Strapped shield

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Strapped kite shield (12th century)

A strapped shield or arm shield is a shield which is attached to a user’s lower arm via leather gripping straps on the back of the shield, sometimes together with a guige (or ‘shield sling’), rather than wielded via a centre shield grip.

Enarmes

File:Shield-enarmes.svg

Shield with enarmes highlighted

The straps of a strapped shield are called enarmes or simply shield straps. Enarmes were held in place by riveting through the leather and the facing of the shield, and reinforced with small, square-cut washers. Enarmes are visible on shields in the Bayeux Tapestry.

See also

• Guige