167 Wolfram's Parzival (Halle, 1903), § 39, l. 21. The golden bells on the poitrel of Enid's magnificently caparisoned steed in Hartmann's Erek, ed. F. Bech (Leipzig, 1893), 1. 7752, could be heard from afar. Chaucer's Monk, in the Prologue to the Canterbury Tales, 1. 169, followed the same fashion, though clerics were forbidden such vanities. [W] 24. The sword of the period was straight, less than a yard long, two-edged, moderately tapering to a point not much used. The guard was usually straight, and the grip ended in a rather heavy pommel, useful as a counter- weight to the heavy blade. Most metallurgists and antiquaries are of the opinion that the steel of twelfth-century blades might well be of good quality. Mr. Grancsay, Curator of Arms and Armor in the Metropolitan Museum, New York, writes me : 'There is no doubt that the blades were of steel of such hardness as to give the best results in the work which they were intended to perform. The steel of mediaeval days was made by case hardening —i.e., the wrought iron when repeatedly heated in burning charcoal became carburized on the outside. In certain regions, such as Styria and Spain, the ore contained manganese in sufficient proportion to change iron into a mild steel." Tests made at the Metropolitan Museum on four early medieval blades show them to be of satisfactory hardness. [W] On swords of the period, cf. Schultz, II, 11—18; Bach, pp. 5�24; Laking, I, 83�103. The Damoisele del Lac gave Lancelot on his departure a large but light and marvelously trenchant sword. Sommer, III, 118. [L] 25. What is, according to W. Boeheim in ZHW, I (1897-99), 69f., the oldest surviving medieval shield, dated c. 1220, at Seedorf on the Lake of Lucerne, is about 20 inches across the top and three feet long, rounding down to a point. Shields were usually of light wood, covered with canvas, horn, leather, or rawhide. They might have a boss or studs called “four nails' (vier nageln), at which the opponent usually aimed his spear. At the back was the handgrip of wood or leather, and attachments for the thong by which it was suspended from the neck. The shield usually bore the knight's device. So important was its painting that schiltaere (shield-maker) was synonymous with painter. Cf. 1. 8842 and Martin's note in his edition of Parzival, § 158, 1. 15. Fur and fabrics and even gems were applied to shields. Lanzelet's has a rim of sable fur. In general cf. San Marte (A. Schulz), Zur Waffenkunde des aelteren deutschen Mittelalters (Quedlinburg, Leip- zig, 1867), pp. 83-123 ; Bocheim, pp. 174f.; Enlart, p. 475; A. C. Fox-Davies, Complete Guide to Heraldry (New York, n.d.), pp. 61-64; especially Sey- ler, Abtheilung A ; for cognizance, pp. 68f. ; for fur, pp. 76f., 95f. ; for painting, pp. 89f.; for oldest shields, p. 91. [W] Cf. also Schultz, II, 83-99; Schirling, pp. 5-30. According to the Prose Lancelot the Damoisele del Lac