Medieval Shield Straps - The Guige

Medieval shield straps for wearing or suspending the shield around the neck or back are called the guige. Here I look at their possible uses and advantages.
Extra videos on Patreon: / scholagladiatoria

[@KincadeCeltoSlav]

Holds a Norman Shield "......By Adjusting it to Different Angles...." I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE

[@jeanpaulgartier3404]

Nice

[@AnimeSunglasses]

Might also want to adjust it to different Saxons, of course.

[@Krshwunk]

@@AnimeSunglasses The Jutes! Don't forget the Jutes! Everybody forgets the Jutes!

[@AnimeSunglasses]

Or the occasional Dane...

[@douglascolquhoun8502]

Matt Easton is a strapping young man.

[@Anzmal]

So medieval shield straps were used just like modern rifle slings.

[@richard6133]

You beat me to it.

[@SonsOfLorgar]

Which makes me think that they could also have a quick-adjustment friction lock buckle.

[@richard6133]

@@SonsOfLorgar Careful, that might make it an assault shield in the UK and California...

[@theeddorian]

@@richard6133 Don't know about the UK. In California slings are fine.

[@richard6133]

@@theeddorian The state legislature will fix that, lol... If there's something that makes a weapons system easier and safer for the operator, they'll ban it as soon as some idiot screams loudly enough about it.

[@somerando1073]

My understanding is that this goes back at least as far as Alexander the Great. His Pikemen had shields on a guige so they could still use two hands on the sarissa while getting passive arrow defense.

[@fattiger6957]

That makes sense. I always wondered how soldiers in phalanx held their shields.

[@Robert399]

Fat Tiger That was only Macedonians with very small shields and very long sarissas. Most hoplites just held their shields normally.

[@pierdurin]

For sure, but his goes way back than alexander the great. The 'sakos' (the tower/eight figure shield) of the minoan and mycenaean periods was in fact only held up by straps of this kind (telamones), because it lacked handles.

[@UnintentionalSubmarine]

It adds more than just allowing a shield while using a pike, it also help the pikeman steadying the pike. Essentially he can let his left arm rest in the straps of the shield and just use it to hold the pike, while controlling it with the right hand. While at the same time allowing him to use the arm to move the pike about should he need to. It is a very effective way to carry a pike if 'all' you need to do is move forwards and stab ahead.

[@b1laxson]

Whan I was in the SCA I had a guige like cord. The real benefit was during the waits between fights. Didn't put it on my back. All I had to do was lean the top of the shield forward or pivot until the guige carried load to my neck. Now my shield arm was at a 50% rest. In real battles there was a lot of waiting between actual swinging. I never had issues with the guige blocking my sword swings.

[@metatronyt]

Excellent work. The Romans also Wore their Shields on their back during March, usually in friendly territory, with their helmets hanging on their bosom (hence the third loop in the back of the helmet, for hanging). Allegedly they used leather shield covers for waterproofing. Keep It up!

[@95DarkFire]

Only the best videos start with a guy and a massive axe!

[@karliikaiser3800]

The strap also makes it harder for the enemy to hook or pull the shield with his weapon.

[@Schlaggot]

He addressed that didn’t he

[@overeasymode]

For some reason KZbin has been pushing your Dane axe video. I just recently discovered it on recommendation section.

[@scholagladiatoria]

Aha, that would explain it! Thanks.

[@Gilmaris]

7:41 "I could, in fact, even have the shield momentarily hanging from me - it's still in front of my body - and use my hands like this." _Jazz hands!!!!_

[@10upstudios]

a belt that converts your shield into a cast-like sling, for warriors with rotator cuff injuries all across the world

[@Sean_XT]

would be more of a splint-like sling than a cast

[@davekingrey1009]

Matt you are an authority on medieval and hand weapons in general whether you claim to be or not. The revival of older videos is probably people who might not have subscribed yet and are looking for info on dane axes. I know when I first found your channel I binge watched it. And I'm sure I will find some that I havent watched yet or watch some I've already seen before again. It just goes to show you make good content.

[@scholagladiatoria]

Thanks!

[@johnladuke6475]

Watching Matt fumble with that buckle, I'm curious whether there's any evidence to suggest that the ancients adjusted their guige with a pair of D-rings to save both time and materials...?

