Plate is armor made of large metal plates. Plate armor of a knight: myths and refutations Plate armor elements

Enemies jumped on such a warrior, chopped him with sabers, stabbed him with knives, and he sat as if nothing had happened and looked ironically at his enemies. If he was pulled off a horse by the leg, he did not get lost either: he lay on the ground and looked ironically at his enemies. Having fussed fruitlessly over the knight for several hours, the enemies scratched their heads and, cursing, rushed at other enemies, and faithful servants approached the winner and pulled him onto his horse again.

With the invention of gunpowder, the affairs of the brave, reserved knights completely fell into decline. As soon as you pulled such a knight off his horse and put two pounds of gunpowder under him, he immediately opened up, fell into pieces and became completely unusable.

A. Averchenko, “World History processed by Satyricon”

Full armor is a magnificent armor that has amazed the imagination of descendants for centuries, covered in an aura of romance. In the mass consciousness, he is inextricably linked with the image of a knight. But ironically, they appeared too late, at the end of the 14th century, when firearms were already rapidly developing, and in less than two centuries they turned from military equipment into a decorative element of palaces.

How does armor work?

Plate armor, depending on the time and place of its creation, varies quite a lot, but its basic elements are unchanged.

Parts of armor

The warrior's head was protected by a full helmet with visor- usually it was salad, armet or bourguignot, movably connected to a segmented neck necklaces, completely covering the neck.

Chest covered bib, and the back - backrest, which could be solid, bipartite or, occasionally, segmented. Often the breastplate was made convex to make the piercing strike more likely to slip off. A hook was often attached to the breastplate of horse armor on the right, on which a spear held under the arm rested.

The shoulders were protected by massive shoulder pads, arms - solid or segmented bracers with mandatory elbow pad, brushes - plate gloves. Often attached to the shoulder pad axillary discs, protecting vulnerable armpits.

At the level of the belt, it was attached to the breastplate and backrest. skirt, covering the lower part of the body, and legguards, covering the hips in front. In equestrian armor, the skirt had deep cutouts in the front and back; in dismounted armor, it could be longer.

Leggings consisted of nalyadvennikov, covering the thighs from the outside and in front (the inner thighs were almost never covered by them), knee pads, greaves, covering the entire lower leg, and plate shoes. A frequent detail of German foot armor was a huge forged codpiece, which shamelessly exaggerated the owner’s manhood.

A quilted one was worn under the armor gambeson, sometimes chain mail was worn over it, which was quickly abandoned due to its excessive weight. However, chainmail elements were preserved in many types of armor; the chainmail mesh protected the armpits and, in the armor of riders, the groin. Due to the rigidity of the armor, significantly lower requirements were placed on the thickness of the underarmor than in the case of chain mail.

a - helmet, b - visor, c - chin, d - neck,
e—back edge of the crown, f—necklace, g—breastplate,
h — backrest, i — skirt, k — shoulder pad, l — shoulder pad reinforcement, m — anti-decapitation guard, n — bracer, o — elbow pad,
p - glove, q - mount for pike, r - greave, s - knee pad, t - greave, u - sabaton shoe, v - chain mail protection

Assembly

The elements of the plate armor were forged, the thickness of the steel in the combat armor averaged one and a half to two millimeters. The plates of tournament armor, not intended for long-term wear, were often made even thicker. At the end of the 16th century, at the end of heavy cavalry, a futile attempt was made to make armor reliable protection against bullets - the thickness of the breastplate increased to 3-6 millimeters.

The armor pieces were connected either by riveted pins or by strips of thick leather, to which the plates were riveted alternately, overlapping each other. On the warrior’s body, the elements of armor were fixed either with belts with buckles, or by connecting them with detachable pins.

Armor of the Earl of Worcester.

By correct fitting, high mobility at the joints was simultaneously achieved, uniform distribution weight and general rigidity of the armor, which made it possible to withstand impact. The evolution of armor followed the path of integration of individual parts of armor; in the most successful versions, their parts organically complement each other and, after joining, form a single whole.

Attention - myth: It is believed that the armor was so heavy that a knight who fell from his horse could not rise to his feet on his own and remained lying there, unable to move. And the squires had to put him on a horse. In fact, the weight of combat plate armor rarely exceeds twenty kilograms, the load turns out to be very comfortably distributed, and such problems do not arise. Moreover, the Landsknecht armor intended for infantry, which appeared at the beginning of the 16th century, was practically no different from knightly armor. Perhaps this misconception arose from a superficial acquaintance with tournament armor, which was sometimes really quite heavy (forty or more kilograms) and was in no way intended for real combat.

Usually the armor plates were smooth. Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I invented fluted armor, later called Maximilian or (completely incorrectly) Gothic. Thanks to the corrugated surface, such armor was better able to withstand cutting and piercing blows (and could even withstand a bullet, if not at point-blank range), but it was much more difficult to manufacture and was not widely used.

Many artists, depicting various kinds of villains, abundantly supply their armor with spikes and blades, jagged edges and other sinister but useless additions. In addition to their terrifying appearance, their “use” apparently lies in the fact that the enemy, who manages to engage in a wrestling match with the owner, will find himself pretty scarred. In fact, this is suicide armor: any extra protrusion that an enemy’s weapon can catch on is a potential threat to the owner of the armor, since it has a chance to turn a glancing blow into a penetrating blow or tear off part of the armor. It is no coincidence that gunsmiths tried to make armor as smooth as possible so that most blows would slip off.

This is interesting: perhaps the only somewhat popular option for a large protrusion on armor is the famous wings of the Polish hussars (they were, of course, worn with incomplete armor). There is an opinion that they protected against... lasso. But the wings were worn from behind, where they are capable of causing relatively little harm to their owner, not like from the front or side.

Not just for people

A warrior in light armor rarely took the trouble to protect his horse as well: after all, the extra load slows him down greatly, and horse armor weighs much more than human armor. In ancient times, however, a horse harnessed to the war chariot of a noble warrior was protected by a head and breastplate (usually leather); sometimes this was done with the horse of a Greek cataphract heavy cavalryman.

An unusual version of horse armor - with holes in the neck and closed sides. However, this armor has never been used in battle.

In the era of armor, an asymmetrical answer was found to overweighting armor: aim not at the rider, but at the horse. It will be hard for someone who has fallen and is wearing armor, and will he still have time to get up? Therefore, it was necessary to protect the horses, and, of course, appropriate horses were needed for this.

In horse armor, the horse's head was protected by a solid headband, or champron, covering her right up to the neck, and in the most complex versions there were ear tubes, protecting the animal's ears, and the eye holes of the headrest were closed eye bars.

The neck was covered finally(aka Crinier), consisting of plates overlapping each other. The horse's chest was covered with a massive bib - forbug with lower edges protruding forward, shaped like the blade of a snowblower.

The horse's croup covered nakrupnik-geliger, whole or consisting of two halves. The kantz and geliger were attached with their rear edges to the saddle, equipped with high bows that helped the rider stay in the saddle during an impact.

Horse sides were protected less often, and even if they were protected, it was more often with leather plates - flanchards. The fact is that, firstly, the side of the horse is exposed to a relatively lesser threat (and is partially covered by the saddle and the rider), and secondly, it is difficult to control through the armor (they control a draft horse without the help of their legs, but not a riding one!).

This entire intricate structure was often covered with a fabric “cover” on top. This, in theory, should prevent you from seeing holes in the horse’s armor (which are almost always there), and then it’s just beautiful.

There is another unusual piece of horse armor: protection... of the bridle. It is difficult to say how often the bits were cut in battle, but, in any case, special guards for them were in use.

Non-combat armor

Plate armor gave gunsmiths enormous scope for artistic creativity - the splendor of the armor of kings and generals amazes the imagination. Ceremonial armor was polished to a mirror shine and decorated with exquisite ornaments, coats of arms and mottos of the owner, flowers and heraldic animals - engraving and blackening, enamel, gilding and inlay with non-ferrous metals were used.

Armor was made even for children... if they were heirs to the throne. This armor does not even reach 130 cm in height.

In the sixteenth century, the so-called “costume” armor appeared, the bracers of which imitated the fluffy slotted sleeves that were fashionable at that time, and the breastplates and legguards were decorated with metal poufs.

No other attire of the ruler, in terms of the degree of impression made, perhaps comes close to the ceremonial armor, emphasizing both wealth and nobility, and the courage and belligerence of the ruler. Therefore, it is no coincidence that in ceremonial portraits of the 17th-18th centuries, many commanders and sovereigns appear before us in armor, which has long since lost any practical significance...

Separately, it is worth mentioning tournament armor, which in essence was real sports equipment, as unsuitable for combat as a modern sports sword.

