The kite shield (Norman shield)

A kite shield is a large, almond-shaped shield that is rounded at the top and tapers to a point or rounded point at the bottom. The name kite shield refers to the unique shape of the shield and comes from the supposed resemblance to a kite. In modern literature, the terms leaf-shaped shield, Norman shield and almond shield are also used. Because the most famous examples of this shield appear on the Bayeux Tapestry, the kite shield is strongly associated with Norman warfare.

It is often suspected that this shield was specifically developed for riders because the dimensions match the space between the horse's neck and the rider's thigh.  The narrow lower section offered protection to the rider's left leg, while the wide, rounded top provided protection to the shoulder and torso. These shields therefore protected the body parts that were extra vulnerable during cavalry purposes. Roman cavalry thus continued to use greaves (ocrea) for a long time to counter this. The shield usually had a shoulder strap, which allowed it to sit around the rider's body and be easily picked up again when released.

These shields were a revolutionary development compared to the Frankish round shields that were developed from the Roman clipeus and left the rider's leg unprotected. 

Around the 11th century AD, the Vikings of Normandy (Normans) developed a unique attack method: heavily armed cavalrymen rode with lances and kite shields directly at the enemy line. However, the use of these shields was not limited to the cavalry. Infantrymen also widely used these shields because they provided very good protection against incoming projectiles and could be used for building shield walls. 

Because kite shields were somewhat cumbersome due to their size, they were equipped with enarmes: leather straps that firmly attached the shield to the arm. This allowed a knight to relax his arm without the shield coming loose. This meant a significant change compared to older round shields, which typically had only one handle behind the central shield boss. Some specimens also had an additional shoulder strap, with which the shield was attached to the shoulder and thus hung around the body. This was ideal for use by cavalry and infantry. Norman and Byzantine infantry carried kite shields on the shoulder strap on their backs during marches. Sometimes these shields were carried upside down. 

Many depictions show a vaulted (curved) shape, but the fact that they were sometimes used as tables on the Bayeux Tapestry indicates that some specimens were only slightly curved.

During the First Crusade, many kite shields still had a metal boss in the center. This was a legacy of earlier round shields and was actually unnecessary for this type shield. The fact that these shield bosses were still present suggests that the shield boss could also be used as a weapon for practical reasons, where the soldier delivered a heavy blow with his shield. Some medieval depictions therefore still show later versions of these shields with a shield boss. The shields were usually between 90 and 150 cm high, made from layers of wood glued together, covered with animal skin or linen, and fitted with iron parts. Byzantine sources from the 13th century mention that especially the frame was made of wood and iron, while the "filling" consisted of leather, parchment, or hardened animal skin—similar to the material used for drumheads.

Kite shields became popular throughout Western Europe in the 11th century. On the Bayeux Tapestry, most Anglo-Saxons are also depicted with a kite shield, while a minority still uses round shields. Outside Normandy, they also appeared early in parts of Spain and the Holy Roman Empire. It is unclear from which of these three regions the design exactly originated. One theory suggests that the Normans adopted the kite shield from their Viking ancestors. However, no finds or depictions of kite shields from the Viking Age are known, although they are depicted on the Lewis chess set from 12th-century Norway. 

Kite shields are primarily depicted in illustrations from the 11th century, mainly in Western Europe and the Byzantine Empire, but also in the Caucasus, the Fatimid Caliphate, and among the Kievan Rus’. For example, a silver engraving of Saint George from the 11th century, found in Bochorma (Georgia), shows a kite shield. Other Georgian artworks from the 12th and 13th centuries also depict such shields. Kite shields also appear on the Bab al-Nasr gate in Cairo, built around 1087. 

The kite shield was widely used by the Frankish and Norman crusaders during the First Crusade (1096-1099). This type of shield likely made a significant impression in the Byzantine Empire, after which the Byzantine armies also replaced their round shields with kite shields from the 12th century onwards. The Islamic peoples also adopted this type of shield, with Arab historians usually referring to them as tariqa or januwiyya.

From the first half of the 12th century, preference was given to kite shields with a flat top instead of a round top. The shield retained similar dimensions during this time. The flat top had the advantage of allowing easier sight over the shield, probably mainly during infantry use. By the end of the 12th century, a smaller variant of the kite shield, the ‘heater shield’ or triangle shield came into use. This was significantly smaller and thus more manageable, replacing the kite shield in 13th century Europe. However, kite shields remained in use in the armies of the Byzantine Empire well into the 13th century. 

The name “Norman shield” comes from modern times and mainly refers to the Bayeux Tapestry, on which this shield is depicted in large numbers during the Norman conquest of England (1066). In reality, the shield type was not used solely by Normans. Other sources from the 11th and 12th centuries also show this shield, such as the Codex Aureus Epternacensis (early 11th century) and the chronicle Liber ad honorem Augusti sive de rebus Siculis (1196). No fully preserved Norman shields have been found. The so-called Seedorf rider shield (Switzerland, late 12th century), preserved in the Swiss National Museum in Zurich, is sometimes seen as a variant of the almond shield. In Stettin, remnants of a shield have been found that are attributed to an almond shield. It probably dates from the 12th century. The light design suggests that it was used more for ceremonial or representative purposes than for war.