[@nirfz]

I would bet on it, as a simple D ring is easier to manufacture, i would think it older than the belt "buckle type" with the pin on an axis.

[@antivalidisme5669]

Wonderful insight Matt. And yeah as far as I know, we call it a guige the exact way you name it- reminds me of my Normandy Archaeological in a tenth century church near Caen eleven+ years ago!-. Very clever and convenient way to dispatch your shield the way you want it to be but you have to follow the orders of a talented commander in this field because the operation is not that quick as far as I experimented. Thank you for your time time sir, always a pleasure between some nineteenth century swords/sabres photos or deals!

[@Forscythe80]

If it was my shield and I frequently adjusted strap length based on task needed to do, I recon did make marks so I could know instantly the optimal strap length for different uses. Could speed up the process even further.

[@portkapul1283]

or just not have a hole every inch, only where you need it,

[@LuxisAlukard]

I don't know if it's historiclly accurate - but two D rings on that strap will make it faster to adjust length

[@eldorados_lost_searcher]

Shad's going to need a paper bag to breathe into when he watches this.

[@messylaura]

loooooool next vid the shaddard-shield maybe shad needs to send matt a xmas prezzy

[@scholagladiatoria]

Why?

[@gerwantofrivera3725]

@@scholagladiatoria could be because he was talking a bit about it before: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d4HWh4xujayUp7M

[@eldorados_lost_searcher]

@@scholagladiatoria Shad loves the kite shield, and you putting its different methods of use on screen is sure to get him excited, possibly to the point of hyperventilation. Hope that clarifies my statement. Have a great day!

[@benjaminabbott4705]

Seeing you fiddle with that strap makes me think of the various 16th/17th-century soldiers who supposedly had the ability to quickly sling shields down from their backs & fight with them. Raimond de Fourquevaux want his pikers to all have targets at their backs & sling them down to become targetiers in the melee. Adam Breen's 1618 infantry manual has detailed instructions for how targetiers are to sling their shields down from their backs & draw their swords. Another recommended that arquebusiers wear light leather shields in their backs to use when they drew their swords, & arquebusiers do appear with shields on their backs on at least one period piece. I've always wondered how they managed to do any of this swiftly.

[@clearmelody6252]

Practice. Lots and LOTS of practice.

[@benjaminabbott4705]

@@clearmelody6252 I suspect one of the reasons the piker kit Fourquevaux wanted didn't really catch on was the difficulty of managing a target on the back as a piker. Certain troops did definitely use pike & shield together, but the more common method appears to have been having the shield already deployed while holding the pike in two hands. You can see that technique in Adam Breen's 1618 manual. Scottish pikers did something similar at Pinkie Cleugh 1547, & at least one source says Scottish pikers had shields (pavises) at Folden 1513. (The Scots lost both of those battles.) The Dutch shield-&-pike method from Breen explicitly has the soldier wearing the shield on his back while marching & shaking his left shoulder in conjunction with moving the left leg to get it into position. This method still require quickness & I'm sure considerable drilling, but it seems a bit easier to do this motion before engaging than to do it during the press of battle as Fourquevaux wished.

[@ActionNerdGo]

non-historical example. I've seen polearmists in my combat LARP that are very good at making a switch like that, usually not while actively engaged but very quickly if given space for a few seconds. Granted they are using lighter equipment than historical warriors, but if a "weekend warrior" LARPer can do it I'm sure a professional could figure it out with heavier equipment.

[@TheWaylandern]

As far as is know, it can also be called a guiche. Both versions come down from old languages spoken a long time ago and they just mean "strap" or "wicker strap". In my opinion the guige can also help against getting your shield pulled by your opponent, making it harder for him to create an opening in your defense. It also helps when you grab the straps with your hand instead of sticking your arm inside, which is a very commonly represented way of holding a shield, which gives even more mobility but is more tiring

[@natetaylor9002]

Common, in Skyrim, you carry your shield in your hand 24/7...you even sleep like that!

[@dreammfyre]

Strap-on shields, huh.

