Aegis

[William Hupy]

Goatskins offer protection.

[Perry Lassiter]

Huh? Where did that come from?

[William Hupy]

Exactly. This is from Online Etymology dictionary:

aegis (n.) Look up aegis at Dictionary.com
"protection," 1793, from Latin aegis, from Greek Aigis, the name of the shield of Zeus, said by Herodotus to be related to aix (genitive aigos) "goat," from PIE *aig- "goat" (cognates: Sanskrit ajah, Lithuanian ozys "he-goat"), as the shield was of goatskin. Athene's aigis was a short goat-skin cloak, covered with scales, set with a gorgon's head, and fringed with snakes. The exact use and purpose of it is not now clear.

[Slava]

It's most common modern usage appears to be related to bird-watching: auspices. As in, "Under to aegis of the UNPA, a series of postage stamps for World Oceans Day was issued using images from Dr. Seuss."

[eberntson]

<iphone mistake, ignore please>

[eberntson]

<iphone mistake, please ignore>

[eberntson]

Goat skin when properly cured is dense, although it is still surprisingly supple. Being a hide it also breaths some, it was often used in shields. A modern day use is in leathers worn by motorcycle riders, besides the helmet to save your nut, prevents road rash and lasts during the terrifying skid when thrown from the motorcycle. Leathers have save many a riders life. Modern materials have not been able to compete until recently with the advent of armor under a motorcycle riders modern material gear.

The Aegis of mythology appears often in Greek mythology, see Robert Graves works on this subject. It's description is often a manual for making a shield describing the frame, the covering hide, and the appropriateness of putting a symbol on the front. Shields were vital to surviving battle and throughout the ages (stone, copper, and bronze) were very effective. The advent of iron required upgrades to the shield with wood and metal making up more of the composition of a moving army's shield. Which means an increase in weight, thus smaller shields became prevalent again. The Aegis style shield has one major flaw if the hide is not cared for properly by oiling and polishing. When it gets wet it became a miserable thing to wield.

Shields are an interesting subject and show the evolution of technology in many ways, since weapon advances need to be countered with shield improvements. And the goal to always striving to make shields lighter and stronger shows advancements in materials. Since a fighters life depend on his shield little expense would be spared. They are also a major trophy to be collected by a victor. Also, heraldry and iconograph are related and is a study unto itself. Shield are fascinating, and the Aegis is the ultimate protection and passive weapon freezing any mortal the views it like stone. Thank the gods it is lost in the past.

[Perry Lassiter]

Under the aegis, as in the stamp example above, connotes under. the athority of some person or agency, doesn't it?

[Slava]

I've always though of it more as with the backing of someone or thing of authority.