Winged Hussar at Vienna

Two so-called äFlügelô were sometimes attached to the Rücken or saddle. These were wooden or steel bars with eagle feathers attached to them, which protruded over the rider's head (hence the German name äFlügelhusarenô). The flukes are said to have produced a clearly audible noise when a larger unit rides fast, although this could also be due to the characteristic and obligatory cloth pennants at the tip of the lance. The pennants were presumably intended to make the galloping hussars appear particularly fearsome by their noise and appearance. They also protected the hussars from blows and repelled the fanglassos used by the enemy Tartars. How the flügels came about remains a mystery, but it is certain that they were not compulsory and were also raised more often for parading than for fighting. -Wikipedia-