Page:A record of European armour and arms through seven centuries (Volume 1).djvu/102

 insular productions. As an example of this, finds made in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark show us workmanship of such a high quality and shapes so advanced that they might readily be considered to belong to a century later, but by circumstantial evidence they can be proved to be weapons offensive and defensive of the VIIIth, IXth, and Xth centuries.

Found in Thames. London Museum

Found in the Thames. London Museum

The horses of the mounted soldiers or thegns were unprotected, and their trappings of the very simplest construction, though often rich and sumptuous in appearance. The bridles with which we are acquainted are merely of the ring snaffle type. An example fashioned of bronze found in the Thames at Wandsworth is now in the London Museum (Fig. 34). This specimen belongs to the earlier Saxon times. The formation of the stirrups, if not actually of leather thongs, was of the simplest triangular form, though in general outline they were little at variance with the shape in use to-day. A fine example now in the London Museum, decorated with brass inlay, was found in the Thames near the Tower of London (Fig. 35). The spurs of this period were of the prick order, the simple heel band and straight goad neck predominating (Fig. 36 a and b). We give illustrations of an elaborate pair of spurs that can safely be assigned to the first half of the XIth century (Fig. 37). They are remarkable examples of their kind, being highly enriched and in a wonderful state of preservation; indeed,