Dueling Shields: any application beyond judicial duels?

[James Brazas]

I've long thought that the Dueling Shield/Longshield was fascinating. It's somewhere between a large shield, a staff, and a spear in how it's wielded. It even functions something like a revolving door at times. It's just a highly unusual and multi-faceted weapon.

Yet I've been told that it was never used in warfare (and obviously not for civilian self-defense due to its size) and its use was restricted to judicial duels.

I can think of a few reasons as to why that might be, but I'd be curious to hear others' opinions.

Was it ever used outside of a judicial duel? Perhaps as a tool for a guard? Certainly, it would block off passageways well and could be turned to let others pass.

Why would it be used in Judicial Duels?

It just seems strange to me that they would ever spend the time and money to develop such a marvelously outlandish weapon, write so much on the topic, and yet never use it either for war or civilian self-defense.

Why all the effort if the weapons' usefulness was only in the dueling ring?

This would seem to make the longshield unique. All of the other weapons I've seen in the manuals saw significant use as battlefield weapons, civilian self-defense weapons, or both. Even Meyer's improvised weapons section has obvious practicality.

The longshield seems to be a riddle.

[s_taillebois]

It just seems strange to me that they would ever spend the time and money to develop such a marvelously outlandish weapon, write so much on the topic, and yet never use it either for war or civilian self-defense.


Very likely that it developed as a matter of class distinction in reference to duels and judicial combat. In many countries certain weapons (such as the longsword) were occassionally restricted by class. And in a judicial combat role certain classes or certain offenses could not use what we today consider standard late medieval weapons. Basically not everyone could have (or afford) a longsword and for some who did using it in certain ways would have been a disgrace.

The judicial combat shield may have developed much in the same way as the rock in wimple (I think that was the word for a women's headdress) and the diamond shaped cudgel used in judicial combat between women and men.

If that was the case using this as a battlefield weapon might have been socially precluded...these late medieval European socieites were intensely class concerned even in the manner in which they killed each other.

For example the Welsh dagger was often considered disreputable when the roundel or misericord was not...and being beaten to death by some archers lead maul on a stick was just as bad if not worse.

[LafayetteCCurtis]

There's a type of traditional Mongolian bow whose only claim to distinction is the fact that it's difficult to use. I can imagine that the duelling shield might have been partly developed with that motivation in mind--i.e. as a weapon that needed s[ecialised skills on the part of the user in order to be effective at all.

[James Brazas]

Interesting theories. So if I've got this right...

1. Theory that the Dueling Shield was not a noble weapon and therefore beneath the knights.

2. Theory that it was a specialized dueling weapon for peasants who were not able to afford longswords, etc.

3. Theory that it was designed as a difficult weapon that neither party would be familiar with and no-one would have an advantage with.