For obvious reasons, these armor reached subsequent generations in large quantities and had a significant influence on the emergence of many modern prejudices. Since they were not required to be worn for a long time, and the knights did not want to receive serious wounds at the tournament, they were made much heavier (the weight reached forty kilograms or more), equipped with additional elements, protecting against the most likely dangers. For example, armor for equestrian duels had an extremely reinforced and enlarged left shoulder pad.

As a result, the mobility of individual parts of the body could be severely limited, which could be fatal in a real battle. In such armor, the knight was indeed clumsy and often could not get into the saddle without outside help (although it is worth saying that there were tournament armor for foot fights). Of course, only truly wealthy people could afford such equipment; poorer knights competed in ordinary battle armor - and were often injured.

Is it worth wearing armor?

Sure, but only when you can afford it. This is the best armor available, but it requires a lot from its owner. The rider needs to have a horse that can not only withstand his weight in armor, but also remain in shape for a long time, and for a set - a second, simpler one, for long journeys. A personal squire or servant is also very desirable (also on a horse or at least on a “beautiful mule”). A horse, at least a fighting horse, must be fed with oats; it will not last long on pasture, and again the fodder must be carried with you or obtained, which is not always possible. So the hackneyed image of a lone paladin in full armor wandering through the wilderness on his faithful (and also very armored) horse is very utopian.

Charles I of England had a chance to use this armor on the battlefield. True, not for long.

Weapon for breaking through armor.

A foot-at-arms soldier does not need a horse, but must carry, in addition to armor, weapons and supplies - with appropriate training this is quite possible, but it is better to let everything unnecessary ride on a cart. Therefore, full plate armor remained the prerogative of military leaders and the elite: knights and selected, trained heavy infantry. In the “battles” of the Swiss and Landsknechts, only the best warriors in the front ranks were dressed in full armor; those in the rear were content with incomplete armor.

The main advantage of plate armor is, of course, the maximum protection of a warrior. This is perhaps the most advanced of all the armor created by mankind.

Plate armor resists slashing weapons extremely well, and somewhat worse against piercing and impact weapons. It was almost impossible to pierce the breastplate with a blow from a dagger or cut through it with a sword; the solid metal of the armor negated the cutting effect of curved blades.

An important advantage of the armor was that, thanks to the sloping surfaces of the armor, an inaccurately delivered blow was converted into a glancing blow. To cause serious damage with conventional weapons, it was necessary to precisely hit the joint.

It is with the advent of full armor that the spread of special “armor-piercing” types of weapons is associated - klevtsov, stabbing swords, konchars, alshpis, stilettos; Battle axes are becoming popular again.

Plate protects well from arrows, with the exception of heavy crossbow ones. Arrows with leaf-shaped tips practically did not penetrate them - this required special conical or faceted tips. Bullets from early firearms often squashed against breastplates without penetrating them.

Of course, the degree of invulnerability of knights in armor is often exaggerated many times over. There are often stories about how rebel peasants or townspeople, having knocked a knight off his horse, could not do anything with his armor for a long time and were forced to deal with him in some non-standard way - for example, by drowning him in a pond. However, the Swiss infantrymen, who feared the knights and were forbidden to take prisoners on pain of death, apparently did not experience such difficulties.

John of Gaunt's armor (kept in the Tower of London). This brave knight was more than 210 cm tall; who said that in the Middle Ages all people were much lower than us?

As firearms developed, the advantage provided by plate armor quickly faded away. Full armor turns into three-quarter armor, then into half armor. First of all, the protection of the legs is abandoned, and finally the reverse evolution of the armor ends with the cavalry guard's cuirass, consisting only of a backplate and a breastplate.

Plate armor that is well tailored to the wearer's figure somewhat limits, but practically does not impede movement, the weight of the armor is distributed evenly, and it can be worn without taking it off for a long time. Landsknechts in full armor, which did not differ in weight from knightly armor, made long walks on foot.

Armor significantly limits the speed of movement - you can’t run in it for a long time, and a horse under armor also gets tired quickly. Plate armor cannot be put on or taken off quickly, especially without assistance - it is better to have someone else tighten the numerous straps. When removed, they take up a lot of space; you can’t put them in a bag like chain mail.

British armets.

Making plate armor is a complex and lengthy process, requiring a significant level of skill from the gunsmith, so plates have always been a piece product and were expensive.

The armor should fit well with the wearer's figure and should ideally be made to order. To adapt plate armor to a new owner, the help of a professional armorer was usually required. Although it is difficult to damage such armor, it is no less difficult to repair it: it is very difficult to reforge the severed elements, and often they had to be replaced. The most that can be done in camping conditions is to straighten out dents and replace torn fastening straps.

Plate is armor for temperate climates; in warm weather it is hot, the metal quickly heats up in the sun, and there is a very real prospect of heat stroke. To combat this, they tried to make slots in the plates, but this did not give much effect. In cold weather, and even more so in frost - it’s even worse; with active movements, a person still sweats due to the weight of the armor, and the mass of frozen metal takes away body heat - pneumonia is not far off. Moreover, you can’t wear anything other than a cloak over plate armor.

Finally, the armor must be regularly lubricated and cleaned, which is not at all easy - rust appears first of all in hard-to-reach joints, so cleaning the armor takes considerable time.

Plate of other worlds

World of Warcraft.

In fantasy worlds, armor is usually a standard attribute of noble knighthood and elite warriors of the dark lords. Like any other armor, it can be made from super-strong metals such as adamantite, and the large number of flat surfaces allows it to be abundantly inscribed with sacred writing, ominous runes and mysterious hexagrams, giving it additional strength, fire-resistant and water-repellent properties.

In the worlds of steampunk, somewhat lightweight armor, equipped with built-in arresters, spring amplifiers and patented bisections, serves as both armor, weapons and tools for mad professors and fighters for world domination.

Finally, thanks to the romantic areola enveloping the plate armor, in the distant future it is resurrected again in the form of the battle armor of Space Marines and inhuman aliens.

Full plate is an excellent armor for large creatures, since in this case the thickness of the plates can be increased so much that it will be completely unrealistic for a person not armed with a magic sword or, at worst, a jackhammer. This is why most fantasy authors avoid giving armor to ogres and trolls, limiting it to hides or, say, rusty chainmail.

Warhammer: Mark of Chaos.

In the world Warhammer full plate armor is well known, but available only to a select few - worn by knights of the Empire, "ironbreakers" of the Dwarves, warriors of Chaos and Dragon Princes of the High Elves. But in Bretonnia, famous for its knightly traditions, there is no plate armor, as it should be.

In the world Wheels of Time Full plate armor is worn only by the Shienarans - professional heavy cavalry honing their skills in the ongoing war with the Trollocs.

The armor of the warriors of Gondor, as we see it in Peter Jackson, is also, in essence, almost full plate; judging by the book, however, they are somewhat easier. This is also indicated by the fact that horse armor in middle earth not seen.

Knights of the Temple from armor also love Elenia David Eddings, with the exception of the northern Talesians: such armor is too heavy for their mountains. By the way, they manage to do without squires: in the entire Order of Pandion there is only one squire - for the Queen's Knight.

Plate in games

Neverwinter Nights 2.

In computer games, armor is extremely popular: they look great, and, whatever one may say, they are easier to make than in real life (and they are not difficult to animate). Therefore, there are a huge number of games in which they exist. At times, they even dress up representatives of peoples who, in principle, had nothing of the kind: Vikings, Russians, even Turks.

It’s just that the armor usually looks so unhistorical that it’s enough to grab your head. All these spikes, protrusions and other decorations in reality would not only expose their wearer to attack, but would not even give them a chance to move at all normally.

So, for example, in World of Warcraft The popular design of shoulder pads is made in the form of raised “wings”: such shoulder pads accurately direct even the most inaccurate blow to the neck of their owner. It is clear why ascetic paladins wear them - this is natural mortification of the flesh in the most literal sense. Real prototype such wings have small “anti-decapitation” protrusions that easily bend when hit from above and certainly do not result in a blow to the neck, at most to the shoulder. They served as a counterweight to the popular sword strike from below and from the side.

In case the blow does not hit the shoulder pad, there is such a wonderful decoration as horns on the helmet. No one has ever worn this either: even if the horn does not deflect a blow to the crown, it has every chance of causing a neck fracture. The Vikings (who are usually credited with such stupidity) wore wings on their helmets, not horns. And these wings were made of natural feathers - they simply fell off upon impact.

