Then could be seen the iron Charles, helmeted with an iron helmet, his hands clad in iron gauntlets, his iron breast and Platonic shoulders protected with an iron breastplate: an iron spear was raised on high in his left hand; his right always rested on his unconquered sword. The thighs, which with most men are uncovered so that they may more easily ride on horseback, were in his case clad with plates of iron: I need make no special mention of his greaves, for the greaves of all the army were of iron. His shield was all of iron: his warhorse was iron-colored and iron-hearted. All who went before him, all who marched by his side, all who followed after him and the whole equipment of the army imitated him as closely as possible. The fields and open places were filled with iron; the rays of the sun were thrown back by the gleam of iron; a people harder than iron paid universal honor to the hardness of iron. The horror of the dungeon seemed less than the bright gleam of iron. "Oh, the iron! Woe for the iron!" was the confused cry that rose from the citizens.

---Notker the Stammerer, The Deeds of Charlemagne