́̐̀̊̂̔̽͊̂́̿̓̄͆̋̎̒̉͆̊̎̂͌́̌̈́͋̽̏́̃͊͊̐̀̄͑́͒̀̅̌̀̀̽͛̒̊̌͂̾̆̎̈̉͗̃͗͊̈́̌̾̊̉̌͌̔̿̀̀̈́̔̀̈́͐̚̚͘̕͘̚͘͘͘͘͘͜͜͜͜͜͜͜͝͝͠͝͝͠͠͝͠͠͝͝͝͠ͅͅͅͅȞ̴̵̸̴̴̸̶̵̸̵̵̷̷̴̵̷̴̷̵̴̴̵̴̸̵̢̧̢̢̨̡̨̨̢̢̢̨̢̧̧̡̢̨̢̛̛̛̛̛̳͔͕̭͍̫̩͉̩̦̣̪͖̩̹͍͓͕̮̣̱͖̞̤̮͍̲͖̟̗̫̮̮͕̠̤͔͙̭̥̙̘͓̫̘̥̟̥̳͉͖̪͙̯̞͉̩͉͈̘̬̙̝͈͙͎̲̥̠̤͕̞̼̟̯͕͖̪̣͕̖͍͈͔̞͍͉͓͎̪̥̼̖̘͙̩̦͍͎̟̞͔̯̭̰̻̫̱̻͚͉͙̰̘̜̜̥͖̠̲̪̜͇͕̦͖̣̰̬̥͍̯̠̙̜͙̗͉͉͎̖̗͎͍͖̝͍̖͖̦̭̯̜̮̤̺̰͎͉͔̭̯̭͇̱̫͕͕̤̥̱͈̯͔̙̙̫̺̮͔̲̻̼̝̖̥̖̞̼̥͇̳̺̩́̎̾͛̀͐̓͂̀̓̿͋̈͂̊̋͋͒̅̇̆͑̀̇̒̆̓͒̓̎̊͂̀̿̂͑͊̊̐̓̈́̇̇̅̃̋̏͐̅̅͑̂͗͐̿̔́͋̄̈́̈́̀̌͒͒̀̂̉͑͗̐̉̀̽̆̒̌̊͒͂̂̀̌͛̂̋̾̎́̋̽͋̅̌̈́̿̓͒̅͑̋͑̄̓̓̉̂́̃̽̇̃̂͛̀͒̈̎͌̏̄̓́͗͗̑̽̈́̒̿͐̃̈́̄̋͛̑́͘͘̕͘͘͘̚̚̚̚͘̕͘̕̕̕͜͜͜͜͜͜͜͜͜͝͠͠͠͝͝͠͠͠͝͝͝ͅͅ
Lol
sry a little off topic of the video it's just that this is your newest video and i thought you would be looking at the comments sry and i love your helmet, axe, spear, and all your viking and medieval stuff
Great video.
I just noticed in your discription: next to Dimicator's patreon link is the code: [is_public]=true
I am never not going to love that there are sword and spear wielding CZcamsrs.
After losing two videos to faulty hardware, i really feel you skal, also, nice video as always! :)
@Skallagrim Could you do an episode on the Norimitsu Odachi? What do you think this sword was used for?
As far as offensive capability, Shad did a good video about this, specifically his "spiked pavise" video
Yeah after seeing Tod's video, I really don't want to go for strapped shields for that reason alone. I did like round shields to begin with, but now even more so. I'd like to be able to hold the shield away from my body and have my hand behind a steel boss. I'm not in the mood to have a shield shish kabobed to my arm.
Viking raiding party finds a cache of loot and that's the only bit that the poor raider gets. He dropped his helmet overboard before they landed. There you go. How he got his helmet.
P.S: Oh and now they call him "Helmet Boy"!
That little clip with you two showing your rings is so cute man. Based.
I generally prefer center grip, having tried out most configurations for myself, though there feels to be a bit of tendency to go for the posture of a strapped shield.
Also, generally the point of a shield is a terrible thing to try and punch with, use the round rim if you have any. A good punch grip kite shield is the way to go methinks, but I've yet to try a full size one with the diagonal strap.
On bracing a strapped shield is actually less braced than a center-grip can be. A strapped shield will freely rotate along the axis of your arm, while if you use your elbow to brace one side and your other hand on the other it will actually be more secure than a strapped shield. This is likely the reason the upper and lower guards of Dark age swords were often parallel, emulating a handle. I think Thengthrand and I brought this point up in responses to your last video from 2014, but it has been quite a while.
