Shields were also used as a representative of power. If you had a more decorative shield with bronze and gold you were perceived to be higher in class. The symbolism of some shield fittings could represent religion instead of social status. Fish-shaped appliques could have had a Christian meaning. The symbolic role of the shield in Anglo-Saxon society and ritual is demonstrated in the burial evidence where the shield is associated with adulthood. Usually there is only one shield per burial no matter your social status. Different region had different ideology behind shield burial.
(Dickinson pg.61)
Anglo-Saxon Shields 