The armor of the knights of the Middle Ages, photos and descriptions of which are presented in the article, went through a difficult evolutionary path. They can be seen in weapons museums. This is a true work of art.
They surprise not only with their protective properties, but also with luxury and grandeur. However, few people know that the monolithic iron armor of the knights of the Middle Ages is dated to the late period of that era. It was no longer protection, but traditional clothing, which emphasized the high social status of the owner. This is a kind of analogue of modern expensive business suits. From them it was possible to judge the position in society. We will talk about this in more detail later, we will present a photo of knights in the armor of the Middle Ages. But first, where they came from.
First Armor
The weapons and armor of the knights of the Middle Ages evolved together. This is understandable. Improving lethal means necessarily leads to the development of defensive ones. Even in prehistoric times, man tried to protect his body. The first armor was the skin of animals. She protected well from non-sharp tools: sledgehammers, primitive axes, etc. The ancient Celts achieved perfection in this. Their protective skins sometimes even withstood 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. It is impossible to see the blows in the back. Flight and retreat was part of the battle tactics of these peoples.
Cloth 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 clothes. The only difference is that they were glued together from several layers of matter (up to 30 layers). It was light, from 2 to 6 kg, inexpensive armor. In an era of mass battles and the primitiveness of chopping guns, 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 was due to cushioning on the fabric. The more prosperous instead used quilted caftans stuffed with horsehair, cotton wool, and hemp.
The peoples of the Caucasus until the 19th century used a similar protection. Their felted wool cloak was rarely cut with a saber, withstood not only arrows, but also bullets from smooth-bore guns from 100 meters. Recall that such armor was in service with our army until the Crimean War of 1853-1856, when our soldiers died from rifled European guns.
Leather armor
The cloth armor was replaced by the armor of the medieval knights made of leather. They were also widely used in Russia. Leather craftsmen were widely appreciatedat that time.
In Europe, they were poorly developed, since the use of crossbows and bows was a favorite tactic of Europeans during the entire 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 a distance, they could withstand bolts and arrows.
Buffalo skin was especially valued. Getting it was almost impossible. 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
Further there is an evolution - the manufacture of the armor of the knights of the Middle Ages 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. In the Middle Ages, a similar protective technology began to be used from metal. Lamellar armor is a scaly shell. They have proven to be the most reliable. They were only pierced by 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 a horse, he was completely neutralized. It was impossible to get up.
The armor of the knights of the Middle Ages in the form of chain mail was the most common. Already in the 12th century they became widespread. Ringed armor weighed relatively little: 8-10 kg. A complete set, including stockings, a helmet, gloves, reached up to 40 kg. The main advantage is that the armor did not hamper movement. Only the we althiest could afford them.aristocrats. Spread among the middle class only occurs in the 14th century, when rich aristocrats donned plate armor. They will be discussed further.
Arms
Plate armor is the pinnacle of evolution. Only with the development of metal forging technology could such a work of art be created. The plate armor of the knights of the Middle Ages is almost impossible to make with your own hands. It was a single monolithic shell. Only the richest aristocrats could afford such protection. Their distribution falls on the Late Middle Ages. A knight in plate armor on the battlefield is a real armored tank. It was impossible to beat him. One such warrior among the troops tipped the scales in the direction of 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 to have a heavy defense is due to the battle tactics of the medieval cavalry. First, she delivered a powerful swift blow in close ranks. As a rule, after one blow with a wedge against 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 did not die. 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 was sometimes the main goal of the battles. In fact, medieval battles were like jousting tournaments. The “best people” rarely died on them, but init still happened in real battles. Therefore, the need for improvement constantly arose.
Peaceful Battle
In 1439 in Italy, in the homeland of the best masters of blacksmithing, there was a battle 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 got under his hooves.
The end of the battle armor era
England put an end to "peaceful" wars. In one of the battles, the British, led by Henry XIII, who were ten times fewer, used powerful Welsh bows against French aristocrats in armor. Marching confidently, they felt safe. Imagine their surprise when arrows began to fall from above. The shock was that before that they had never hit the knights from above. Shields were used against frontal damage. A close formation of them reliably protected from bows and crossbows. However, the Welsh weapons were able to pierce 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 all over the world. Even the development of firearms did not put an end to their use. The coat of arms was always depicted on the armor, they were the ceremonial uniform.
They were worn for holidays, celebrations, official meetings. Of course, ceremonial armor was made in a lightweight version. The last time their combat use was in Japanalready 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 cold weapon, dressed in heavy armor.
Medieval Knight Armor Description
So, the classic set of the average knight consisted of the following things:
- Helmet. In the 10th-13th century, the Norman rondash was used with an open, conical or egg-headed shape. Nanosnik was attached in front - a metal plate. Much later, the practice of a closed individual helmet was common among large aristocrats. It was a real work of art. It was possible to determine the owner by it.
- Armor. Long chain mail to the knees with sleeves and koyfon, metal hood. It had slits on both sides at the hem for easy movement and riding. Under it, the knights wore a gambeson - an analogue of cloth armor. It absorbs blows to iron, arrows get stuck in it.
- Choses - mail stockings.
- Rondash is a shield. It was a protection against arrows, and was also widely used against one-handed sabers during the Crusades. Had a round or oval shape. However, a rondash with a pointed shape of the lower part to protect the left leg has become widespread.
Weapons and armor were not uniform throughout the history of the Middle Ages, as they performed two functions. The first is protection. The second is that armor was a distinctive attribute of a high social status.provisions. 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 a uniform form of soldier recruits in later eras. They have a lot of personality.