One thing I wondered about the shields.. Since they are just enormous, wouldn't it be possible to be really aggressive and just move and push against your opponent with the shield while striking, Like moving the shield continuously towards the opponent's hands to just be in the way for any type of movement by the opponent.
Maybe but the issue is if your opponent is rather quick you can be in deepshit real quick
It appears as if a connection in the mic is loose. When pushed against a certain way the circuit can complete again. Just a hypothesis though.
Any reviews coming up of the "Honshu" line of swords by United Cutlery?
The standard Viking painted wood center-gripped target shield usually were like that because you could cover the oarlock of the boat, which covered you from the side while you were coming in to land and were still paddling. Also, rotating the shield with your hand gave it some versatility, of movement whereas a strapped shield is harder to move in a gyrating motion. Skal forgot about that part. It feels in your hand like blocking an axe with a staff or haft, though. You have to rotate it to not get hooked by an axe. Basically, they designed them for fighting other Vikings, first. It was a very simple, versatile design. The benefits and detriments were pretty equal. We know that with a strap, you can get some surprise offensive power by being able to put your bodyweight behind it. Great for duels; terrible for war. He's right about the arrows coming through and piercing the arm or side when the shield is attached. That's what made javelins so destructive. They were designed for taking out these basic wooden shields. The shield became useless with a huge long lever of a spear stuck out of it. So you'd do that and then bring in the archers. Pretty heinous, right?
The thing I find most interesting is the difference between the age of the Icelandic Renaissance 780-1066 warfare/soldiering and the changes that occurred in the next era where "Vikings" (more distinguished by countries as Danes, Norwegians, Swedes, and such) were serious trouble, the 16th and 17th centuries. There is a clear difference in how the army was organized, the usage of weapons, and the deployment of shields. Archery changed, so shields had to change, too. That meant that many of the painted shields had a layer of leather or hardened pitch added with the paint to give it slightly better puncture resistance. They would have a long leather strap for holstering the shield that was also used as an arm sling to give the shield a little resistance. The round shape made it easier to move as opposed to a heater or teardrop shape, which could get stuck at the corners on your coat, armor, mail, the boat, the guy next to you, or especially your opponent's weapon. Lol
I assume the viking shiled was for SWATTING away an attack more than just meat blocking it. Like you raise your shield VERY high to meet their weapon whiles its still halfway in swing to quelch much of the power. AKA to stop the golf swing early. Its lighter and more reflexive. Vikings also loved to PUNCH with their shields straight to the enemies head and could knock out a helmeted foe in 1 hit because you can move the shield so fast the momentum is phenominal with a good shield jab from a wooden shield.
So basically instead of looking at it as COVER use the bottom of your shield to punch your enemies wrist as he attacks then w hen your shield is still raised just switch that into a shield jab into his head because you already one the inside line of attack.
"If a strapped shield is stuck to a horse, it's not that easy to let go of it." - Hogwash! Man up and chop that useless arm off!
Great vid, Skal. And you two were adorable with the rings.
Although the testing of the Shield was kinda odd; it wasn't just a bow and historical shields were probably rather covered with leather.
Which would improve all forms shields extremly against arrows at least.
My experiences are from a standard heater shield circa 1300.
Hell yea you can punch with it, and the punches are stronger than with a round shield - the whole weight is securely attached to a punching arm, the impact point is the upper right corner (if strapped diagonally across) or the bottom tip (if strapped top-down), and that strapping means it's practically impossible for you to land the punch in a way that would weaken it by the shield turning. Problem is, not only is the punch extremely short ranged, it also opens you up pretty badly if you miss, because while you're punching with the shield, your opponent is probably coming up under that with an unterhau. Unless you're in BoN, I only see it as a very occassional thing, or possibly a last resort to stop someone from grappling you.
For someone grappling the shield, if they manage to get their hands on it and have half a clue, you can't really stop it, not by bracing your arm. Grabbing the bottom tip and turning it behind the back uses the weight of the shield to help you do it. You can stop people from getting close enough to pull it off, though, or use footwork to slip out of their grip before they do it to you, but once it's happening, there's little you can do. All in all, it's a powerful technique, but it's hard to get into a poistion where you can do it to someone.
Turning the shiled in battle is harder to do, but not that much harder. The classic second row with spears and axes technique works on these as well, because you don't necessarily have to turn the shield, you only have to make it unable to move to stop that axe coming from above.
