How strong is a Viking shield?

All Viking shields would have been coated in oil to make them waterproof, preventing them soaking up water and becoming heavier. It is thought that a leather covered Viking shield weighed between 7kg and 10kg. deflect attacks, push attacks offline and spread the shock of a blow.

Did all Viking shields have a boss?

The Viking shield was round and constructed primarily of wood, with a bowl shaped ‘boss’ made of iron at the center. This boss provided protection for the warrior’s hand that gripped the shield directly behind it with a single grip.

What is a boss on a Viking shield?

The type of shield used by the Vikings can be traced back to the Iron Age. It consists of thin planking, which forms a circular shape. In the middle is a dome of iron to protect the shield bearer’s hand. This is called the shield boss and is often the only part which is preserved after 1000 years in the ground.

Is Viking shield legit?

Welcome To Viking Shield – Where Real Vikings Shop! Viking Shield specializes in high quality replicas from the Viking Age. If you find an item cheaper somewhere else please remember that haggling was quite common during the Viking Age.

Did Vikings use a shield wall?

According to Rolf Warming, an archaeologist and researcher at the University of Copenhagen, the Vikings did not use shield walls in combat. A typical Viking shield was relatively small and light, and used as an active weapon.

What do the Colours on a Viking shield mean?

Green is the colour of hope, white symbolises surrender or innocence, and black binds the living to the dead. Colour has always carried meaning for people, including the Vikings, for whom it symbolised power and wealth.

Why do shields have bosses?

A strengthened outward‐projecting cover at the centre of a shield behind which is the handle or grip used to hold the shield. The purpose of the boss is therefore to protect the hand of the person using the shield. Shield bosses are often of metal, even where the main structure of the shield is wood or leather.

Did Vikings have guns?

As well as their ships, weapons are also popularly associated with the Vikings. In the Viking Age a number of different types of weapons were used: swords, axes, bows and arrows, lances and spears. The Vikings also used various aids to protect themselves in combat: shields, helmets and chain mail.

What is the boss on a Viking shield?

Shield Bosses. At the center of every Viking shield is a steel center boss or umbo. The boss protects the warriors hand. We stock historically accurate hammered bosses and economical spun bosses.

Are there any Viking shields that still exist?

A few shields have survived from the Viking age, notably the shields from the Gokstad ship, which date from the 10thcentury. The ship was equipped with 32 shields, several of which survive intact. They were made from a single layer of planks butted together, with no iron bands, and the fronts were painted black and yellow.

Was this Viking shield boss found at Hemla?

A 10 th century shield boss found at Hemla in south Iceland is shown in the photo to the right. The boss shown to the left is from the earlier Vendel period, but this style with its long neck and knob at the apex was also used in the Viking age. The many nails on the flange that held the boss to the shield are visible.

How did the Vikings keep their shields from splitting?

The addition of animal skin also meant that the shields were less lightly to split, and thus relatively thin pieces of wood could be used to keep their weight down. We are also familiar with Viking shields from the art of the period. Various picture stones from the island of Gotland show armed warriors with shields that appear to be painted.