Medieval shields were made from various materials like leather, wood, and metal to protect knights and soldiers from weapons. Shield designs featured symbols and colors with specific meanings to identify knights on the battlefield or in tournaments. Common symbols included animals, lines, crosses, and other objects that represented traits like courage, loyalty, and leadership. Shields also featured heraldic designs like diagonal stripes, chevrons, and positions for animals.

1. Medieval Shields

2. Background
• Medieval Shield Designs
The Medieval Shield
Medieval Shields were developed to shield, or protect, a knight or
soldier from the direct blows from the weapons of their enemies.
Medieval shields were made of a variety of materials including Hide or
animal skins (leather), Bark, Wood, Metal, Leather-covered wood and
Wicker or basket work. The art of designing, displaying, describing,
and recording arms is called heraldry.
• Medieval Shield Designs. Medieval shield designs were decorated with
symbols which were used as a means to recognise a knight when they
were jousting at tournaments and on the battlefield. The decoration
and colors on a shield, or the shield symbols were therefore highly
functional allowing knights to be easily recognised.

3. Colors and Their Meanings
Shield Colors:
Yellow or Gold - Generosity
White or Silver - Peace & Sincerity
Black - Constancy (& sometimes Grief)
Blue - Loyalty & Truthfulness
Red - Military Fortitude & Magnanimity
Green - Hope, Joy & sometimes Loyalty
Purple - Royal Majesty, Sovereignty &
Justice

4. Animals
Heraldic Animals:
Bear - Protectiveness
Bee - Industriousness
Camel - Perseverance
Dog - Loyalty
Double Eagle & Eagle - Leadership & Decisiveness
Dragon - Defender of Treasure
Falcon or Hawk - Eagerness
Fox - Cleverness
Griffin (part eagle, part lion) - Bravery
Horse - Readiness to Serve
Lion - Courage
Pelican - Generosity & Devotion
Raven - Constancy
Snake - Ambition
Stag, Elk or Deer - Peace & Harmony
Tiger - Fierceness & Valor
Unicorn - Extreme courage
Wolf - Constant Vigilance

5. Lines
Zigzag Lines represented Fire
Wavy Line represented Sea or Water
Bumpy Line represented Earth or Land
Crenulated Line represented a Town or Wall

6. Symbols
Heraldic Symbols:
Axe - Dutiful
Bridge - (signifies a governor or magistrate)
Crescent - Enlightenment
Crosses - Christian sentiments
Crown - Authority
Fire - Zeal
Flaming Heart - Passion
Fleur-de-lys (stylized Iris flower) - Purity (associated with France)
Hand - Faith, Sincerity & Justice
Heart - Sincerity
Horns & Antlers - Fortitude
Lightning - Decisiveness
Moon - Serenity
Oyster Shell - Traveler
Ring - Fidelity
Scepter - Justice
Star - Nobility
Sun - Glory
Sword - Warlike
Tower or Castle - Fortitude & Protectiveness

7. Other Design Options
Common Design Features (heraldic terminology):
Bend - a diagonal stripe
Chevron - an upside-down "V"
Chief - broad stripe across top of shield
Dexter - the right-hand side of the shield (from its
user's perspective)
Ermine - a white fur pattern (with black tail tips)
Fess - broad horizontal stripe through center
Pale - broad vertical stripe through center
Passant - an animal shown walking
Rampant - an animal standing on hind legs
Sinister - the left-hand side of the shield (from its
user's perspective)

8. Example Coats of arms

9. Example Coat of Arms