medieval shield with bossThe knights shield, or heater shield, emerged around the end of the 12th century from the Norman kite shield. Heater shields owe their name to Victorian historians, who associated the shape of this shield with a Victorian iron. These shields were considerably smaller than the earlier Norman kite shields; they offered less protection to the left leg but were much more maneuverable. In the early 13th century, heater shields were used alongside the large