A Hungarian (or Hungarian-style) shield was a specific form of
targe
Targe (from Old Franconian ' 'shield', Proto-Germanic ' 'border') was a general word for shield in late Old English. Its diminutive, ''target'', came to mean an object to be aimed at in the 18th century.
The term refers to various types of shi ...
. It was rectangular at the bottom, but the upper edge swept upward forming a curve. The elongated upper edge was designed to protect the head and neck against
sabre
A sabre ( French: sabĘ or saber in American English) is a type of backsword with a curved blade associated with the light cavalry of the early modern and Napoleonic periods. Originally associated with Central European cavalry such as th ...
cuts. They were characteristic for the
Hungarian light cavalry. During the 16th century, the design became popular across much of eastern Europe, among both
Christian and
Muslim horsemen.
Up to the 15th century, this type was in use in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
as well as in
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, MagyarorszĂĄg ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...
. The 15th-century German
Gladiatoria
The Gladiatoria Group is a series of several 15th-century German manuscripts that share the same art style and cover the same materialâvarious types of armored combat. The texts are contemporary with the tradition of Johannes Liechtenauer, but ...
fechtbuch
Martial arts manuals are instructions, with or without illustrations, specifically designed to be learnt from a book. Many books detailing specific techniques of martial arts are often erroneously called manuals but were written as treatises.
Pros ...
depicts what it calls "ungrischer schilt" used by two fencers on foot. The upward sweeping edge is less pronounced than a point attached to the lower edge, apparently for offensive use, similar to a
pata
Pata or PATA may refer to:
Places
* Pata, Sulu, a Philippine municipality
* Pata, Galanta District, a village in Slovakia
* Pata, Central African Republic, a village
* Pata village (Samoa), a village in Samoa
* Pontrilas Army Training Area, a ...
.
External links
16th century example(www.metmuseum.org)
Medieval shields
Shields
{{Shield-stub