A strapped shield or arm shield is a

shield A shield is a piece of personal armour held in the hand, which may or may not be strapped to the wrist or forearm. Shields are used to intercept specific attacks, whether from close-ranged weaponry like spears or long ranged projectiles suc ...

which is attached to a user’s lower arm via

leather Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning (leather), tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffal ...

gripping

straps A strap, sometimes also called strop, is an elongated flap or ribbon, usually of leather or other flexible materials. Thin straps are used as part of clothing or baggage, or bedding such as a sleeping bag. See for example spaghetti strap, shoul ...

on the back of the shield, sometimes together with a

guige A guige ( /ɡiːʒ/, /ɡiːd͡ʒ/) or shield sling is a long strap, typically made of leather, used to hang a shield on the shoulder or neck, either to help make the shield less vulnerable to moving out of position when struck or grabbed by an ...

(or ‘shield sling’), rather than wielded via a centre shield grip.

Enarmes

The straps of a strapped shield are called ''enarmes'' or simply ''shield straps''. Enarmes were held in place by

riveting A rivet is a permanent mechanical fastener. Before being installed, a rivet consists of a smooth cylindrical shaft with a head on one end. The end opposite the head is called the ''tail''. On installation, the deformed end is called the ''s ...

through the leather and the facing of the shield, and reinforced with small, square-cut

washers Washer most commonly refers to: *Washer (hardware), a thin usually disc-shaped plate with a hole in the middle typically used with a bolt or nut *Washing machine, for cleaning clothes Washer may also refer to: *Dishwasher, a machine for cleani ...

. Enarmes are visible on shields in the

Bayeux Tapestry The Bayeux Tapestry is an embroidery, embroidered cloth nearly long and tall that depicts the events leading up to the Norman Conquest, Norman Conquest of England in 1066, led by William the Conqueror, William, Duke of Normandy challenging H ...

References

* Medieval shields {{medieval-armour-stub

Enarmes

See also

References