[@flyboymike111357]

I've seen renaissance or modern/early modern portraits of scenes around the signing of the Magna Carta, where the men had kite shields worn with loose straps like you'd want for combat, hung low by their swords. Presumably, the painter felt it would be smart to have it in such a position so the wearers could ready both principal sidearms at the same time. I'm curious how practical this could actually be however.

[@markfergerson2145]

Could be that was to signify they'd just got done fighting or were suspecting the fighting wasn't really over.

[@TorvusVae]

I've seen some artwork depicting dane axes used with the shield strap in a style similar to what the Macedonian phalangites used to do with their pikes.

[@robertl6196]

And thus the turtle was designed.

[@JustGrowingUp84]

Yessss, a shield on either side!

[@fattiger6957]

Teenage Mutant Knightly Turtles

[@lanasmith4795]

@@fattiger6957 chivalry on the half shell

[@GamelessOne]

Life is Feudal?

[@PetaJBread]

If you are wearing the shield on your back as shown here (the guige is supported on your right shoulder and goes down to your left hip) would it interfere with your scabbard, if you were to wear one on your left hip? If so, would it be remedied by wearing it the other way (over the left shoulder)

[@markfergerson2145]

I was thinking the same thing, the strap getting tangled on one's sword. Would it be harder to get off the shoulder and into position though?

[@KyIeMcCIeIIan]

I really want to see a kite shield strapped like a heater shield. Heater shields could still retain a guige, but the way they were strapped was.... *chefs kiss* perfection

[@viridisxiv766]

if you were strapped up, and someone hooked the shield...

[@edzejandehaan9265]

That thought also crossed my mind.

[@Robert399]

Viridis XIC It’s probably fine as long as your arm’s holding it. If it’s hanging freely from your neck, eh maybe.

[@clearmelody6252]

Yeah, I would say that, as Matt would point out, that's a matter of CONTEXT. If you were ready for it, I think you could actually turn that against them, as you could potentially have more leverage with the shield than they do with the axe, especially if they overextended on the shaft.

[@johnladuke6475]

@@clearmelody6252 I'd agree. Instead of your shield getting stripped away and turning your hand when hooked with an axe, you just have to brace your back against the strap and the opponent would have to overpower your entire body to create a hole in the shield wall. Meanwhile their weapon is tied up and you've got lots of time to get stabby.

[@torbenjohansen6955]

what about someone trying to pull your shield away ? wouldent the lether thingie ( guiie or what ever its called) help so it cant be pulled away be some enemy using a hook ?

[@oneparticularlysmartape]

Great video as always. Now, a question to anyone who knows: Is there any record of string being used as a strap instead of leather? It just so happens that I use a piece of string on a round viking-style shield of mine. Although I do it mostly for transportation purposes. I just want to know if something like this was done historically whether on viking shields or any other kind.

[@jarlnils435]

I think it was used it's like wooden handles on swords. We only know the types who have survived.

[@andycleary6209]

The fifth ninja turtle scholatello

[@tetsuoswrath]

Every now and then one of the older videos of yours that I've watched before will show up in suggestions. And I usually rewatch them when they do. I don't know if that affects the algorithm at all. :{

[@DPXerxes]

French speaking viewer here, the word guige is indeed French, but one I had never heard before. It would come from an old French word meaning "wicker bond"

[@fuferito]

07:00 You were giving yourself more 'slack,' or 'give' there.

[@malkomalkavian]

or 'play'

[@entropy11]

What if you just had another strap of the proper length for slinging it on your back?

[@Mtonazzi]

If you haven't read this article, it's worth a look: www.degueulesetdargent.fr/2017/03/02/shield-straps-and-holding-of-the-shield-in-the-early-13th-century/ I've been trying this and honestly, worked quite well for me. And as a fun fac (because why not), in castillian the guige would be called "tiracol"

[@scholagladiatoria]

Thanks for this, I'll go and read it.

[@CIA-M]

It's so nice to have a shield on your back while using a spear or daneaxe. My favorite kit really

[@temperededge]

At a guess at why they wore the guige in combat, it's because it's too troublesome to remove the strap while your helmet's on. (people can be pretty lazy after marching all day)

[@nirfz]

And it is out of the way! I am not convinced that (like he showed) holding the long strap in the shield hand while fighting so it won't hang down and hinder yourself is that practical.

