Medieval Shield

During the Middle Ages, both the soldiers and the mercenaries had been dependant on the medieval shields for providing them with additional protection while they were in the battle field. Not only did the medieval shield give protection against injury whilst in combat, but it had also been much convenient against the identification of enemies from friends in the ongoing battles.
The medieval shields had been borrowed on the tradition of the Roman Legions. The Romans used to paint the symbol of the legions they belonged to on the shields that were used by their troops so that they could easily be identified against the opponents’ army even from a distance. This helped much in the reduction of the number of injuries that were caused owing to the friendly "fires." This is the reason that most of the decorations that adorned the medieval shield came from plants or animals.