Holding other things in your shield hand can be pretty useful, I can shoot a sling with the shield in hand, being covered by it all the time. I have no idea if it would work with a center grip shield, since I've not tried it with anything bigger than a buckler.
Maybe there is something we are missing.
Maybe Viking shields were so flexible and wobbly that the arrows just bounced off?^^
Maybe during the Viking era bows were so weak, because neither the long bow (nor the katana for that matter) had been invented yet, so the arrows shot from their puny little Viking bows, just did not have enough impact?
This just made me realize that if we could shoot Katanas from long bows that we could take out tanks with them.
I know, it was the Viking Runes and magical patterns on their shields that stopped the arrows.
Man it is a good thing that they could not take their pommels off.
Seriously though, it would suck really bad to have your shield pinned to your arm by an arrow.
You replaced your original wedding bands with new rings? Awesome! Now that’s dedication.
Hmmmm, never thought of it before but what if the shield boss also is there to affect the balance of the shield? I think Mr Easton had some ravings about round shields, norman shields and shield bosses sometime not too long ago.
The thought popped up because of Skallagrims talk about chamfering the edges of the shield.
Damn you Skallagrim, now I have to get a pot belly shield to match my body shape!
Hi I'm relatively new to swords but I have loved them for a while or the idea I should say my fav so far is a scimitar is there a vid about them
Edit: spelling
How many people would you need to test shield wall formations with strap vs center grip?
I've fought a lot of people across SCA, Adrian Empire, and Jomsborg. The majority of people stand behind a shield like it's a door, this is incorrect. The shield was an active part of offense and defense. The ways one can press the different sides of a shield as leverage are amazing! A lot of historic societies don't allow you to strike with the edge or the boss of the shield, and this is a gross injustice. But, so is knocking peoples teeth out so...
Gret vid, Skall! Thanks always!
Wow, I had 3 unskippable ads during this video... I'm so happy Skall is finally getting some ad love !! :D
Will there be a preference in weight where you would want to move to strap or grip shield? I would imagine certain weight would require strap over the one-handed grip shields.
I always wondered why it wasn't common to attach an axe frog or a knife sheath to the inside of a round shield. It doesn't seem like it would reduce the defensive capacity of the shield very much, and if people were already holding hidden weapons in the shield hand, the precedent already existed.
The answer I've come to is that round shields were destructible, and any kind of sheath that requires craftsmanship would be a little too valuable to throw away with a broken shield
Meh a few scrap pieces of cloth aren't exactly silken dresses. A temporary sheath or frog is easily assembled from throwaway materials. After all in this scenario you wouldn't waste good materials on something that is meant as temporary convenience.
Audio issues aside, still a great video.
Damit the hesr is awesome. Love the helmet and the shield.
Hey Skallagrim a question but i know how the Vikings time was earlier but i thought of this. If Viking still around when Brigadine armor at least the chest piece? I know historically be latter but i did thought If a big IF Vikings did get their hands on the armor would go to the ruler of town/village? If the Jarl would give the armor of a knight who had the brigadine armor would the Jarl would give it to their body guards? (Can't think of the name for body guards) etc. and if so would they still use the shield as well? If you get to this comment mind doing a video if Vikings did run into and got their hands on Brigadine armor? Again what i would know Viking Raids are earlier then the armor but still fun question and theories about.
I wonder if a bumpy surface (kind of like a retroreflector) could cause arrows to deflect more at the last second with less of a weight penalty.
A curved or harshly angled surface is a far better bet. This is the principal basically all other armour works. Everything from a Knights plate to the armour of MBTs.
I'm making a tiny one for my brother's husky shepherd mix.
Nice video :)
Hope your shield hand is doing okay, looks a bit hurt in the video
So, this all being said, are there historical examples of steel shields? And given the weight problems, beyond durability are there advantages to them?
2:36 That's either the look of a grave-robber, more heroic, since you've managed to avoid all the undead, or a not-so-fortunate heir of a renowned and wealthy ancestor.
2:48 What's up with the odd shape of the shield on the left?
13:13 - 13:19 It seems like the microphone has a problem with contacts getting loose.
10:31 That "shut your mouth" was rather salty _and_ very convincing at the same time!
Vikings!!!!!
Great video, as far as I'm concerned.
Probably going to use northbands for my fiancé and I... AND YES A NEW VIKING VIDEO FROM SKALL, SKÖL
Another pro of the viking shield, if you hold it against the helmet, the audio is better
Skall do you have another web selling sword bc kult of athena shipping is really spicy