[@ebreiss]

I think having the strap on, and the shield held in your hand, would be very useful in a close formation because it is much less fatiguing. I didn't think about that before this video!

[@jamesbridges7750]

You might be able to replicate the adjustment of a modern two-point rifle sling like the Vickers sling with metal hardware. They're made to be very rapidly adjustable.

[@Llamaturtle]

Some interesting takes with illustrations and video demos here: www.degueulesetdargent.fr/2017/03/02/shield-straps-and-holding-of-the-shield-in-the-early-13th-century/

[@Kolvarg]

I suppose wearing the belt strap around your neck in combat could make it harder for an enemy to hook or just overall control your shield?

[@hareksu]

Active vs passive defenses....why am I getting GURPS flashbacks :-) Sorry, nerd alert.

[@deceptivepanther]

Great footage of the New York MET's new exhibition 'The Last Knight' (Maximilian I) here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jorCg5-af9t2jdU

[@kungfuasgaeilge]

I reckon your 'guige' pronunciation is pretty spot on, at least in Modern French. The word is from Old French 'guige', which uninterestingly just means 'strap'.

[@KevlarrTheBarbarian]

Axes and pikes can hook the top of a shield and lower it to expose the defender to other attackers, the strap seems like it could prevent this from happening?

[@byboble1]

Most ilusrations until 1240 show the guige as really short and no forarm strap

[@nysp993]

What is a good site or manufacturer to go to to get a good quality Functional shield? Right now I’m looking for a Viking style round shield, Norman style teardrop kite shield, and a Roman scutum.

[@davidtetard5781]

A related study there on the guige strap: www.degueulesetdargent.fr/2017/03/02/shield-straps-and-holding-of-the-shield-in-the-early-13th-century/

[@davidgreen7392]

Being I lived on a sailboat and became fascinated by ropes and hitches ("Hitch" being my Pit Bull too :D ), I would think that there would be many rope/leather ties, which would allow for adjustment and variation of useful ways of holding and wearing, say, ones shield. e.g. Taut Line Hitch, Cleat Hitch, etc., and /quick release/ modifications to many, rather than requiring buckles... or even having ungainly lengths of rope/leather trailing about.

[@ducomaritiem7160]

In 2006 I did some Norman reenactment ( Hastings 2006) and saw fellow Normans pushing their kiteshields over their shoulder to their backs to get it out of their way. In this fashion (which felt very natural to me) the shield ended up on your back with the pointed part pointing UP. Try it, it really works...

[@joejoelesh1197]

Matt, I think you have to admit when you don't have a clue. Grappling with a shield, come on mate! You just don't know what you are talking about. Get your wife in here, SHE is the grappling expect of your house.

[@aryafeydakin]

What about the roman scutum. Look at the Kasr El Harit find (also called "El Fayum" shield). This surviving example of a roman scutum from the republican era has 9 rings and split pins for its harness system.

[@tasnacornelis4775]

In the centuries BCE I know of the caetra, a small celtiberian/iberian round shield, that is strapped. It was carried around 'backside' out (for an easy grab and it doesn't bash on your leg as much I noticed). In combat the strap was wind around the forearm. It works a bit like an extra fixing point for not losing the shield.

[@LeVraiPoio]

The word guige doesn't mean anything else in french, it's just a jargon term. If I may, I know at least 2 AMHE groups in France who experimented a lot with this : "De gueule et d'Argent" and "Cité d'Antan". Many ressources, images, videos to find there, just google it with gigue or bouclier (=shield). I think their focus is a little later in history, but still their hindsights are great. They also used the guige without using the elbow strap, which feels very weird at first, but they found ways to make it really effective with a spear as a main weapon. Also to interesting to note, it has quite an effect if anyone tries to hook your shield with an axe, which may help to keep the shield up, and thus be interesting when fighting in formation. To me, who is used to XIIIth century regular straps on my shield, trying it almost felt like it was a different martial art. Suddenly my shield was way less aggressive and couldn't get far or high. I was frustrated by that, but then I realized I had way more visibility that way and could swap weapons easily, or even grab the enemy shield while putting mine on the back. Pros and Cons, lots of change, all of it depending on CONTEXT. :D

[@kajraske2002]

Why weren't these more common? They seem obviously super useful, especially the 'keeping it ready during watch' aspect. Or were they super common but nobody bothered depicting them?

