All of the images on this page except the title graphic are transparent .gifs. You can use them on any background you like, but lighter backgrounds work better for most of the images, which were designed to show up clearly on a white field. Here are two backgrounds created by your guide. Click either sample to see what it looks like on a web page with text and images. The burgundy background is based on a design I discovered at the old Castle Trash clip art site, which is now online as the Clipart Castle.

While all of these graphics are free for your use, please do not include them in any collection.

These bars have been reduced with HTML code to fit on this page, and look much better full-size. They are in fact approximately seven inches from end to end, and you can use them on large pages without modification.

To modify the image for narrower page designs, use your favorite graphics program to shrink it, or simply remove the extra shields until the bar is the desired length. Each shield is about one-third of an inch wide. Click on any bar to see all three of them actual-size.

Swords are much more fun as page breaks than a plain old horizontal rule.

The gaudy two-handed broadsword above (also reduced with HTML code to fit the screen) has a wheel pommel and a large ruby set into the guard. A vertical version of this sword can be found on the Parchment Background Sample Page. Click the sword to see it full-size.

The Viking sword above, though heavy, is designed to be used with one hand (hey, those Vikings were tough!). A vertical version of this sword can be found on the Burgundy Background Sample Page.

The lighter sword below, also inspired by a Viking design, has an enameled pommel and a down-sloping guard. A vertical version can be found at the top of this page.

As you may have guessed, the Vikings appreciated craftsmanship and expressed their artistic talent in their weapons, tools, and household items. For more information on the Vikings, don't miss our subject index for Viking and Scandinavian History.

The towers and window designs of this stalwart castle were inspired by mighty Chepstow in Wales.

You may recognize these knights from my Knight Life features and the online version of our old Knightly Newsletter. Click any one of them for a much larger version in black and white that you can download, color and reduce to suit your needs.

Each black-and-white knight is on a page by itself; printed out, they're fun for young (and young-at-heart) medieval enthusiasts to color. Note: Clicking the knight will take you to the black-and-white graphic in a new window with no frame and no navigational links. This is to make it easier to print. To return to this page, simply close the new window when you're through printing or downloading.

These literary ladies are generic enough to belong to any period of medieval history. Click one for a larger black-and-white version on a page to itself (which will open in a new window as explained above).

 

Want more medieval clip art? Check out our page of castle graphics and visit our subject index of clip art sites. For an excellent directory on a huge variety of graphics, don't miss Bobby Peachey's Web Clip Art site here at About.com.

To link to this site, use the URL of our home page:
http://historymedren.about.com/

or the URL of this page:
http://historymedren.about.com/library/weekly/aa061898.htm

Medieval Clip Art is copyright © 1998-2003 Melissa Snell. All pictures are free for your use, but please do not use them in any clip art collection.

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