Look up baldric in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
A cavalryman wearing a mail shirt with a baldric over his right shoulder, from the Roman Tropaeum Traiani, built 109 AD in the area of present-day Romania.
U.S Army band baldric

A baldric (also baldrick, bawdrick, bauldrick as well as other rare or obsolete variations) is a belt worn over one shoulder that is typically used to carry a weapon (usually a sword) or other implement such as a bugle or drum.[1][2][3] The word may also refer to any belt in general, but this usage is poetic or archaic. In modern contexts, military drum majors usually wear a baldric.[4]

Usage

Baldrics have been used since ancient times, usually as part of military dress. The design offers more support for weight than a standard waist belt, without restricting movement of the arms, and while allowing easy access to the object carried. Alternatively, and especially in modern times, the baldric may fill a ceremonial role rather than a practical one. Most Roman tombstones in the third century had depictions of white baldrics.[5]

Design

One end of the baldric was broad and finished in a straight edge, while the other was tapered to a narrow strip. The narrow end was brought through a scabbard runner, it was probably wrapped around the scabbard twice. Circular metal discs called Phalera were attached to the broad end. Four leather baldrics were found in Vimose and Thorsbjerg. One of these measured 118 long and 8 cm wide.[5]

Roman balteus

During ancient Roman times the balteus (plural baltei) was a type of baldric commonly used to suspend a sword. It was a belt generally worn over the shoulder, passing obliquely down to the side, typically made of leather, often ornamented with precious stones, metals or both.[6] There was also a similar belt worn by the Romans, particularly by soldiers, called a cintus (pl. cinti) that fastened around the waist. The word accintus meaning a soldier (literally, "girt" as for battle) attests to this differing usage.

Today

Many non-military or paramilitary organisations include baldrics as part of ceremonial dress. The Knights of Columbus 4th Degree Colour Corps uses a baldric as part of their uniform;[7][8] it supports a ceremonial sword.

A drum major of the United States' III Marine Expeditionary Forces Band is pictured wearing a baldric in 2019
The Marching Illini Drumline with double baldrics

The University of Illinois Marching Illini wore two baldrics as a part of their uniform until 2009, with one over each shoulder. They crossed in the front and back and were buttoned onto the jacket beneath a cape and epaulets. Today, the current Marching Illini wear one baldric with two sides, ILLINI on one side and the traditional orange and white baldric from the previous uniform on the other.

A crossed pair of baldrics is often worn as part of the uniform of Morris dancers; different coloured baldrics help to distinguish different sides.

In literature and culture

Baldrics appear in the classical literary canon, and later in fantasy and science fiction genres.

See also

References

  1. ^ "baldric. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000". Archived from the original on 11 December 2007. Retrieved 18 October 2007.
  2. ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Baldric" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 3 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 244.
  3. ^ Grane, Thomas (2007). Beyond the Roman Frontier: Roman Influences on the Northern Barbaricum. Quasar. ISBN 978-88-7140-346-5.
  4. ^ Aston, Michael; Stephenson, Ian P.; Dixon, Karen R. (2003). Roman Cavalry Equipment. Tempus. ISBN 978-0-7524-1421-8.
  5. ^ a b Dixon, Karen R.; Southern, Pat (23 June 2014). Late Roman Army. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-134-72422-2.
  6. ^ William Smith (1875). "Baʹlteus from a Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities". London: John Murray. p. 196. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
  7. ^ 4th Degree Colour Corps
  8. ^ Knights of Columbus, Emblem, Jewels, and Regalia Archived 3 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine
Categories