Medieval Armor
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Medieval Knights of England - Medieval Armor
Medieval Armor
Medieval armor started with padded garments and Chain mail which were used prior to the development of
suits of Armor and then worn in conjunction with the suits of armour. It was designed and developed as protection against any new and even more lethal weapons that were introduced
during the violent period. Armour was gradually perfected until
the knight eventually became almost a living fortress. Defense was vital on the Battlefields of the Middle
Ages and the armour provided essential body protection from the
various weapons which were used in battle including the two-handed
sword, bow and arrows, crossbow, battle axe, mace, dagger and lance.
Medieval Knight Armor
This type of armor was extremely expensive to produce. It had to be
tailor-made to fit the knight exactly. Any incorrect sizing would be extremely dangerous as it could hamper the
knights ability to fight. The knights armour was also a status
symbol. The better quality of the Medieval Armor, the more important was
the Knight. Plate Armour was first introduced during the late 13th
century and Full Plate Armour was introduced during the 15th century
weighing approximately 50 lbs. Medieval Knight Armor was strong enough
to protect the knight, but light enough to allow quick movement on the
battlefield. A suit of armour Armor was a complex series of garments, chain mail and iron plate.
Medieval Knight Armor provided essential body protection from the
various weapons which were used in battle. The Parts of a Suit of Armor
were a complex series of garments, chain mail and iron plate which
served to provide leg armor, feet armor, arms, head armor, neck armor
and body armor.
Parts of a Medieval
Armor
The parts of a covering the legs and the feet were called
the Sabatons which
foot armor and consisted of riveted iron plates on the boots. Greaves protected the calf and ankles. Poleyns protected the knee cap
and Cuisses protected the thigh. The parts of
armour covering the arms and hands were
the Besagues which were
small round 'shields' laced to the mail at the shoulder to defend
the armpit, the Rerebrace for the
defence of the upper arm, the Vambrace for the
defence of the lower arm and gloves called Gauntlets which had ringed metal plates over the
fingers. The parts of armour covering the body were the breast plate which covered the chest,
the backplate which protected the back and the
Faulds which were rings of
armour which were attached to the breast plate and protected the
hips, abdomen and lower back.
Helmets and Neck Armor
The armour covering the head and neck included a
Visor which was a detachable
piece of armor which protected the face and eyes. In
the 13th Century the helmet was called the Bascinet which had a
skirt of mail, called an aventail, which protected the neck.
Medieval Horse Armor
Even the horses of the Medieval
times were kitted out with armor. The Medieval Warhorse war horse had a
dense rounded body with a broad back, strong loins, powerful
hind-quarters, and long legs with dense bones.
Medieval horse armor consisted of rigid pieces of plate armor made
of both of leather and steel. Medieval Horse armor was called 'barding'. A Medieval Warhorse would
have horse armor on the head, neck, body and chest. The
rear of the horse would be covered with a padded cloth. Stirrups
were added later. Medieval horse armor also protected the head and was often highly decorated.
Spiked
horns were added to the mask armor of the horse resembling the look of a
legendary unicorn. An ornamental cloth covered the Medieval horse armor
which was
called a trapper.
Medieval Armor
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