[@r.gilman4261]

What instead of using what is a belt buckle, use a pin to hold the adjustment in place ( something 10p nail size). this would give you the ability to very quickly go from a short adjustment ( like the back travel adjustment) to a longer adjustment ( the "middle" mobility adjustment) where the guige is still around your neck)?

[@dragon12234]

Hmm, wonder if it would be practical to use a guiche to stabilize a shield enough that you can strap it to you arm without having to grip it, letting you use things like pikes and hewing spears whilst still getting the benefits of a static shield

[@lucasriley874]

No idea if it was attached to the arm or not, but hanging on a strap over the forward shoulder is how the phalanx used their shields.

[@decem_sagittae]

Hello Matt, please do some videos on medieval military medicine. Like what were some common battlefield-related injuries and how they were treated. Broken bones from falling off the horse, flesh wounds, arrow extraction, etc. I do have some knowledge on Byzantine medicine, but I know quite little about its Western counterpart.

[@justsomeguy3931]

It's pretty amazing what a few straps, buckles, snaps, clasps, etc can do. It's what I think was highly important to wearing swords on the back. Another reason I like Berserk is Guts has a unique system to carry and quick-release his huge sword from his back. If you pay close attention to design it makes a fair kind of sense and is within the limits of the technology to produce. It also ends up pretty close to High Guard of the Lady when it's freed - which because of the release method is faster than drawing out of any scabbard. Much better than The Witcher just defying physics... It's like comparing an Uncle Mike's holster to Galco custom or G-Code retention release - very different type and quality. The holster or scabbard is a huge part of the weapon. It's what you release control of the weapon to when it's not in your hands - or prevents disarms, or means you're tied to the weapon for better or worse. I like that I can ditch my AK very quickly because of the simple sling. Cool to see that's all part of shields to. The strap is like what you release control of the weapon to, like a sling for a rifle. One can't understand how to use a rifle if one doesn't know how to use slings, and the various types and purposes and properties they have. I imagine it's the same with all weapons - and a big reason military pistols often are poor performers - the Warhammer 40K style simple leather holsters with flaps and buttons. I've never seen anyone wear those that didn't have to for uniform. No real cowboy would consider it! Wild Bill just shoved his revolvers through his belt, kinda like how samurai wear their daisho of swords. PS If you have any information on how people used to wear bucklers and carry them at the same time as swords and draw both weapons, that would rock. Same with sword and pistol (revolver). The latter is totally HEMA. Who else ever invented the sword and pistol style?

[@Mrandy8895]

There is a slip knot that we used to use many years ago (cannot remember how to make it now) But anyway I digress. I used to shoot at Bisley for the Army. And was also a sniper. We used slings for numerous purposes, not just for carrying the weapon. But also for firing support etc. This required us to move quickly from different positions and to swap weapons. Seconds and I mean literally 1 or 2 seconds to say change the sling from a fire support aid to weapon carry to facilitate rapid movement. Not only was the slip knot essential for this. We had "pre" measured and marked our individual slings to our personal preferences. In NI during riots we also used shields full body (shield wall) and small circular with baton. The latter was usually for "snatch squads". A snatch squad would usually be a team of 4. 2x round shields with batons. 1x rubber bullet (the donk gun) 1x Rifleman We found that it was better to have ALL the snatch squad with a shield. So fashioned slings to use very similar to your demonstration. The snatch squads job was to identify the ringleaders and or those who had committed specific crimes such as throwing petrol bombs etc. We would then when an opportunity presented itself charge out and arrest (snatch) the individual. Speed and excessive pure aggression were paramount. If you got in the way you got put down. That was it pure and simple. So we had to have maximum protection speed and if necessary firepower. Once we got hands on we needed both hands free to manoeuvre the individual back to and behind the shield wall. So I can see the slings use on the Norman and Saxon shields in battle.

[@RaspK]

Foraging, logging etc. all require quite a bit of manual work, and having both hands available is really handy (no pun intended).

