"Shield Designs" Topic

I am painting some Welsh. I have seen very eloborate painted shield designs.

Is this really what a Welshman would take to battle? Seams like a lot of effort for something that will get battered by your enemy. I was thinking these eloborate shields would be more cerimonial.

Any thoughts?

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I am with you, there is no evidence that I know of that they had these complicated shield patterns.I think welshmen put faith in their sharp big knife.
Who applied all these alleged patterns, with what on what? To be smashed up or thrown away away when in flight? I doubt they even bothered for ceremony .I would like to see some primary source material to give some body to these designs

As was pointed out in your other thread, the quality of your equipment was an important mark of your social status and hence rank. It also served as a personal identifier in many cases. So yes, all evidence is that the average ancient and medieval warrior would bring his best and fanciest equipment to the battle.

-Will

There was a three-part series on mediaeval Welsh, by Paul Walsh, in Slingshot issues 146-8. The last part gives evidence for shields from Welsh epics; gold-chased, blue-enamelled, yellow, white, but there are no designs mentioned except that one is "gold-chased with a bar of azure enamel", which could be a design but may mean the handle.

Shock and Awe……..

Didn't you like the answers you got here?
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Thing is, nobody really knows for sure. We can make 'best guesses' based on what scraps of evidence there are, but that is all.

My opinion is the opposite of yours but I wouldn't refuse to let you use your figures on the table because they had plain shields. Do them the way that looks right to you. No one can tell you they are wrong.

Your figures so be happy with them!

It's the Dark Ages, and they are your figures, so paint them as you like!

But if you are expecting a chorus of folks to agree with your interpretation, prepare for disappointment.

Don't forget that wealthy warriors would have slaves or serfs at home who could be tasked with painting a shield for little or no cost beyond the costs of paint.

I get dressed up for weddings, funerals and court appearances.

If I was going out into a field to slay my deadly foe with all my friends watching, I'd want to look good.

Once the dark, wet weather came on and the cold was barely held at bay by the fire pit, I can see a warrior working on intricate patterns on his shield to pass the time until he could once again join his fellows as the weather mellows, showing off his new designs created during the fast, but also to impress a lass.

Paint them as you like. What looks better to you, which unit catches your eye on the table top?

Sorry about posting twice I was looking for it today on my phone and could not find the first one. Figured I did not do something correct and it did not post.

what makes anybody think most of these people actually had more than one set of clothing/

what makes anybody think most of these people actually had more than one set of clothing/

Irrelevant. The number of sets of clothing has no real bearing the willingness to decorate a shield. Only having one set of clothing may increase the desire to decorate the shield, for that matter.

Nobody can know with any certainty, so all anyone can offer is (informed, perhaps) opinion. At least until a stash (large enough to provide a statistically significant sample) of undamaged/undecayed shields from the period is discovered. And that's very improbable.

Dal.

what makes anybody think most of these people actually had more than one set of clothing

What would lead you to believe they didn't?