Highland TARGE (Shield)- History, How it Was Made, Combat and Battlefield Application 

_Using Whisky barrel lids to make a shield must be the most Scottish thing i ever heard..._

Very nice video, thank you for making It.

Now it makes perfect sense of why shooting targets are flat and round. It probably started with someone using an old shield as target practice

Great video, informative and interesting. fascinating to see how shields continued to be used widely after the medieval period.

Someone buy targes from this guy. He has beautiful work and desperately needs a new camera

Rob Roy MacGregor, His life and times by WH Murray, an historically accurate account of Highlander life in 1700's Scotland.

Another awesome episode. I ve done martial arts for most of my life and am so glad to see historical European martial arts start to gain more in popularity and to see historical context with it makes it even better. There needs to be more channels like yours sir.

Amazingly similar to Plains Native American sheilds, usually made from bison hump rawhide and shrunk using heat and steam. These are reputed to have stopped bullets as well as arrows and spears.

Videos like this are why I love RU-vid.

As an American, when cattle rustling is mentioned, sixgun wielding desperados in Stetson hats astride galloping steeds come to mind. Now I'll have to remember that broadsword and targe toting grimfaced Scotsmen were doing their own version long before.

I've heard folk stories about warriors of the Fyne using the tartans of slain enemies or a scrap of a uniform jacket taken of dead soldiers to line the inside of their targe to show their martial prowess.

Hi Tom great stuff as always. Something you alluded to is how the targe might date back to as early as the medieval period. The origin of the type of targe you show in this video is something I've tried to research for many years, and from what I can see the evidence for this type of targe only goes back to the 16th century. Now lots of people will cite a couple of 15th century laws which state that those who cannot shoot a bow should equip themselves with an axe and a targe of leather or of board. When people nowadays see the word targe they instantly think of the kind of shield you show, but in the medieval period targe was just a synonym for shield and could mean anything from a buckler to a pavise. We don't know what kind of shield was meant by these 15th century laws, but the fact that they were made out of leather or board (presumably plain timber) makes it unlikely that they were anything like that lovely piece which Alba Targes made for you. Also strangely there is some evidence to suggest that the axes to be paired with these targes were of the large two handed veriety, though how this worked is a mystery to me.

I think you might be in the market for a pack goat soon with all your gear. I love the series, looking forward to what you do next.

Matt 'context' Eastern might have a rival . . . ;-)

Targe vs. Scottish midges: I'm betting on the midges.

Interlacing information, visiual examples, and action makes your work educational as well as fun to watch. I never realized the detail that went into the weaponry of, basically, the poorest of the population, who had to defend their immediate lands. This video is fantastic, or should I say it's fanbadi dozi!

Since watching this when it was first uploaded, I've finally been able to order a paperback version of school of the moon, for its original price, so very happy about that! Also plan to purchase an Irish targe sometime in the future. Keep it up!

Came looking how to make a targe, found an entire awesome channel.

Great video. Love the historical educational aspect as you present it. Have you ever thought about doing some segments on the Scottish and picti? Your presentation in costume rather than as only a narrator makes it much more lively. Thanks.

Love the channel! Gorgeous Baldric and Frog

Very interesting video! Looking forward for the follow up! Far to less attention is payed to traveling/marching was one with weapons and other gear. The combat is interesting off course, both from the individual perspective of soldiers/warriors aswell as on a tactical and strategic level. However actual combat was a fairly small part of a war compared to the time spent on the march or in encampments.

Halò Tom! Tapadh leat so much for your videos, is toil leam iad! I also really appreciate that you often involve the Gàidhlig words for the things that you show :) Given the recent news about the risk of Gàidhlig going extinct in the next 10 years, I would love to see you use even more of the native language as I think it is important to shine a light on it wherever we can and encourage others to use the Gàidhlig words as much as possible! Whether you do or don't add more Scottish Gaelic into your videos, keep doing what you are doing, and I will keep watching!

Watching this really made me want to write a script for a historical piece on the highland clans of the 18th Century, there’s so Much potential (I’m an aspiring filmmaker, going to film school this year)

Absolutely love learning more about my ancestors history with you, you're a legend. Stay safe my man.

I've made one of these myself to use in HEMA for targe and baskethilt (at Stoccata). Did a 50cm diameter to match the one in the Met Musuem.

"As in something to be aimed at" - wow. You deliver historical insights with such concision. That's a whole history of the dynamics between two peoples - target. Thank you

Thank you for being so informative. Your channel has been so helpful in my research, very much appreciated.

Honestly that was the best youtube video I've watched in a year. Thank you bro for making banging content

Thank you so much Dozi. Keep straightforward!

Love watching your videos. I am learning about some of my ancestors.

Your videos are always educational and well done. I appreciate the care you put in to them and any information you can pass on, regardless of the time period from which it's based. I look forward to your next installment. Keep up the good work.

Thanks mate. Always a joy to watch. God bless you

Great video bro! One of my favourite channels on RU-vid.

Great presentation Tom. You might want to think about editing your highlander videos into a presentation for schools history lessons.

