Norman Kite Shield

Timeline

1. c. 1000–1030Normandy and northern France · NormandyFrom the late 10th century Norman knights widely adopted the slender kite shield, slung from the neck by a strap and gripped with the left arm, covering the torso side from shoulder to knee, compensating for the inadequate leg protection of early mail, and capable of being held before the chest on horseback against stray arrows.
2. c. 1031–1040Normandy and southern Italy · CampaniaIn the 1030s, knights of the Norman duchy and Norman adventurers in southern Italy were both equipped with kite shields, used in conjunction with lance charges and dismounted combat. The Norman arms depicted in later visual sources such as the Bayeux Tapestry had already taken mature form at this time.
3. c. 1040–1100England and Normandy · NormandyThe shield's face gradually became a vehicle for heraldic display, with family devices painted on for battlefield identification; together with iron helmets, mail, and lances it formed the standard equipment set of Norman heavy cavalry, influencing the knightly culture of all Latin Christendom.