[@IZokoraI]

What do you think? How much longer would the strap be (in wearing position) if you had padding and armour, too? Is is possible that 'Holding' and 'Wearing' straps are equal length, when you are wearing some padded armour?

[@Luoke7]

Can't help but wonder if you could have two straps, of different lengths, or one fixed length and the other adjustable. To make the switching easier.

[@Seekles]

Matt, I don't know whether you're confortable with French or not, but I suggest you have a look at this for a little more insight regarding the use of the guige in combat (and the number of straps): www.degueulesetdargent.fr/2017/02/14/sangles-et-tenues-de-l-%C3%A9cu-au-d%C3%A9but-du-xiiie-si%C3%A8cle/ The guys were able to demonstrate front/back transitions in a very convincing manner. (and yes, your pronunciation was on point!)

[@joschafinger126]

This would be very convenient for anyone who starts the fight as an archer but later switches to a melée role. They'd have to wear their quiver on their hip and may lose their bow when switching, of course. For Daneaxe to one-handed axe or sword it doesn't fully convince me, though: in such situations you'd often be so close to your enemy that any split second would make a difference. Possible, certainly: upon losing your primary weapon you might have a chance to retreat, then return. But I don't think that would be very common. Some sort of quick-release mechanism for the strap might solve the issue. A special knot, the lower end being held in place by slight friction or some sort of knob...

[@favkisnexerade]

If you can wear shield on back to protect you from heavy blows, I still don't get why there weren't wooden pieces of armor over mail or something? Is it because spear thrust in mail with gambeson under isn't painful, so you only wear that shield if something heavy hits you like an axe, but you don't wear anything like that in front area because axe wotn hit you there? It'll hit you in hands or something, so the only thing that might hit you in front torso area is arrows and stabs from spears and mail+gambeson is enough for protection against it?

[@lukediehl1210]

Interesting. Years ago, I read a book, fictional, that was set around the time of the Norman conquest. It described the Saxon housecarls standing in a shield wall to absorb arrow fire. It says they held their axes in their left hand, behind the shield, and used their spears to repel skirmishers that probed their lines. Once combat was fully joined, they slung their shields to fight with their axes. I always thought it seemed impractical, but maybe there's a little truth to that description.

[@roderickballance6960]

I just watched "Time Team" ands that the shield strap was fully extended for on horseback combat. Such allowed full(fish) range of motion of the reins hand and not tangle with the horse.

[@Zajuts149]

If you have a hook at the top of the strap, above the buckle, and a ring below in the right place, you could quickly hook your strap tighter for carrying when you have it buckled loose for fighting.

[@ActionNerdGo]

So obviously not historical. but... I'm a "combat LARPer" and polearmists in my sport do this all the time, precisely because they can turn their body and block arrows. If you have the shield positioned near your leading shoulder its only a small turn and it covers a lot of your body. In fact its so useful to carry one on your back, that they've had to ban carrying two shields at the same time.

[@adrianj402]

I should think that maybe cavalry would have liked to use that strap to help support/stabilise that big shield while fighting. They're probably less concerned than infantry about the hindered mobility of the shield arm, that would generally not be extended far out very much for balance reasons. And not having to keep their arm muscles constantly working to support the thing would be good, they can't exactly rest it on the ground during breaks

[@Jay-ln1co]

Is there any cases of using a center grip shield in your right hand (other than left-handed people)? A while back I was training and while I prefer two-handed weapons, I got to use a center grip shield and sword. I noticed my left hand tired holding the shield up after a while and decided to try it in my right hand (I'm relatively ambidextrous). Noticed soon that my arm didn't tire and I was way more active with its use, actively parrying my opponent's hits and leaving him open for my sword strikes.

[@Alefiend]

Do you think it would be possible to use the guige to help support the shield in front of the user while he held a long spear or pike in an infantry formation? Perhaps with a modified handgrip, making it a specialized pikeman's shield? (Yes, I get that this is a bit silly and far-fetched. Just playing with the possibilities.)

[@johnbennett1465]

What types of fasteners were used at the time? I don't remember seeing buckles on any accurate medieval historical reproductions. In any case, I think a slip knot might work better for this usage.