The plate skirt is often replaced with trousers made of rings or pipes, carefully covering the inner thighs. It is very uncomfortable to move in such “samovar pipes”, and it is almost impossible to sit on a horse.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

Until recently, in role-playing games, armor did little to limit a warrior. They, of course, prevent you from moving silently, but the “tank” is already not comfortable with this, and they also do not allow you to cast spells - which warriors, as a rule, cannot do anyway. Therefore, armor was worn by all sword and ax workers who were able to get it; to preserve other types of armor, armor was only allowed to be worn by certain classes of characters.

In the third edition of D&D, armor slows down movement and also significantly limits the benefits of a fighter’s agility; this is a much more correct model, and artificial frames are no longer so necessary. A number of games quickly embraced this idea. It’s scary to think, but even in the recent “ The Witcher"we are talking quite seriously about heavy armor for Main character!

The protective plus of armor is usually one and a half to two times higher than that of chain mail, and three to five times higher than that of leather armor. Some games (for example, many MUDs) give armor the effect of reducing damage from blows.

The idea of ​​"mysterious metals" for armor was greatly expanded upon by role-playing games. In them you can see such miracles as... bone, wood and even glass armor. But there are no tin ones!

In strategies, the role of armor is most easily described as follows: an almost indispensable attribute of knights and other heavy cavalry. They usually look more modest and decent there than in role-playing games (although the armor of Chaos knights is from Warhammer: Mark of Chaos can compete with any wonders of World of Warcraft). Additionally, armor in strategy games is usually observed from a greater distance than in role-playing games.

It’s safe to say that we will see a lot more armor in games - but, oddly enough, almost all of them will be very little like the real thing. Typical knight helmet designs, for example, are still largely absent from games; fictional ones seem much more interesting to developers. Most likely, this will continue to be the case: after all, armor provides artists with unlimited scope for imagination.

Chain mail.(Germany, XV century) Length 73 cm, sleeves to the elbow, ring diameter 11 mm, wire 1.6 mm, weight 4.47 kg.

Chain mail. Length 71 cm, sleeves to the elbow, wire 0.9 mm (flat rings), ring diameter 4 mm, weight 8.8 kg.

(first half of the 15th century, Germany). Length 68 cm, Sleeve length (from the armpit) 60 cm, wire 1 mm (semicircular rings), ring diameter 11 mm, weight 9.015 kg.

Chain mail with long sleeves. (end of the 15th century) Length 71 cm, wire 1 - 1.2 mm (flat rings), ring diameter 11 - 9.9 mm, weight 7.485 kg.

Chainmail sleeves.(XV - XVI centuries) Total length 90 cm, sleeve length 64 cm, rings with a diameter of 5.4 mm of two types: riveted (wire 0.9 mm) and stamped (0.4 mm), weight 1.94 kg.

Chainmail sleeves.(XVI century) Total length 60 cm, sleeve length 53, rings with a diameter of 7 mm, weight 1.57 kg.

Chain cap(Germany(?) XV century) Weight 0.59 kg.

Full armor

Protective Equipment: List of Terms

The dictionary was prepared with the direct participation of A. Lemeshko ( [email protected])

Aceton- (aketon) quilted jacket with or without sleeves. Worn as armor in the 13th and 14th centuries, akin to gambeson.

Armet- (Arme) type of solid helmet of the 15th century, with a double visor and neck protection;

Arming Cap- (balaclava) a fabric hat with a softening cushion around the head. It was worn under a ringed hood or helmet;

Arming Doublet-(doublet) quilted fabric or Leather Jacket sleeves and with chain mail overlays (see. gussets). Worn under plate armor, parts of which (for example, bracers) were attached directly to the doublet using straps ( arming points);

Arming points- straps with which parts of the armor were attached to the doublet;

Armor- armor, general name;

Aventail - (aventail) ringed protection of the neck and lower part of the face, usually attached to the helmet;

Bard (barb, barding)- the general name for horse armor. Could be made of chain mail, leather or quilted fabric, later - from plate parts (plate horse armor included chanfron(protection of the muzzle), crinet(neck protection) paytral(chest protection) crupper(croup protection) and flanchards(side protection plates)). Some of these parts could also be made from specially treated leather to reduce weight (see curbolli), painted and covered with fabric.

Balonia Sallet- "Bolognese salad", a type of salad that completely reveals the face;

Barbute- (barbut) Italian open helmet (XIV-XV centuries), largely covering the face and cheeks. The T-shaped neckline of some 15th-century examples copies classical antique designs (see corinphian barbute). There are two explanations for this name, which literally means "bearded": a helmet "with a beard", that is, with ridges covering the cheeks, and a "helmet from which the wearer's beard protrudes." Some barbutes were supplied with aventail (barbute a camalia), some were not (barbute sin camalia). In Italy of the 14th-15th centuries, the word "barbute" was used to indicate the number of men-at-arms in a detachment (for example, "a detachment of 1000 barbutes");

Barrel Helm- “bucket” closed cylindrical helmet with a slit for the eyes. Sometimes it was equipped with a movable visor;

Bascinet (bassinet, basnet)- (bascinet) sphero-conical open helmet (XIV century). Transformed from a small helmet (see. cerveiller), worn under Great Helm. Supplied with aventail. It could be equipped with a nose guard or a visor. In the 15th century, it acquired a more rounded shape and began to be equipped with a plate collar instead of aventail. In the 16th century, the term "bassnet-piece" sometimes referred to the domed part of a helmet;

Besegew (besague)- a round (usually) shoulder pad covering the armpit;

Bevor (beaver)- “bouviger”, protection for the neck and lower part of the face. The word can mean either a piece of armor that covers the chin and was used with salad-type helmets in the 15th century, or the two lower movable visor plates of arme-type helmets that covered the chin and face;

Bishop's Mantle (cap of mail)- a wide ringed necklace covering the shoulders;

Bouche- a cutout in the corner of the tournament shield for a spear;

Bracer- (bracer) protection for the forearm;

Breastplate- chest part of the cuirass;

Brigandine- (brigantine) hull protection, consisting of plates sewn or riveted from the inside onto a fabric or leather base, the outside could be covered with velvet or silk;

Buff- plate chin guard, similar to the bouvier. The "falling" buffe consisted of several plates with a spring latch and was used in the 16th century with bourguignotte type helmets;

Buckler- (buckler) a small round fist shield;

Burgonet- (bourguignot) open helmet of the 16th century, with a visor and cheek pads;

Burgundian Sallet- "Burgundy salad" is a type of salad. Deep helmet with movable visor;

Byrnie- the ancient (Anglo-Saxon) name for chain mail. Nowadays mainly used to refer to short-sleeved chain mail (as opposed to hauberk);

Cabasset- (cabaset) late conical helmet with small flat brims;

Camail- cm. aventail;

Cap-a-pied- French name for full body armor Full Plate;

Casque- “helmet”, a late open helmet of the Burguignot type;

Cerveiller- “zerveier”, a small helmet with a rounded dome, on top of which a large helmet was worn in the 13th century (see Helm). These helmets, also called bascinets, continuously improved and in the 14th century completely replaced large helmets;

Chainmail- cm. mail;

Chanfron (champfrein, shaffron)- part of horse armor (see. bard); metal or leather headband;

Chapel- (chapel) French equivalent Kettle Hat;

Chausses- ring stockings;

Coat-of-arms- coat of arms, tabard;

Coat of plates- armor made of large plates riveted from the inside onto a leather or fabric base. Early brigantine;

Code-piece- “codpiece”, groin protection;

Coif- ringed hood. At first it was integral with the hauberk, later it was made separately;

Collar- “necklace”, chest and neck protection, see Gorget;

Comb- metal comb on the helmet;

Comb morion- morion with a high crest;

Corinthian Barbute- a barbute-type helmet, similar in appearance to an antique helmet;

Corslet- late armor so-called three quarters (without leggings);

Couter- elbow pad;

Coventry Sallet- a type of lettuce, with a pointed top;

Crest- helmet heraldic decoration (from the 13th century);

Crupper- part of horse armor, croup protection (see. bard);

Crinet- part of horse armor, neck protection (see. bard);

Cuirass- cuirass - breastplate and backrest;

Cuir Bouili ​​(Curbolli)- specially soaked (but not “boiled”) and molded leather. It was used for the manufacture of household items and parts of armor - both ceremonial and tournament, and combat;

Cuisee- legguard;

Culet- protection for the buttocks, attached in continuation of the backrest. Back of the plate skirt;

Doublet- cm. arming doublet;

Enarmes- hand straps on the back of the shield;

Espalier- a modern term for a shoulder pad consisting of several plates (see. rebrace or munnion). Usually lamellar (since the 13th century);

Exchange pieces- replaceable (removable) pieces of armor to strengthen the main armor (for example, for spear clashes or foot fights). Included in the headset (see. garniture);

