OSR and magic shields

In Old School Essentials (OSE), enchanted armor and shields are described in three sentences and Del Teigeler's illustration, below. Imagine Teigeler's comic knight, dropping his bag for that statue's shield!

[OSE 2020, illustration by Del Tiegeler (2019)]

Here, read news of two magic shields in Arms and Armor at the Metropolitan Museum. Thank you to writers of the museum labels in the Met!

***

First, a shield from 16th Century France. Here's the kite shield of King Henry the Second, leader of the French 'Italian Wars' against a greater foe, the Holy Roman Empire. 

 [Shield of Henry II of France (1555), Metropolitan Museum]

Inlaid with gold and silver, the shield depicts the Battle of Cannae (216 BC), where Hannibal and a Carthaginian force of 40,000 encircled and destroyed a Roman army twice as large. What magic was imbued in King Henry's shield? Ambition, wrath, and hope? Strong magic for an old school game.

***

Second, a 15th Century shield from Saxony. This one, made from wood, leather, and silver foil, is a 'pavise' - armor for infantry and crossbowmen.

 [Shield (Pavise), German, Saxony (1450-75), Metropolitan Museum]

Are faith, and courage over coming the fear the shield-magic here? This shield depicts the moment when St. George kills the dragon. The words around the shield exclaim, 'Help, Knight St. George; help, God, your eternal word, the life here and the soul there.'

The shield reminds me of St. George in Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene (1590) - that moment when the Redcrosse Knight slays the dragon.

And in his first encounter, gaping wide,
  He thought attonce him to haue swallowd quight,
  And rusht vpon him with outragious pride;
  Who him r'encountring fierce, as hauke in flight,
  Perforce rebutted backe. The weapon bright
  Taking aduantage of his open jaw,
  Ran through his mouth with so importune might,
  That deepe emperst his darksome hollow maw,
And back retyrd, his life bloud forth with all did draw.

['attonce - at once; haue - have; Perforce - by force; importune - urgent; emperst - pierced; back retyrd - staggered back]

Thus, shield-magic infuses an old school game.

***

Thanks for reading.



 

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