A Knight's Armour
Defense for the Man at Arms
Over approximately three hundred years, armor evolved from the treated leather cuirass to the more effective plate armor.
Chain Mail
The from of protection that was used for the longest period, and in conjunction with other types of armor, was chain mail. Chain mail was a hand crafted covering composed of individually riveted iron links. In the thirteenth century, this was the only type of armor available.
Mail was difficult to make, and very expensive. One garment of mail consisted of up to 100, 000 links , and each link was hand made. This was a tedious and time consuming process.
- First, wire was twisted around a rod in a helical coil, then cut all the way down one side producing open rings.
- The two ends of each ring were then heated, cooled, and hammered flat. The garment was then made by linking the rings, closing them by overlapping the flattened ends and riveting them together.
There were two basic types of chain mail.
- The first was worn by a poor knight, and consisted of metal scales or discs sewn to a shirt of thick cloth or leather. This garment was known as a byrnie.
- A more prosperous man wore a hauberk, which was a longer garment in which the links of mail were connected. The sleeves of this garment were often short and loose, and the coat lengthened into a hood which protected the head and neck.
The Helmet and Shield
Other protection in this area included the helmet and the shield. The helmet was typically solid iron, and cone or round shaped. The shield was made of wood covered in leather, rounded at the top and pointed at the bottom. However, the shield was discarded with the advent of effective plate armor.
Undergarments
While chain mail offered some protection, arrows and lances tore links apart and heavy blows caused bruising. The knight offset this problem somewhat by wearing thick quilted garments under the mail to absorb the impact of the blows.
Evolution of Armor
In the thirteenth century a leather cuirass was worn. The leather was hardened by boiling with wax, and added protection against arrows and lances.
By the fourteenth century the breastplate was almost always made of iron and, it was in the first half of this time period that plate armor began to appear. This new armor supplemented chain mail.
The first plate armor consisted of small rectangular pieces of iron or steel riveted to a leather jerkin. These plates typically covered the shoulders, elbows, and knees. Leather gauntlets covered in metal plates also made their appearance at this time. Into the fifteenth century plate armor evolved to cover the whole body, and often became a highly decorated symbol of stature.
A basic suit of plate armor in the late fourteenth century consisted of a chest piece, a skirt of linked hoops, and arm and leg pieces. These pieces were worn over a hauberk while chain mail covered the neck, elbows, and other joints. The helmet at this time was visored, and hinged by removable pins. The extra weight of this armor was offset by the use of a smaller shield, which allowed a greater range of movement.
Though the heavy plate armor gave adequate protection against arrows, the added weight often resulted in fatigue and the reduction of mobility. Many men died of heart failure because of exertion and the stuffy conditions inside the helmet. Even so, plate armor was a vast improvement over previous types of protection.
Sources:
F. Gies. The Knight in History. [New York: Harper and Roe, Publishers, 1984]
B.W. Tuchman. A Distant Mirror: The calamitous 14th century. [New York: Ballantine Books, 1978]
What do you think about this article?
More in History
Latest Articles