How pathetically King David laments over "the shield of the mighty which was vilely cast away," when Saul was slain! And everyone knows that when their sons went forth to battle the Spartan mothers admonished them to return either "with their shield or upon it"!
That they should return without a shield was unthinkable! Thus, naturally enough, the shield was chosen to bear those armorial devices which commemorated the golden deeds of its owner.
It was probably in the reign of Henry II. that shields were first used in this way; until then, warriors wore their badges embroidered upon their mantles or robes.
In studying the heraldic shield, its shape must be considered first, because that marks the period in history to which it belongs.[2]
[2:] Parker states that twenty-one differently shaped shields occur in heraldry, but Guillim only mentions fourteen varieties.
Thus a bowed shield (Fig. 1) denotes those early times when a warrior's shield fitted closely to his person, whilst a larger, longer form, the kite-shaped shield, was in use in the time of Richard I. (Fig. 2). This disappeared, however, in Henry III.'s reign, giving way to a much shorter shield known as the "heater-shaped" (see Fig. 3).
Another form of shield had a curved notch in the right side, through which the lance was passed when the shield was displayed on the breast (Fig. 4).
The shield of a coat of arms usually presents a plain surface, but it is sometimes enriched with a bordure—literally border. This surface is termed the "field," "because, as I believe," says Guillim, "it bore those ensigns which the owner's valour had gained for him on the field."
