Wounded I am, and weary with fighting;
Gashed by the iron, gored by the point of it,
Sick of battle-work, battered and scarred.
(From the Exeter Book)
This page is currently under construction. It will include: authentic shield styles, materials and construction. Come and discuss shield on the forum!
Handy link: http://users.bigpond.net.au/fireandsteel/shield.htm - suggested thickness is a little large, and rivets are to be preferred over bolts, but otherwise this seems a fairly useful guide
Another good source - for a more authentic approach - is the following article by Peter Beatson:
http://members.ozemail.com.au/~chrisandpeter/shield/shield.html
A recent find of a shield in Denmark: http://www.kongensborge.dk/index_uk.php?pageid=seneste_nyt_uk