Slavic Eastern: indeed, German word “tartsche” could come from Polish words "tarcz" or "tarcza" – board.Italian: from "terga" – meaning back or "tergum tauricum" (bull’s skin) or from "targa" – could be "tergum tauricum", "adarga", or "daraka" adaptation.There are several versions of its naming origin: The first such naming mention is found in so-called "Saxon Chronicle" (Kronika von Sassen) of 1270, referring to knights armed with “tartsches and weapons”.įirst cavalry tartsches images were encountered only in the middle of XVth century on the effigy of Gero Thietmar, Klosterkirche St. So a new cavalry shield form appeared – tartsche. Large shields became unnecessary with strong plate armor advent plus knights' necessity to free their left hand for horse control. To free hands for horse control and weapons use, ecu was hanged on the neck by strap while held only with palm. Page from Zurich armorial, 1340 Santé, XIIIth.Įcu usually had an "elbow" mount – one belt was worn on the forearm while second was held by the palm. Tripartite social order of the Middle Ages (clerics, knights, peasants, workers) from Li Livres dou That is how armor created a squire who began to carry it for the knight he served.īattle of Andernach, Grandes Chroniques de France, 1330 years. Well, that sounds very alike "écuyer" – squire in French. Gladiator who used large scutum was called scutarius. Shield used among Italic peoples in antiquity and later by ancient Rome army was called scutum. Dean’s classification, Steel Mastery offers third and fourth forms, however, we can produce any other five, if you wish so. Lower end becomes wider, as a result, it loses its triangular shape, becomes more trapezoidal, lower end is still curved outward while it isn’t noticeable for upper edge, umbon remains (1430-1450).īy Dr.Retains previous full-face shape but becomes curved – lower/upper edges are bent outward, umbon becomes more prominent (1380-1420).Ogival shape, slightly higher plus narrower than previous one, umbon appears (1350-1400).Larger in size with distinct ogival shape (with convex lateral sides – so-called brazier shape, 1300–1350).Triangular, significantly smaller in height (1250-1280).Triangular, rather high but lower than almond-shaped kite one (1200-1250).Bashford Dean traced seven forms of ecu evolution: Thus, we suggest using plate armor leg protection to deal with this problem.Ĭonsidering ecu’s large front surface together with convenient shape, owner's coat of arms was mostly placed on it.Īmerican researcher Dr. Heater gave reliable protection as it had rather large surface area.Ĭoincidently, ecu's form is also its drawback as owner’s legs remain almost completely unprotected. kite ones), therefore, easy to carry during both mounted and on-foot combat. Moreover, they were much lighter than others of such type (s.a. Why? Well, they were comparatively cheap while easy to manufacture. Edward the Black Prince’s shield found in his tomb in Canterbury Cathedral is a great example.Īlmost all classes of warriors in Medieval Europe from knights to ordinary soldiers used ecu. Some heaters had additional gesso, canvas, and/or parchment layers included. While heater is not in use, you can put it over your back using a belt called “guige”. It could be enhanced by strips of metal or horn plates. However, metal or other durable materials were also often used like wood over a metal base (steel or iron). When plate armor began to cover body more and more, heater became, accordingly, smaller and smaller so by the middle of XIVth it was practically not used outside tournaments.Įcu were usually made of thin wood covered with leather. Since XVth century, it has turned into highly specialized jousting equipment often containing a bouche (fr.) – a "mouth" (notch in which lance passes through). Smaller in size than kite shield, it was more manageable while could be used both on horseback or on foot. Term “heater” is a neologism created by Victorian antiquaries considering its form similarity to iron’s sole. It evolved into such a form around XIIth century end, which can be seen in the Richard I and prince John’s big seals. Ecu or french tartsche (also referred to as heater in English sources due to its characteristic shape) is a European medieval shield type.
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