Mail and Chain-Mail Armour

The most practical form of medieval armor used in the early medieval ages was the mail and chain-mail armor. The mail armor consisted of small metal rings linked together in a pattern to form a mesh.

This type of armor was flexible but expensive to make, although it was commonly used throughout most of the medieval times and still finds uses today in the 21^st century.

During the start of the medieval period soldiers usually did not have much head protection as they usually only wore a Mail Coif and a Hauberk. The Coif and the Hauberk were made from this chain-mail and the interlocking loops of metal were woven into some type of suitable fabric.

Medieval Armor in the Early Medieval Ages

Before proper ‘Armour smiths’ (medieval armourers) appeared, armor consisted of various types of cloth and leather being put together and usually offered little to no protection.

This particular type of medieval armor had a major function to protect the limbs of its wearer and consisted of strips of metal which were attached to a fabric or leather backing or covering. These strips were arranged longitudinally and were pierced in order to be easily sewn on to the material.

Splint armor was usually made into greaves and vambraces and rarely appeared as a full set of armor. Splint armor was used throughout the middle ages until the later transitional armor period where it was later used only for cuisses (thighs) and the rerebrace (upper arms) armor.

Medieval Armor from the 14th Century

At around the 14^th century chain mail armour became ineffective against more advanced weapons of those times and plate was developed, but mail was still used by some lighter combat soldiers and on cavalry horses.

In the later stages of medieval times, experiments were made with different types of armour and it became more complexed. Full upgraded mail armour started making an appearance and in particular chest armor, favored by archers, called the Brigandine was added into the armory of almost all soldiers.

Types of Medieval Armor

• Gorget – would protect the neck
• Cuirass – protected the breast area
• Plackart – designed to add more armor to the front Faulds – protected the waist and hips
• Cowter – protected elbows
• Spaulders and Pauldrons – protected shoulders and everything in that area
• Vambraces – used to protect the arms
• Gauntlets – protected the hands
• Poleyn – protected knees – later attached to the Chausses and Tasset to protect the upper leg area
• Greaves – protected the lower area of the leg
• Cuisse – protected the sides of the legs
• Sabaton – covered the foot.

Parts which did not have plate protecting them were usually covered by mail called Gousset and an additional padded cloth called Doublet or Double doublet was worn under a harness.

Full Plate Medieval Armor

In the very late stages of the medieval times armor became very complexed and it was designed to protect every part of the body. Items that were introduced and made the most impact were full plate armor and helmets in different shapes and sizes – a Brigandine was introduced to add leather armor before the iron and plate was put on it.

During the 14^th century new forms of weapons were being developed, like the high powered crossbow which was able to penetrate early chain-mail armor and inflict damage upon multiple enemies and that is why the armor smiths had a difficult job to create a better type of armor.

This form of armor consisted of mail armor which was embedded with plates. The plates of Armour have different variations depending on the country they are used in and usually bore the mark of the country which the soldiers fought.

The first plate armours were used for body protection and composed of relatively large plates worn along with laminar pauldrons (a skirt which was made of very long horizontal plates and re enforced by a large round mirror plate). The later forms were created by plates of iron and steel and encased the wearer completely.

Medieval Armor after the Medieval ages

The full plate suit of armor started to decline as weapons advanced and inventions such as rifles and gunpowder started to be invented. Medieval armour became used only for decorative purposes for jousting and sometimes fashion for Kings.

Learn More about Medieval Armor with the Great Resources!

Learn More about Chainmail at Wikipedia

Learn More about Plate Armor at Wikipedia

Learn More about Armor Parts at Wikipedia