A general history of Armor

[MACTANK]

A General History of Armor



It seems that, while not exactly the birth of plate armor in Europe, the second half of the 13th century is the period where the transition from mail to plate really begins. That is not to say that the transition was confined to this period - indeed, elements of plate armorwere emerging in the 12th century, while others did not become popular until well into the 14th and 15th centuries. It should also be noted that though mail declined in popularity and effectiveness during the period, it was in use to some extent as long as armor in general was around.

One of the earliest elements of armor to use plate protection was the helmet. However, the development of plate defense for the head does not follow the transitional timeline we see with protection for the rest of the body. The evolution of the helmet is therefore discussed at the end of this paper, separate from the general discussion.

Dominance of Mail and Early Plate (before 1250)



The Paladins of Charlemagne's court (c. 750) wore on their bodies either mail hauberks, scale shirts, or, more unusually, coats of lamellar armor (Edge and Paddock 1998, 9). While this time period is rather early for the scope of this project, it does not even approach the date of the origin of mail.

The shirt of mail, formed of interlinked metal rings, first appears in Celtic graves, and the Roman author Varro attributed its invention to the Celts. It was first used in the Classical World in the third century BCE and became widely disseminated. The mail hauberk of Charlemagne's day was normally knee-length or a little shorter, and was pulled on over the head. It had a plain round neck opening with a front slit, and invariably had short sleeves. At the center front and back it was split from hem to groin level to enable the wearer to ride (Edge and Paddock 1998, 9).

The earliest surviving hauberk dates from the 12th century and is preserved in the Prague Cathedral as supposedly being that of Saint Wenceslaus. The early hauberks were made of riveted mail, probably weighing over 30 pounds. The sleeves, by the 11th century, extended midway down the forearm. Most depictions of the hauberk from the same time have a rectangle covering the upper chest, outlined with broad bands, suggesting that the vulnerable neck opening was protected by a lined reinforce of mail (Edge and Paddock 1998, 19). Early Anglo-Saxon manuscript sources imply that the hauberk was rare and highly prized. Only leaders or important warriors possessed one, but they grew to become an integral part of the early knight's equipment and an indication of his profession, status, and rank (Edge and Paddock 1998, 21).

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