[@MartinGreywolf]

Putting a guige around your neck in combat is much like hooking something with an axe: it goes both ways. Personally, I'd rather not give someone an opportunity to yank me by the neck by manipulating my shield.

[@thekillers1stfan]

>Makes sleepy testudo video >You know there are all sorts of other shield turtle formations I can talk about >shelled nosferatu w/ leather straps and a big ol axe Peak Matt Easton Shieldcore Kino

[@patrickbrett66]

What about later medieval (i.e. 14th to 16th century) shield strapping styles and techniques? I use a small heater shield with the point up as I fight (allowing for punch strikes) and the point down as I relax so my arm is strapped along the longest length (vertical) and not across the shortest (horizontal). I also wear it on my back from time to time and it hangs straight with the point down quite well, this is just something I did myself with no information but have since learned that it is a less well known wearing and using style, this allows for my heraldic design to be seen properly when relaxed. I have only been shown a single picture from the manuscripts and paintings that show my style of wear and use so far and some day I want to find more. The more common style is to have the flat top of the heater shield horizontal when you fight with your arm strapped in an upwards 45 degree position which means when it is relaxed your heraldry is heavily slanted and only in the right orientation when you fight... does that make sense or am I typing gibberish :/

[@gaelmichaud8766]

Guige kind of means ''long strap''. French being my language, I can affirm we do not use this word often in modern French if at all

[@qboxer]

Not a HEMA guy myself, but I do know a thing or two about weapons slings... a loose sling whose weapon bounces around is better than no sling at all. In the same manner, a loose guige that means you can use your shield to protect against missiles until the last minute may be better than no shield at all, because while it might bounce or interfere, you still were able to protect yourself before closing.

[@syntaxhorror]

That was the correct French pronounciation (modern French anyway. Is it a modern term?) Having a strap to carry your kit around seems like a good idea, I'd assume if you were marching in enemy territory and expecting an attack you'd want your shield close and not in a baggage cart half a mile away, but not have to carry the thing on your arm. Also, I'd imagine having extra back protection would be helpful if you have to leg it and the other guys are shooting at you or their cavalry is about to run your unit down.

[@gotfrydzbouillon4191]

Matt one point worthy to test ! You can use longer strap not on your neck but on your back by put your hand with sword under long strap (Almost the same way of carring this shield as you do it for suspension for sword scabbard) and use longer "sharper" tip of shield as tool to opening enemy shield and also as extended protection for your leg. If what I wrote is not clear, I can draw it how it should look for you and send it on FB or whatever else s.platform.

[@Wirrn]

Hmm. The ability to take some of the weight off your arm and rest them seems like a very good idea if you're in a battle thats going to last all day and you're rotating regularly in and out of the fight. In those moments when you aren't in the front line you can rest your arm and be less tired when you go back in without having to take it off. Also! This is not the only time this happens in history! The Bronze age Greek (well, pre-Greek) shields like the Figure 8 also had a shoulder strap, and we see artwork of people fighting with two handed spears with the shield son their backs. There are a few depictions appears to show the soldier having swung the shield round to his side or front. Worth noting these shields weren't strapped to the arm like these medieval ones, and the shoulder strap seems to have been the primary attachment. (My personal theory on the Figure 8's unusual shape is its that it pinched in at the middle to wrap around the body while allowing arms and legs to move)

[@TimorousHam]

Hi Matt, Have you done any sparring with kite vs. a round boss-held shield (using the weapons appropriate to the time)? If so what were the advantages and disadvantages of each? Just asking because there must have been a transition period where people were using both, and would be interesting to see if one was clearly better against swords or spears etc. Keep up the great videos!

[@matthewproudman6535]

@scholagladiatoria something i have done in the past with a spear and bill is 'Barn Door' a method of slinging the shield over the offhand shoulder but leaves both hands free, have you fought this way? What do you think of fighting this way?

[@armorfrogentertainment]

Did other weapons (like bows or crossbows) ever have straps on them?

