Adarga

This monument in Madrid shows a rider on the left wearing an adarga on his back.

The adarga was a Spanish shield .

etymology

The German term Adarga comes from the Arabic word al-daraqa , which means something like "shield".

Description and use

This shield was a heavy wooden shield wrapped in antelope skin. A metal shield boss was attached to the center. The diameter was 80 to 90 cm. The edge of the leather was attached to the wood with metal nails. The inside of the Adarga was tied to the arm with leather straps.

The Adarga was used by both riders and foot troops. The latter were armed with this shield and a sword and were called Rodelero . The shield offered good protection from arrows and sword blows.

history

The Adarga originally comes from the Moors who settled in Spain . But it was already taken over by the Spanish warriors in the late Middle Ages and lasted until the 16th century. The Spanish conquistadores also used the Adarga in the "new world" in America .

In the rest of the Muslim world, the Ardaga was also used, including by the Turks . The shield was used in the first and second sieges of Vienna around 1683.

Individual proof

1. ^ Adarga in the Metropolitan Museum, New York, available online, (English, accessed on September 23, 2011)

literature

• Georg Bossong : Moorish Spain. History and culture (= Beck series. C.-H.-Beck-Wissen 2395). Beck, Munich 2007, ISBN 978-3-406-55488-9 .