Fault- the “skirt” of the cuirass could turn into legguards;

Field Armor- “field armor”, combat armor;

Finger Gauntlet- plate glove with separate fingers;

Foot Combat- foot fight;

Frog Mouth Helmet- “toad head”, a type of helmet for spear fighting, with powerful protection for the neck and face. Fixedly attached to the cuirass;

Full Plate Armor- (full plate) armor - the general name for full plate armor from the middle of the 15th century;

Gambeson (wambais)- "gambeson", a long (knee-length) quilted underarmor. Worn under chain mail, but could also be used as separate armor by poorer warriors;

Gardbrace- an additional plate attached to the shoulder pad;

Gardlings- pads on a plate glove. They were located above the knuckles and were often richly decorated (on the gloves of the Black Prince they were made in the form of leopards). If necessary, they were successfully used as brass knuckles;

Gamboised Cuisses- quilted legguards;

Garniture- “set”, full armor (XVI century) with additional removable parts (up to 30 pieces);

Gauntlet- plate glove or gauntlet (see. mitten gauntlet). There were many variations of plate gloves and gauntlets, including bridle gauntlet- to protect the left hand holding the reins or locking gauntlet- a plate gauntlet, the plates of which could be fixed in a closed position, which prevented the weapon from being dropped;

Gorget- (necklace) protection of the neck and upper chest. Could be combined with a helmet or cuirass. After the armor fell out of use, this detail degenerated into a month-shaped metal plaque that officers wore around their necks;

Gothic Armor- “Gothic armor” - a type of armor common at the end of the 15th century, primarily in Germany. It was made from relatively small corrugated parts and was usually equipped with a salad-type helmet and a bouvier. The toes of the sabatons of Gothic armor are usually sharp and long, sometimes removable;

Grandguard- detail of tournament armor. Made from one plate and covered entirely left hand and shoulder, as well as the left side of the visor and chest;

Great Helm (heaume, helm)- "grand helmet" - a heavy closed knight's helmet with a slit for the eyes. It appeared in the middle of the 13th century and was used on the battlefield until the middle of the 14th century, when it was replaced by a more convenient bascinet. Tournament versions of the "grand slam" (including the "toad's head") lasted until the 16th century, becoming so heavy that they had to be secured with screws to the chest and back;

Great Bascinet- a solid bascinet, with neck protection and a clapvisor-type visor;

Greave- (leggings) shin protection;

Greenwich Armor- "Greenwich armor", a type of full armor produced in the Greenwich workshops founded by Henry VIII in 1511 (closed in 1637);

Guard Chains- chains for attaching a dagger, sword, shield and helmet;

Guige- a belt for wearing a shield on the neck or shoulder “over the head”;

Gussets- chain mail or plate “armpits”. The early version consisted of pieces of chain mail of various sizes, sewn under the armpits of the doublet. Later, hinged plates began to be used for the same purpose;

Half Armor- semi-armor (protection of hands and body);

Haqueton- cm. Aseton;

Harness- the general name of military equipment (except offensive weapons), including armor;

Haubergeon- (hauberjon) is sometimes translated as short hauberk, but most likely the words hauberk and hauberjon were synonyms;

Hauberk- (hauberk) long chain mail with long sleeves, in some cases with chain mail gloves and a hood;

Haute-Piece- additional plate on the shoulder pad to protect the neck;

Heaume- cm. Helme;

Helm- cm. Great Helmet;

Helmet- helmet - general name;

Hounskull Bascinet (Hundsgugel, Hounskull)- (hundsgugel) “dog muzzle”, bascinet with a long conical visor. The word hounskull, a corruption of the original German name, is considered one of the earliest examples of English soldier slang;

Hour-Glass Gauntlet- plate glove (XIV century) with a narrow wrist and a wide cuff;

Jack- a doublet or jacket reinforced with small metal plates or simply quilted;

Jamb- cm. Schynbald;

Jambart- cm. Schynbald;

Just- the main type of tournament competition is horse spear fighting;

Jupon- in the second half of the 14th century. a cape for armor (sometimes quilted). Carried the coat of arms and colors of the owner;

Kettle Hat- (cattle hat) infantry helmet, consisting of a hemisphere and round fields. The name translates as “kettle” and is very accurate: the British Museum exhibits medieval bowlers made from helmets of this type;

Klappvisier Bascinet- “klapvisor”, a bascinet with a short flat or semicircular visor;

Mail (mail)- chain mail. Word chainmail, also sometimes used to refer to chain mail, is an innovation and not entirely correct (literally translated “chain mail”);

Manifer- a rigid glove made from one plate for the left hand (derived from the French main-de-fer, iron hand;

Maximilian Armor- “Maximilian armor” is a modern term for heavy armor with grooved or corrugated planes, widespread in the 16th century. The “Maximilians” differed from the earlier Gothic armor in their massiveness, large plate size, arme-type helmet and boots with square toes;

Milanese armor- "Milanese armor". Italian full armor of the 15th century, a contemporary of Gothic armor, differing from it in more rounded shapes and fewer grooved parts. Mainly produced in Milan and Venice;

Mitten Gauntlet- plate gauntlet;

Morion- (morion) a pikeman’s helmet, conical in shape with boat-shaped brims and a high crest;

Muffler- a glove woven to the hauberk;

Nasel- nasal guard, a narrow vertical plate to protect the face. On early helmets it was fixedly attached, later on open helmets of the “eastern” type the nosepiece could rise and fall;

Passguard- a special shield for the elbow of the left hand. Used in spear clashes;

Pauldron- (shoulder pad) a plate or set of plates to protect the shoulder joint and shoulder;

Pavise- “paveza” is a large “high-rise” shield, a type of portable fortification;

Pickadil- edging of a doublet or lining of armor. Used to reduce clanging and friction (such as shoulder pads on the chestplate). It is believed that the name of the famous London Piccadilly street comes from this word;

Plastron- hard breastplate, predecessor of the cuirass;

Peytral- part of horse armor, breastplate;

Poldermitton- protection for the right hand in a spear collision (from the French "epaule-de-mouton" - shoulder of mutton);

Poleyn- knee pad. It began to be used in European medieval armor from the 13th century, when the first knee pads (leather or metal) were laced to chain mail stockings;

Queue- spear hook on the cuirass;

Rebrace- upper arm protection;

Rondel- a round disc on a leg at the back on the base of the arme. Presumably, the visor belt covered it;

Rondache- cm. target;

Sabaton- (boot) foot protection, attached to the greave;

Sallet- (salad) type of helmet, with a “tail” covering the back of the neck. Came in the 15th century to replace the bascinet;

Schynbald- shin protection;

Scale armor- (scale armor) armor made from leather ( cuir bouilli) or scale-shaped metal plates sewn onto a fabric or leather lining;

Sight- viewing slot in the helmet visor;

Skull- dome (literally "skull"), the upper part of the helmet, common name;

Solleret- foot protection. Same as sabaton;

Sparrows Beak Armet- “sparrow beak” - an Arme type helmet with a sharp visor from Warwick armor;

Spaulder- lamellar shoulder pad to protect the shoulder joint and upper arm;

Surcoat- "surcoat", "cotta" fabric covering of armor to protect it from rain and sun. Could bear the coat of arms or colors of the owner. Appears in the 13th century and, gradually shortening, by the middle of the 14th century turns into jupon(cm.). The latest form of surcoat is tabard, which appeared in the 15th-16th centuries;

Shaffron- part of horse armor, headrest;

Shield- shield - common name;

Spangenhelm- (spangenhelm) type of early spheroconic frame helmet;

Sugarloaf helm- ("sugarloaf") transitional form helmet, something between a large helmet and a bascinet: a closed helmet with a pointed dome, like a bascinet, and a closed front part, like a large helmet. In the last quarter of the 14th century, these helmets were completely replaced by bascinets with a visor;

Tabard- “tabard” is a short cape with short sleeves, open at the sides, with flowers and the owner’s coat of arms;

Target- a small round shield of the 16th century for foot combat. Same as buckler. Later it became known as rondache ( rondache). Usually made complete with half-armor and decorated in the same style as it;

Tassets- (bucket) protection of the upper thigh, attached to the skirt of the cuirass;

Tonlet- wide plate skirt for foot combat;

Top Helm- (top helm) the same as Great Helm;

Undercap- shallow lower helmet with aventail, see cerveiller;

Umbo- “umbon”, a metal knob on fist shields;

Vambrace- (bracer) forearm protection (from the French avant-bras);

Vamplate- literally "front plate" (from the French avant-plate). Most often, this term denoted a round metal shield attached to the shaft of a spear;

Ventail- face protection. The meaning has changed over time: from the chain mail aventail (see. aventail) to the grille of the visor or lattice visor;

Visor- visor, common name;

Warwick Armor- "Warwick armor" type of armor of the 16th century;

White Armor- “white armor”, polished armor without additional pads. In the 15th-16th centuries, armor was often painted, inked and gilded;

Zishagge- “shishak”, an open helmet with a sharp dome, visor, nose piece, cheek pads and back plate. Although in Europe helmets of this type were mainly used in Poland, Hungary, Lithuania and Russia, some workshops in Germany and Austria also produced them in the 16th-17th centuries, both for export and for the domestic market.