[@memyself637]

If an attacker with a pole weapon or axe hooked the top of your shield, the guige strap would make the shield more resistant to being yanked down forward, opening the top of your body to a strike. I think it may also stabilize the shield enough to better absorb heavy blows or body slams without the shield rotating into a disadvantageous position. Anything that allows you to better retain control your shield when the enemy is trying to disrupt that is a good thing. It would also be interesting to consider how the guige strap might contribute to the stability of the shield wall. Perhaps a bit of experimentation would be useful to investigate that. *> hint, hint

[@infected0707]

Possibly to help keep it close against ennemies pulling it away with axes and halberds, I also feel like it would be more relevant to people wearing plate armor, as holding out your shield dressed in metal is probably very tiring. Same for horse riding, having the extra strap would keep it more stable and less tiring.

[@robbikebob]

The only people who would find it advantageous to fight with a shield still strapped to them are mounted knights who don't need to move their shields over the same range as foot soldiers but absolutely need their shield attached to themselves so if they have to drop the shield quickly for whatever reason it won't be lost. Maybe the figures are dismounted/unhorsed knights? Just a thought.

[@prophetherbandderp2733]

Yey for some reason my brain was fixed on the idea that if you can't pull a sword from your back practically enough, the same thing applies to shields. I am not a smart man.

[@MatthewAtkinson]

I would venture a guess that the new comments are coming from a change in the youtube search engine alogrithim that is increasing the ranking for some of your old videos OR there is some external event (e.g. new axe related TV show) driving new searches and your videos are relevant to them.

[@kyleallenburgess]

You just need to move the lower strap up farther that's like 90% of the issues that you're having to adjust it so much or configure it as a single point sling

[@WakarimasenKa]

Seems the Normans missed a trick when they added the buckle to the guige. It seems there would be a quicker way to shorten an lengthen the guige one handed with a few simple changes. The closest I can come to expressing it in words would be a notch and some toggles or a single toggle and some holes for setting the right length. But I recon the archeology and historical evidence is quite clear that it was a buckle or just a plain unadjustable strap.

[@radicasterian]

Another possibility for why one would want to use the guige even while in combat, imagine your shield arm gets injured, or too damn tired, sure you can't fully use your shield, but it at least provides some passive protection in such a scenario, another possible use would be in a shield wall where you could use more force from your arm to push the shield forward, but without it going too much forward and therefore you losing control over it as the guige would keep it at a set distance

[@56815]

I would think that the shield is used while advancing with a 2-handed weapon to protect against missile fire and then put on the the back when engaging in male. Also while using a shield in a shield wall something that could threaten the whole formation and opening up a hole would be someone losing their shield, having the strap on gives more security against someone ripping the shield out of your hand. Additionally someone behind you could give some support by holding the strap.

[@verysurvival]

Very good content

[@temperededge]

This begs the question: why don't polearms have straps for easier carrying? I mean, muskets with bayonets used to have em, no?

[@nirfz]

Good point, at least two resons come to my mindquickly: a long polearm can, while walking, rest on your shoulder anyway, and you only have to balance it with minimal input. You can even hang a sack with your belongings on it for travel. Or for longer travel in "safe surroundings" the polearms can be (as they don't look like personally fitted to me) put on carriages/wagons/carts drawn by mules/donkeys/horses/a guy however you want.

[@temperededge]

@@nirfz I suppose so, it even makes for a great walking stick! (something rifles probably were less suited for since you didn't want to damage or foul them)

[@nirfz]

@@temperededge Correct, and while you can outfit a pole weapon with a metal spike at the end to improove the "walking stick" feature and still improove the fighting abilities with that too, doing the same to the butt of a musket isn't going to be that comfortable ;-)

[@ryankolick4117]

Question though you showed us how quick it is to put it on if you switch to using a two-handed weaponbut how easy is it to get it off your back if you need to pull your sidearm say if your main weapon breaks

[@kswas2784]

I would say that if anything; you would start with the shield on your back using a 2-hand weapon and then switch to a 1-hand weapon and pull the shield down into use.

[@Sean_XT]

seems like it would be easier to adjust the strap for just carrying the shield on their back after having slung it on in one of the looser configurations and just pulling it tighter once it is on

[@jonathanryals9934]

You should be able to pull the free end of the strap to tighten it up. Then pull up on the end of the buckle (angle it up a bit) while you push out on the shield to lengthen. It should take literally one second either way.