Samurai Shields?

[Justin Grant]

I have a question in regards to Samurai using "shields" in battle in the Kamakura period. I am reading a book by Karl Friday and in the chapter "Culture of War" he quotes a passage from "Konjaku Monogatarishu" about the battle of Minamoto Mitsuru and Taira Yoshifumi

 

"...While all prepared their hearts, readying to cast aside their bodies and disregard their lives, they planted shields in rows, facing each other at a distance of about one chou..."

 

I know I have seen reference to early Nara/Heian period conscripted peasants using shields, but never in terms of the Samurai. Was it standard encampment technology to protect the camp from arrows, and these are less than personal shields and more walls in nature?

 

 

Karl also takes a good potshot at Turnbull in this chapter and calls Steven wrong on some topics.. Not a good read but a required book for my history class (Old student I am!)

[DirkO]

I remember this popped up before:

 

http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=7033&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

[Baka Gaijin]

Evening all

 

Scroll down and the "shield" is shown.

 

Ian B will be able to add more I suspect.

 

http://www.yeeeeee.com/2009/09/09/ancie ... s-10-pics/

 

Cheers

[estcrh]

Justin, here is a link to a few images.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Tate_(shield)