Melee and throwing weapons: list of terms

...To the great chagrin of historians, people do not always
As they change customs, the vocabulary also changes.
M. Blok "Apology of History"
The following people also took part in compiling the dictionary:
A. Lemeshko ( [email protected]) and A. Yurichko ( [email protected])

Halberd- a piercing and chopping bladed weapon in the form of an ax topped with a spike-shaped edge (often with a spike on the butt), mounted on a long shaft. A favorite weapon of infantry since the 14th century. English version halberds - with a beak-like hook "growing" from the top of a small blade - called a "bill" in English. Later halberds were often used as ceremonial weapons, with the blades either reduced or enlarged to grotesque sizes and decorated with slots, engravings and gilding.

Alshpis (awl-pike, ahlshpiess)- a piercing pole weapon with a long faceted blade and a small round shield (rondel) at the base of the blade.

Angon- a thin throwing spear, with a long tip with irreversible teeth, from the 8th century.

Akinak- Scythian sword. Initially short, akinaki lengthened with the development of metallurgy.

Crossbow - throwing weapon. It consisted of a bow, initially complex (made of wood and horn), later steel, mounted on a stock and a trigger mechanism. Powerful models were used in conjunction with a tensioning device ( belt hook, goat leg, block and rope, English, French or German gate).

Badelaire- a knife with a curved blade that widens towards the tip, from the 14th century.

Ballistre - crossbow, designed for firing bullets. The ballestre stock was made curved, and the bowstring was made double, with a small pocket for a bullet. Ballestres, the medieval equivalent of a blowgun, were used primarily for hunting small game.

Bastard sword- bastard sword "bastard sword". Occasionally found in medieval manuscripts, the term began to be widely (and without much justification) used in the 19th century to refer to long-hilted swords that could not be classified as two-handed.

Berdysh (bardiche, berdishe)- an Eastern European chopping pole weapon in the form of an ax with a wide crescent-shaped blade on a long shaft. Much like halberds, halberds were also used as ceremonial or ceremonial weapons. The blades of such ceremonial reeds could be more than a meter in length and were decorated (however, like the blades military weapons) holes and engraving.

Bolt- a projectile for firing from crossbow. Different from arrows shorter length and greater thickness. Might not have feathers. Often the bolt shaft was made in the shape of a spindle to reduce friction on the crossbow stock.

timber- a type of mace with a prismatic head.

Mace - impact weapon, consisting of a spherical impact head mounted on a handle. Maces were often richly decorated and served as a sign of the high rank of their owner.

"Bugloss"- other name Cinquedos. The same name for long polearms (one of the varieties protazan) with a tip of the same shape.

Vouge- the name of two types of polearms: weapons similar to runka or owls(vouge francaise) as well as an early version halberds with a blade attached to the shaft by two rings, sometimes called a "Swiss vouge" (vouge suisse).

Guard- Part hilt bladed bladed weapon with a handle, made in the form of a bowl and designed to protect against the impact of the fingers of the hand covering the handle.

Guizarme- a type of combat scythe. A long curved blade equipped with a long awl-shaped blade pointing upward. Can also be attributed to owls (glaives).

Gladius- a short straight Roman sword.

Glaive (glaive)- A word that originally meant a spear, later began to be used as a poetic and literary synonym for the sword. Currently used to refer to a polearm with a heavy, single-edged blade in the shape of a cleaver or scythe. In the 16th-17th centuries, glaives were used as ceremonial weapons (similarly protazans) and were richly decorated.

Daga- a short-bladed piercing weapon, which is additional to the main long-bladed one (sword, broadsword, etc.), is usually held in the left hand. It was often equipped with grips, teeth and traps for capturing and breaking off the enemy’s blade.

Fuller- a recess in the form of a groove of oval, triangular or quadrangular cross-section, running along the blade. Designed to lighten the weight of the blade and increase its rigidity (bending resistance).

Jird, jid, jirid (djerid) - dart(Arabic). Usually jirds were stored in special cases.

Polearms- the general name for edged weapons, the striking elements of which are mounted on a long wooden handle (shaft).

Dart (javelin)- the collective name for short throwing spears.

Yelman- widening of the saber blade in the upper part.

"Boar Sword" or "Hunting Sword" - hunting weapon, used for boar hunting. It was a sword with a special hole in the upper part of the blade to strengthen special limiting horns in it.

Quiver- case for arrows. Together with let's beam (Saadak) made up the gardening set.

Kibit- the working part of the bow, intended for pulling the bowstring.

Cortelas- a single-edged sword with a short blade slightly curved at the top.

Kilic, klych (kilic, kilij)- Turkish saber, which had a great influence during the Turkish invasion of the 15th century on the shape of European sabers. As a matter of fact, “kilic” in Turkish means “sword” or “blade” in general.

Dagger- the general name for a piercing-cutting double-edged weapon with a short blade.

"Dagger of Mercy"- the name of a stiletto-shaped dagger used to finish off an enemy.

Flail- a striking weapon consisting of a striking head on a belt or chain. The second end of the belt or chain could be attached to a short handle.

Klevets- an impact weapon designed to nail armor. The striking surface is made in the form of a pointed beak or a thick spike.

Claymore, claymore (claymore)- from the Gaelic claidheamh-more "big sword" two-handed Scottish swords with a narrow blade, a long hilt and straight, raised branches of the cross. Since the 18th century, Scottish broadswords have also been called “claymores.”

Blade- the general name for the striking part of a bladed weapon. Depending on the shape and principle of use, blades are divided into piercing, cutting, chopping or mixed.

Goat foot lever- device for tensioning the bowstring crossbow.

Konchar (kanzer)- from XV Eastern European name estoca.

Spear (lance, spear)- a collective name for a long pole weapon, designed to deliver a piercing blow and consisting of a shaft and a tip.

Corseque- cm. runka.

Crosspiece, roof (crosspiece)- part of a bladed weapon separating the handle from blade and designed to protect the hand.

Kuza, couse (couse)- same as owl.

Labrys- Ancient Greek double-edged axe.

Langsax- German double-edged sword, enlarged model saxa.

Blade- the striking part of a cutting blade.

Bow- a throwing weapon designed for shooting arrows. Consisted of a shaft and bowstrings, pulled on the shaft.

Malchus- a curved heavy sword of the Balkan countries.

Mahaira- a curved sickle-shaped ancient Greek sword with a blade on the inside of the blade.

Sword- a collective name for a long bladed weapon. In a narrower sense, a weapon with a long, straight, double-edged blade.

Misercord- cm. "Dagger of Mercy".

War hammer (warhammer)- impact weapons, the striking elements of which are made in the form of a hammer head (removed from the shaft and have a small impact area). Also see minting And klevets.

"Morgenstern" "morning Star"(German), "Žižka's star" is the name of an impact weapon with a spherical combat surface equipped with metal spikes. This name could be applied to maces, clubs, flails.

Bowcase- case for Luke. In Rus' it was often called by the Mongolian word saadak. Together with quiver made up a sadadach set (sometimes also called Saadak).

Pommel- detail that completes the handle sword. It was intended to prevent the latter from slipping out of the hand and to balance the blade. Often, although not always, it was made in a rounded “apple-shaped” shape, hence the English name.

Scabbard- a case for storing bladed weapons. Protects the blade from exposure to the external environment.

Butt (back)- Part blade, inverse blade.

Point- striking part of the piercing blade.

Broadsword- a single-edged stabbing and chopping weapon with a straight or slightly curved blade.

Palitsa (club)- the simplest impact weapon, which is a massive wooden club. Could also be used for throwing.

Parazonium- short Roman sword.

Pernach (flanged mace)- a type of impact weapon, the striking surfaces of which are made in the form of plates (feathers), with the end attached to the handle.

Crosshair- the same as cross.

Pike - a spear with a small tip (sometimes faceted), on a long shaft, usually partially iron-bound. It was used in the late Middle Ages by infantrymen called pikemen. Later, the word "pika" in Russian began to mean a light cavalry spear.

Pilum- throwing spear of Roman legionnaires. It had a very long metal tip, which prevented the shaft from being cut when it hit the shield.