Very informative. I've only ever seen the front face of Prince Charlie's targe in the National museum, so it was really interesting to see the rear and how they are constructed. Keep up the good work!

Good stuff Tom, thanks. Collaborations really add value and interest to your channel and take nothing away. More please.

This was wonderfully informative, and great to learn more about the targe and some historical accurate information about👍

Love your work man

Thanks for that - very enjoyable and clearly put.

Awesome mate, really enjoy learning about your passion and having Scottish blood myself it's really cool learning about my ancestors and their way of life. Keep it up, cheers from Australia

Fantastic! Another home run Tom!

This is such a well done professional video, im super impressed at the quality of this channel. Enjoyed it thoroughly. It was only after the video ended that i realized i just spent 16 minutes watching a video about highland targes

Absolutely awesome video , great content and awesome sparring in this historic content , thanks for sharing. 👍

Awesome vid, Tom! Love getting into the martial culture info. Cheers, Mike from Oregon :)

Shields are underrated and overlooked. Against knife attacks and stones during riots. Yeah, I like the light round ones in police use

Very well done and fascinating video, learned so much!

I've always wanted a targe. That one is beautiful! Thanks

You may be the only surviving Targe humorist. Well done sir.

Great stuff brother! Thanks for sharing!

Always enjoy the content.

SWEET! I was looking forward to this video!

Great video, thanks 👏👏👏

Once again well done!

A beautifully crafted shield!

Excellent video

Great Video as always!

Great video Tom i love all the content you post , it was very informing of how life must of been way back when. How clever these guys were with their war tactics and evolving their skills in combat all those centuries ago :-)

Really enjoyed this! Great video brother! 👊

I love your channel bro. All the best.

OK this one was AMAZING.

Really enjoyed this, interesting, and educational. Cheers

Great video and channel, mate

Fantastic man! Really interesting information, Amazing craftsmanship in that too! 😁🤜🏻

A lovely tutorial

The idea of a wicker targe appeals to me. Wicker shields were common to folk who were fighting on the "occasional" basis. If you've got a good source of willow,I don't see a 20" disc taking a while to construct. 2 of them,sandwiched together,would be very light and surprisingly strong AND resilient. A leather cover,fire-hardened and you'd be sorted.

I once read that "never borrow a Scotsman's shield" used to be a euphemism along the lines of getting oneself out of one's depth.

fantastic video! very informative!!

I have learnt loads from ur channel

Great video!

In a visit to edinburgh a guide explained to us that this shield was small but light and also when fire weapons appeared a person could wear the shield and use a gun. Very useful tool.

Thought I recognised the work of Alba Targe. Great video...

Really interesting vid , thx

I really enjoyed this video. I think I'm going to try making myself a targe. I'll use modern plywood, though.

Lovely. I cant wait to buy me a great kilt.

Trop stylé le bouclier.

bloody good video, laddie.

Love the channel and the name

that the guards that they use in sparring are similar to sword and buckler guards, thats pretty cool

Thanks you.

That is a lovely example of a targe.

As a Border Reiver, my ancestors were known to ‘borrow’ their fair share of cattle too, on the odd occasion. 😉

Im from the innes clan of Moray County in the Scottish Highland and my Scottish warrior Ancestors were Jacobites and i never knew the Targe was bulletproof 😊😊😊

I feel like a good punch with the edge of this shield will totally knock someone out if it hits in the right spot like behind the ear or on the chin. Perfect weight and size for a quick attack like that.

Kinda interested - Targe also looks like a perfect partner for a short spear. Wasn‘t that a thing in Scotland?

When I was in Edinburgh back in 87, I went to a museum that had three or four Targe's that all had musket balls embedded in them. that must have been some wallop for the guy holding the Targe. So when I returned home, I decided to make my own. Now I know how to make a proper one. Thanks for the information. Oh, how thick was the wood that was used?

Would be cool to see you do a bushcraft camping trip carrying the sword like Rob Roy did

Good video.

nice

Like it very much.Have to many work with appeltrees,vegetabels and hunting.

Great video lad! Just be careful if you get to try a hike with the sword and targe. A man got arrested by the police in the Highlands because he was camping and he had brought a knife with him. Just be careful. 🙂

First 👍 good video as usual bud

How much does the kilt wiegh,is there a demonstration of the close up,front line engagement, excellent work, thank you .

Charging into battle... Sword, targe, and staff-slingshot in hand.

I've got the same shirt from Bannockburn battlefield, that's cool lol.

thank yew.

So I’m here cuz I watched a tutorial on making bulletproof armor that stops a .50 cal pistol by using mild plate steel and rubber horse mats, seriously! I thought that would make a bit heavy but great targe for home defense!

Great stuff mate, long live the black and green 😎

Tilting the targe before the impact is quite clever. Very simular to slanted tank armor. It creates a thicker section for the ball to pass

armourclass do some amazing swords and do a lot of re-enactment fairs when they are on. i plan at some point to pick up one of their swords for re-enactment to go alongside a musket and targe and hopefully dirk. I love the martial scottish techniques they are awesome. its a shame we havent kept those skills from the times before culloden.

How do you wear and tie in the basket hilt broadsword on your uniform?