What is the purpose of the guige if the shield is equiped with forearm straps that already allow the shield to be held? Is the guige only used for transportation? Or is it used to maintain the shield in place during use? In that case, what is the purpose of the forearm straps? On historical sources from late 12th century to early 13th century, the straps for the forearm are rare. One mainly finds illustrations showing only a guige and hand strap...