Belt hook- a hook attached to the crossbowman’s belt. One of the very first tensioning devices bowstrings crossbow.

Sling- a throwing weapon consisting of a rope loop into which a cannonball or bullet. There are known options for attaching a sling to a handle.

Protazan- a pole weapon with a large double-edged straight blade. Often equipped with a small mustache at the base of the blade (16th century), richly decorated and used as a ceremonial weapon.

Bullet- projectile. It is a ball made of metal, stone or clay. Used for throwing balestra or slings, later - for shooting from firearms.

Rapier- piercing, (originally piercing-cutting) weapon with a narrow straight blade. Rapiers appeared in the early 16th century and quickly gained popularity as a dueling weapon.

Rohatina (boar spear)- hunting polearm. It consisted of a wide leaf-shaped spear tip (often with a crossbar under the tip to hold the impaled animal at a safe distance from the hunter) on a short shaft.

Hilt- part of the weapon designed to hold the blade.

Runca- a pole weapon with a long piercing tip, from the base of which two crescent-shaped tendrils extend. Marozzo (1536) uses the term roncha for a halberd and spiedo for a trident

Saber- the general name for cutting bladed weapons with a curved blade.

Cutlass- a saber with a shortened massive blade and a highly developed guard. It was used in the 18th-19th centuries in boarding combat.

Saadak- cm. on beam.

Sax (sax, seax)- a German knife with a straight or slightly curved blade.

Sarissa- a long, heavy spear. Armament of the Macedonian phalanx.

Crossbow- Russian name crossbow.

Ax- chopping weapon. Axe with extended blade, sometimes on an elongated shaft. IN eastern countries ornate axes were used as badges of high rank.

Scramasax- a heavy short single-edged sword of the Germans.

Scutum- Roman combat shield of rectangular, oval or hexagonal shape.

Schiavona- a sword with a long blade and an openwork closed guard, 16th century. Used by Venetian mercenaries from Dalmatia.

Sovna, sovna- an Eastern European pole weapon with a tip in the form of a knife, straight or curved. It could be supplemented with hooks or spikes. Western European analogues: vuzh, glaive And body.

Spetum- a long piercing pole weapon with a straight narrow blade and long hooks at its base, curved towards the bottom.

Stiletto (stiletto, stylet)- a piercing dagger-shaped weapon with a narrow faceted or round blade without a cutting edge.

Arrow- a projectile designed to be fired from Luke or crossbow. Consists of a shaft, striking tip, stabilizing feather and heel.

Sulitsa- light throwing a spear. see also dart And jird.

Bowstring- Part Luke, a rope that holds the bow shaft in a bent position and serves to cast arrows.

Ax (axe)- the simplest cutting edged weapon or the collective name for cutting weapons and its elements.

Falarigues- incendiary arrows or bolts.

Falcata- Spanish (Iberian) sword with a curved blade, similar Mahaire.

Falchion- a single-edged sword with a massive blade that widens towards the tip. The main purpose was to deliver powerful chopping blows (the edges of the falchions were often made rounded).

Flamberge - espadon with a wavy blade.

Framea- a throwing spear of the ancient Germans, reminiscent of a Roman one pilum.

Francisca- throwing ax of the Germans and Franks.

Shamsher- Arabic saber.

Shestoper- option first having six feathers.

Scottish broadsword (highland broadsword)- Scottish sword, similar to the schiavona, from the 16th century. until our time. Since the 18th century, when two-handed swords fell out of use, they also began to be called Claymores.

Sword- cm. rapier.

Combat flail- a striking weapon consisting of a shaft and a striking head connected by a flexible joint (chain, leather belt).

Mint- a small hatchet.

Cinqueda- Italian straight short sword with a double-edged blade, very wide at the hilt.

Slasher- large infantry two-handed sword, con. XV - beginning XVI centuries

Estoc- a two-handed sword-sword with a long, rigid blade of predominantly triangular cross-section, designed to pierce armor with a powerful piercing blow (the German name for estok - Panzerstecher - literally means “armor piercer”).

Ephesus (gefass)- Part rapiers or swords, consisting of a handle, cross, crosshair or guard.

"Apple"- cm. pommel.

Yatagan- curved single blade bladed weapon, with the blade on the concave side of the blade.

Armor is a defensive weapon that consists of the armor itself. In this case, the following types of armor are distinguished: soft, ringed, lamellar, lamellar-ringed. Naturally, there are many more types of armor, and today we will look at some of them in more detail. The armor also includes a combat headband, leggings, bracers and other protective equipment.

Gothic armor

The solid armor of the European heavy cavalry of the second half of the 15th century, the predecessor of Maximilian's, differs from the latter in greater functionality, high quality of metal processing and workmanship of parts, elegance of forms and somewhat less precision in joining parts, and the absence of grooves. Based on the totality of its properties, some researchers define it as the most advanced solid armor.

Decorative armor

Interior armor, which is produced for the purpose of designing and decorating various interiors. This type of armor is a copy of combat, hunting and other types of armor, but does not fulfill its original functions.

Heterogeneous armor

Armor that includes elements consisting of parts that are not rigidly connected and are small in size.

Homogeneous armor

Armor, which contains mainly large parts consisting of one material, as well as large ones.

Homogeneous-heterogeneous armor

Armor that combines the properties of both homogeneous and heterogeneous armor.

Gendarme armor

A classic type of solid armor, which was widespread in the second half of the 15th century. It was first adopted under King Charles VII. Used by the French gendarmes - heavy cavalry from impoverished nobles. As the head of the armor, a salad was used, in which the end of the crown goes into a long nape plate. A forearm screwed to the top of the plate breastplate protects the lower part of the face. The upper part of the face is covered with a fixed visor, in which there is a transverse slit at eye height, providing visibility.

The shoulders are covered with shoulder pads made of overlapping plaques, connected, in turn, to elbow pads. The armpits are covered with a chain mail net and, in addition, are covered with shoulder shields lowered low to the breastplate. A single-plate plate breastplate has a thickening at the bottom, called the “carapace,” which provides additional reinforcement to this part of the armor. The belly and legguards are made in the form of somewhat curved plates, stacked on top of each other like tiles. For a warrior sitting in the saddle, they cover his legs up to the knees.

The hips can be protected only with thigh guards or additionally with side guards (hips). The plate backplate (back plate) also has a “shell”, the continuation of which is the sacral covering, which reaches the saddle when the rider is sitting. Under the armor, the pelvic area is additionally protected by a chainmail skirt.

The knee pads, attached to the pads (lower part of the thigh) and leggings, consist of 5 plates, the central one (superimposed on the side ones like a ridge tile) is strongly curved in the form of a dome. Leggings consist of a greave and a shin guard, connected by hinges and fastened on the inside of the leg. The shoes are pointed, with a long point and spurs in the form of a wheel with long rays placed on a long shaft.

The points of the shoe and spurs are fastened by the squire after the knight mounts his horse, and are unfastened before he dismounts. The elbows are covered with elbow pads, the forearms are a continuation of plate gauntlets. The armor is relatively light (total weight 15-30 kg), but can only be fully donned and securely fastened with the help of a squire. Worn over soft overalls (pants and jacket), chain mail elements.

First, the shoes are put on, then the pads, connected by straps to the belt. After them, leggings, legguards, knee pads are put on, then armor, belly and shoulder pads. The last to be secured were the shoulder shields, attached to the overalls and passing through special holes in the bib with straps. Additional protection for the right side of the body is provided by the spear guard.

The shield is not provided as an independent weapon and is practically not used. The rider's weapons are a sword, a spear, a dagger, and a dagger; The officers, moreover, are slanderers. The horse also wears plate armor that completely covers the chest, back, croup, sides, neck and head, superimposed on or connected by a chain mail net. By the end of the 16th century. the armor has undergone changes. The spear was removed from service, and instead the gendarme received a sword and dagger, the leg guards disappeared, and the breastplate became shorter and lighter. The cuirass has been replaced by a half cuirass.

Ringed armor

Armor that is made of metal rings, but their sizes are not the same. This type of armor includes chain mail and canopy.

Laminar armor

Armor that includes plates made of hard material. The plates are quite long and arranged horizontally, they are connected to each other.

Plate armor

Armor, the basis of which is a relatively small number of large, flat or curved (often complex relief) plates (armor), connected to each other into a single whole using auxiliary parts, hinges or non-connected, independent ones. Plate as armor that provides protection to the chest, abdomen and back (analogous to a cuirass) is known already in Ancient Egypt, widespread among the Celts and in Ancient Greece, where it was made in the form of two rigid curved plates of forged bronze connected by hinges, accurately reproducing the relief of muscles customer (owner), in connection with which they were manufactured strictly individually (Hyalothorax).

From simple plate armor (cuirass, greaves, bracers, shoulder pads), this armor later developed into continuous armor by increasing the number of parts, connecting them to each other and precise mutual adjustment. Maximum development and perfection was achieved in Gothic armor of the late 15th century. and in Maximilian armor of the early 16th century, completely covering the entire body. In Russia, armor of this type was called plank or plank.

Plate armor XVII and XVIII

Over time, solid armor becomes simpler, no longer covers the entire body, the number of parts decreases, and first of all, the legs, pelvis, and back lose coverage. The armor, especially the cuirass breastplate, is very heavy and massive to protect against bullets. The breastplate is short, there is usually no paunch, the legguards are in the form of long pads fastened to the cuirass, forming a protrusion of the knee pad with side ears above the knee. Leggings are usually absent. A helmet of the burgignot type often has a nosepiece, characteristic of this era, of the eastern type in the form of a rod, giving a curl at the bottom, and another curl above the protrusion of the visor.

Sometimes there is a similar decoration on the back of the head. The shoulder pads are symmetrical - they, like the bracers, are scaly. The last troops armed with such armor were the cuirassiers of Louis XIV. The armor is blued, the breastplate is even shorter, the belly is short, and the pads are large. The arms are covered with scales, the combat head is a chaplain with a back plate and a nosepiece, reminiscent of a Japanese head. There is a sultan on the crown.

At the beginning of the 18th century. in the armor only the chaplain and cuirass remain, very short, covering the body to the level of the ribs and deeply cut under the arms. Subsequently, the backrest is abandoned, and the breastplate of the cuirass is put on and secured to the body with belts. Sometimes, instead of a half-cuirass, they wear an iron collar, like a plate necklace, with a wide protrusion going down to the chest. Shoulder pads and forearm armor could be attached to this collar.

Maximilian armor

The armor, which became widespread during the Renaissance, was used by knights in Europe. It consists of about 200 large elements, and the outside is covered with ribs and gutters. The total number of parts, including buckles, connecting bolts, hooks and other small parts, reaches 1000. The ribs (veins) and grooves are designed and directed so that the spear blows slide outside the joints of the armor, which increases the protective properties of the armor. In addition, they act as stiffening ribs and increase the strength of the armor, while simultaneously reducing its weight. Named after Emperor Maximilian I, for the weapons whose army it was developed. The average weight of armor is 22-30 kg, helmet - 1.5-4 kg, chain mail - 4-7 kg, shield - 3-6 kg, sword - 1-3 kg. The total weight of the armor rarely exceeded 40 kg.

The combat headgear - arme - has a pommel with holes near the ears; sometimes the ridge protruding from the pommel is not flat, but in the form of a tourniquet. On the back (crown) there is a tube for the plume. A visor is made of one or two parts, the upper one (visor) protects the forehead, the lower one (blowhole) protects the chin; has slots or is made in the form of a lattice. Sometimes the visor consisted of three or more parts. The chin covers the entire lower part of the face up to the lower lip; it is continued by a throat cover made of several curved plates attached to it. At the back, a butt plate made of several scales is attached to the pommel using scales.

The basis and support for the armor is a mantle-aventail made of three front and rear plates covering the neck; armor, shoulder pads, and armor are attached to it. An aventail is a kind of necklace; it has a hinge on the left side and clasps or cufflinks on the right. It was always made to measure, carefully adjusted in accordance with the anthropometric data of the owner of the armor, as it ensured mobility and strength of joints, and the ability to move the head.

A poorly selected aventail causes pain and deprives a warrior of mobility and the ability to control weapons. Sometimes, instead of arme, they used a helmet with a necklace, with a straight base, which did not have a throat cover and a butt plate. When the head was turned, the lower smooth edge of the helmet slid in a groove or along the upper rounded edge of the neck covering (necklace). The necklace served as a cover for the throat and back of the head; in appearance it resembled an aventail, only very wide and worn over the head, which is why it did not require adjustment to the owner.

However, the lower edge of the helmet and the necklace were adjusted to each other very carefully so as not to interfere with the movements of the head. This design, unlike the previous one, did not allow the head to be tilted or thrown back in battle without threatening the safety of the knight. The armor consisted of a breastplate connected by hinges, equipped with a large rib, and a backrest. The breastplate was usually forged from a single sheet of iron. The rib deflected the blow, the grooves directed it.

The shape of the breastplate changed - convex, pointed at the end of the 15th - beginning of the 16th centuries, in the middle of the 16th century. it becomes elongated oblong, from the 1570s. made with a point, and from the beginning of the 17th century. - blunt and short. Very rarely, the entire cuirass was made of scales. Axillary scales were attached to the bib in the armpits using straps.

The abdomen consisted of 2-3 plates. Gaiters covered the sides, starting from the waist, and the upper part of the legs (the upper third of the front and lateral surface of the thigh), often being a continuation of the abdomen. Consisted of several scales or plates, at the end of the 16th century. lengthened to cover the thigh from the hip joint to the knee and compensate for the lack of obsolete pads.

The lower part of the back was covered by a sacral cover of 1-3 scales that did not have a cutout, which was made in Gothic armor for a tight fit to the surface of the saddle. On top of the armor, mantles were attached to the aventail with straps. The right shoulder is always smaller so as not to interfere with arm movements; in addition, the left side, which is usually hit, requires more protection.

Armor for left-handers is known. Not all armor has neck covers and they are ridges or wings over the shoulders that protected from hooks and prevented the knight from pulling off the helmet. Sometimes round plaques were attached instead. The bracers are divided into two parts by the elbow pad. The top one is a cylinder and several scales attached to it. The lower one, protecting the forearm, was made in the form of a double-leaf cylinder with hinges and cufflinks, and was attached to the upper one with belts. The elbow pad is convex, in early models with a point, and is attached to the bracers with screws.

Tin-lined mittens (gloves) in some Spanish and Italian armor had fingers, then each finger was covered with scales or rings; in other armor, the fingers were covered with common scales, sometimes only indicated on the outside. The thumb in all cases is separated from the others and has a separate scaly covering. The opening of the glove is decorated with a bracelet or edge with a hinge and clasp.

The frame (bracket) is composite, with the lower part (support) fixedly attached to the cuirass, and the hook itself could, if necessary, be lowered on a hinge. The pads consisted of two plates (the front and the outer side) and were fastened with belts. The kneecap consisted of a conical or spherical front part and an outer side, as well as four scales. Leggings for the lower legs are semi-cylindrical, their flaps are called greaves and greaves (spreaders and greaves), connected on the outer surface of the leg with a hinge and fastened on the inside.

Later, the leggings lost the back half and began to be secured with straps. The foot greaves are attached to the greave with a leg joint. Under the armor they wore suede leggings, overalls, chain mail to mid-thigh or slightly shorter, with long sleeves. The armor scales were attached to each other from bottom to top. Large scales were attached on top of smaller ones. The blow of the spear and the tip of the sword slid along the scales until it met the next scale, then with raised ribs and stripes, where it lost power. The weak parts of the armor were doubled with chain mail underneath.

Soft armor

Armor made from fabric and leather. There were varieties that also included reservations.

Hunting armor

Armor that became widespread among hunters who hunted large animals - for example, wild boar.

Ceremonial armor

Armor that was worn only for especially special events. In all cases, it differed from the battle armor of the same time in its lighter weight, lower quality fitting of parts and rich finish. There are known ceremonial armor and armor made entirely of gold and silver, inlaid with precious stones, and the thickness of the armor sometimes does not exceed 5 mm (the earliest gold armor was discovered in a Bronze Age burial). European plate ceremonial armor, in addition, was distinguished by the absence of a fokra (spear hook) and the symmetry of the shoulder guards. Sometimes it was covered with expensive fabrics.

Plate-ringed armor

Armor that consisted of rings and plates. This type of armor includes bakhterets and yushman.

Plate armor

Armor, which includes plates, and their shape and size can be different.

Full armor

Armor, which includes armor, leggings, helmet, bracers, shield and other elements.

Knight's armor

Full armor worn by knights in Europe during the Middle Ages.

Solid armor

One of the varieties of scaly or ring-scale armor that completely protected the warrior’s body.

Sports armor

Armor used to protect athletes during military sports competitions. Tournament armor is also considered sports armor.

Quilted armor

Soft-shaped armor consisting of layers of leather or fabric. Between the layers, a cotton or wool interlining was usually sewn, which was sewn along both straight and oblique lines.

Training armor

Armor that was worn during the training of warriors, that is, when military exercises were practiced.

Tournament armor

The armor that was worn European warriors at tournaments. As a rule, it is a solid, heavy armor that greatly limits the mobility of a knight, which over time has been greatly simplified and transformed into incomplete armor, providing protection only for the head, the front surface of the body (mainly its left part) and the left leg, hips. Made from very thick iron.

The armor for the equestrian spear tournament with a barrier (lattice) excluded the use of leggings. To prevent injury from sliding along the barrier, the leg was protected by a special design of the saddle pommel in the form of a box. The guards and legguards were made from a single plate. The hands were usually not protected, the left had a mitten, the right was covered with a shield. The cuirass had one, sometimes two (front and rear) fokras, and later began to be equipped with blow counters.

Later, the back plate of the cuirass was abandoned - thus, only the front surface of the body was covered. An additional shield is often screwed to the left side of the breastplate. The space between the shoulder and chest is covered by armpit covers in the form of discs. If there is only a left disc, then the right shoulder shield is enlarged and often has a cutout for a spear. The left shoulder pad is sometimes integral with the solid helmet. Combat head - lattice helmet, burgignot, early 16th century. a “toad head” headband is used. This helmet is attached to the breastplate, and sometimes to the backrest. At the end of the 16th century. Mostly lettuce was used.

Tarch transformed into a wooden cloak. If the spear did not have a shield, the right hand acquired a bracer that protected its front surface. The total weight of the armor reached 80 kg.

Tournament armor for foot combat remained complete (solid) until the cessation of tournaments; it differed from contemporary combat armor in the absence of a belly, leg guards and sacral cover, replaced by a bell-shaped skirt that more reliably protected the pelvic area. The shoulder pads are almost symmetrical. The total weight of the armor ranged from 25-40 kg. Combat head - lattice helmet, burgignot, in the 16th century. - salad.

Knotted armor

Protective weapons in the form of a covering worn on the body, woven from wood fibers, bark, twigs, vines, and tarred ropes. Thick knots, tightly tied close to each other, provided reliable protection from arrows, blow needles, and chopping blows from bronze and even iron blades. Various varieties of this armor were widely used by the natives of Africa, Polynesia, and America.

Scaled armor

The armor, consisting of plates, is shaped like scales.

The armor of the knights of the Middle Ages, photos and descriptions of which are presented in the article, went through a complex evolutionary path. They can be seen in weapons museums. This is a real work of art.

They surprise not only with their protective properties, but also with their luxury and grandeur. However, few people know that the monolithic iron armor of the knights of the Middle Ages dates back to the late period of that era. This was no longer protection, but traditional clothing that emphasized the high social status of the owner. This is a kind of analogue of modern expensive business suits. They could be used to judge the situation in society. We will talk about this in more detail later, presenting photos of knights in armor of the Middle Ages. But first, about where they came from.

First armor

The weapons and armor of the knights of the Middle Ages developed together. This is understandable. The improvement of lethal means necessarily leads to the development of defensive ones. Even in prehistoric times, man tried to protect his body. The first armor was animal skin. It protected well from soft weapons: sledgehammers, primitive axes, etc. The ancient Celts achieved perfection in this. Their protective skins sometimes withstood even sharp spears and arrows. Surprisingly, the main emphasis in defense was on the back. The logic was this: in a frontal attack it was possible to hide from shells. Backstabs are impossible to see. Flight and retreat were part of the combat tactics of these peoples.

Fabric armor

Few people know, but the armor of the knights of the Middle Ages in the early period was made of matter. It was difficult to distinguish them from peaceful civilian clothing. The only difference is that they were glued together from several layers of material (up to 30 layers). These were light, from 2 to 6 kg, inexpensive armor. In the era of mass battles and the primitiveness of chopping weapons, this is an ideal option. Any militia could afford such protection. Surprisingly, such armor even withstood arrows with stone tips, which easily pierced iron. This happened due to cushioning against the fabric. The more prosperous people used quilted caftans instead, stuffed with horsehair, cotton wool, and hemp.

The peoples of the Caucasus used similar protection until the 19th century. Their felted wool cloak was rarely cut by a saber and withstood not only arrows, but also bullets from smoothbore guns from 100 meters. Let us remember that such armor was in service with our army until the Crimean War of 1853-1856, when our soldiers died from rifled European rifles.

Leather armor

The armor of medieval knights made of leather replaced cloth ones. They became widespread in Rus'. Leather craftsmen were widely valued at the time.

In Europe, they were poorly developed, since the use of crossbows and bows was the favorite tactics of Europeans throughout the Middle Ages. Leather protection was used by archers and crossbowmen. She protected from light cavalry, as well as from brothers in arms of the opposite side. From long distances they could withstand bolts and arrows.

Buffalo leather was especially prized. It was almost impossible to get it. Only the richest could afford it. There were relatively light leather armor of the knights of the Middle Ages. Weight was from 4 to 15 kg.

Armor Evolution: Lamellar Armor

Next, evolution occurs - the production of armor for medieval knights from metal begins. One of the varieties is lamellar armor. The first mention of such technology is observed in Mesopotamia. The armor there was made of copper. Metal began to be used in similar protective technology. Lammellar armor is a scaly shell. They turned out to be the most reliable. We only got through with bullets. Their main drawback is their weight up to 25 kg. It is impossible to put it on alone. In addition, if a knight fell from his horse, he was completely neutralized. It was impossible to get up.

Chainmail

The armor of medieval knights in the form of chain mail was the most common. Already in the 12th century they became widespread. The ringed armor weighed relatively little: 8-10 kg. The full set, including stockings, helmet, gloves, reached up to 40 kg. The main advantage is that the armor did not restrict movement. Only the wealthiest aristocrats could afford them. It only became widespread among the middle classes in the 14th century, when wealthy aristocrats donned plate armor. They will be discussed further.

Armor

Plate armor is the pinnacle of evolution. Only with the development of metal forging technology was it possible to create such a work of art. It is almost impossible to make the plate armor of medieval knights with your own hands. It was a single monolithic shell. Only the richest aristocrats could afford such protection. Their distribution dates back to the Late Middle Ages. A real knight in plate armor on the battlefield armored tank. It was impossible to defeat him. One such warrior among the army tipped the scales towards victory. Italy is the birthplace of such protection. It was this country that was famous for its masters in the production of armor.

The desire for heavy defense stems from the battle tactics of medieval cavalry. Firstly, it delivered a powerful, swift strike in closed ranks. As a rule, after one strike with a wedge against the infantry, the battle ended in victory. Therefore, in the forefront were the most privileged aristocrats, among whom was the king himself. Knights in armor almost never died. It was impossible to kill him in battle, and after the battle the captured aristocrats were not executed, since everyone knew each other. Yesterday's enemy turned into a friend today. In addition, the exchange and sale of captured aristocrats were sometimes the main purpose of the battles. In fact, medieval battles were like: There were rarely any deaths." the best people“However, in real battles this still happened. Therefore, the need for improvement constantly arose.

"Peaceful Battle"

In 1439, in Italy, the homeland of the best blacksmiths, a battle took place near the city of Anghiari. Several thousand knights took part in it. After four hours of battle, only one warrior died. He fell from his horse and fell under its hooves.

The end of the era of combat armor

England put an end to "peaceful" wars. In one of the battles, the English, led by Henry XIII, who were tens of times outnumbered, used powerful Welsh bows against French aristocrats in armor. Marching confidently, they felt safe. Imagine their surprise when arrows began to rain down from above. The shock was that they had never hit knights from above before. Shields were used against frontal damage. The close formation of them reliably protected against bows and crossbows. However, the Welsh weapons were able to penetrate the armor from above. This defeat at the dawn of the Middle Ages, where the “best people” of France died, put an end to such battles.

Armor is a symbol of aristocracy

Armor has always been a symbol of aristocracy, not only in Europe, but throughout the world. Even the development of firearms did not put an end to their use. The armor always featured a coat of arms; it was a ceremonial uniform.

They were worn for holidays, celebrations, and official meetings. Of course, ceremonial armor was made in a lightweight version. The last time they were used in combat was in Japan in the 19th century, during the samurai uprisings. However, firearms have shown that any peasant with a rifle is much more effective than a professional warrior with a bladed weapon, dressed in heavy armor.

Armor of a medieval knight: description

So, the classic set of the average knight consisted of the following things:

Weapons and armor were not uniform throughout the history of the Middle Ages, since they performed two functions. The first is protection. Second, armor was a distinctive attribute of high social status. One complex helmet could cost entire villages with serfs. Not everyone could afford it. This also applies to complex armor. Therefore, it was impossible to find two identical sets. Feudal armor is not unified form soldier recruits in later eras. They are distinguished by their individuality.