European Armour-- short history and links
Dec 5, 2011 13:47:31 GMT
Post by Elheru Aran on Dec 5, 2011 13:47:31 GMT
For the longest time I can remember, I've been interested in arms and armour, but especially the armour. I even dished out my own shield boss when I was a kid, heh...
Anyway, related to that, over quite a bit of time I've built up a small collection of bookmarks for Websites relating to arms and armour. Some are purely reference; others sell/manufacture it.
Please note that the majority of this will be in regard to European armour, specifically Western European (anything west of Poland and Hungary, basically), Greco-Roman through Renaissance. My knowledge is sadly lacking in regard to Asian, Eastern European, African or anywhere else; your links will be welcome here! I do not claim to be an authority, and in areas where I understand there to be ongoing debate I will acknowledge this. Feel free to post evidence one way or other. I do NOT claim that my dates are authoritative, I use them to give a general idea of the periods, which can and do overlap quite a good deal throughout history.
If anybody is interested in specific knowledge about anything herein, feel free to post and ask and I'll try to share what I know, but learning and researching things for yourself is amazing in many ways and will help you much more than I can ever do.
First a quick and loose overview of the history:
Egypt, Assyria, Persia, etc-- not a whole lot of armour. Leather armour did exist; there's an example of a crocodile-hide armour from Egypt. Scale may have been worn, there's pictorial evidence for it here and there. Helmets definitely did exist in a variety of forms, probably bronze as iron was rare in this time.
Greece (600-400 BC's?)-- not a whole lot of armour except for high nobility who could afford it, until the 'Classical' period when the linothorax, an armour of either linen or leather (debate ongoing) was devised. Bronze helms were often worn. The large aspis shield was fairly common in this time. Greaves fitted to the calf were also worn. Other than this, there wasn't a whole lot of armour; but suffice it to say that 300 notwithstanding, most Greek citizen-soldiers would have had some armour at least. Notable events: Battles of Marathon, Thermopylae, and Platae. Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta.
Don't know that much about the Macedonian or Carthaginians or Ptolemaic-era Egypt, but they generally followed the Greek model, IIRC. Big event after decline of Athens is the Alexandrian conquest of much of Asia Minor, Egypt, Greece, and North Africa.
Rome (ca. 500-300 BC's thru 300-400's AD)-- early period used armour not too different from the Greek. There was some variety based on indigenous Etruscan and other Italian tribes' armours. Chain mail starts appearing around this time; it may have been invented centuries before by the Greeks or Celts, another subject of debate, but it was definitely used by the legionaries. The lorica segmenta armour was invented probably sometime in the early AD's and used till around the 300's, IIRC. The common legionary would have had a large scutum shield and helmet; that was about it. Centurions may have worn greaves, only fitted to the front of the shin rather than wrapping around the calf. Late period Roman, in the times when non-Romans became the great majority of the military, used mainly mail, spangenhelm (a helmet made of small plates connected by bands) and shield, in a variety of forms. Too many events to really list, but a few off the top of my head-- Caesar conquering Gaul, the battle of the Teutenborg Forest, Trajan's conquest of Dacia...
'Dark Ages' (400's? - 700's)-- continued the general pattern of mail, spangenhelm and shield. Scale and leather armour may have been used occasionally during this period; not much evidence. Mail would have been rare as it became quite costly due to the scarcity of steel; the common man would've only had a shield and his helm to protect him, most likely. There may have been some tentative steps towards solid metal armour in this period, such as splinted arm and leg guards.
Byzantine-- a fairly specialized study in its own right. May have used lamellar armour (small strips laced together) as well as mail. Notable for the use of cataphracts, heavy armoured horsemen.
Carolingian through Viking era (700's-900's)-- again, helmet (or spangenhelm) and shield for the common warrior, possibly with the extra protection of layered or quilted cloth or leather armour. Higher-class warriors would have worn mail as well. The standard mail-shirt in this time would have been more of a short-sleeved tunic, only extending to mid-thigh and the elbows or even sleeveless. Shields came in a variety of forms-- dished, round, oval. Generally the hand-grip was in the center, behind a large boss of either domed or pointed variety, with a painted design on the front. You start seeing one-piece helmets raised from a single piece of metal again in this period. Not much historical evidence of this period, unfortunately, but the hijinks of the Vikings are some amusing reading, so look up the Sagas if you like.
Norman era-- covers a fairly large period, actually. I just use 'Norman' to denote it as one of the pre-eminent events of the time was the conquest of England starting in 1066, but this also includes the early Crusades and what not. This is also the time when you start seeing mounted knights as distinct from armoured footmen/dismounted knights and common soldiery.
Early Norman period (900's-mid 1100's)-- helmet or spangenhelm, typically conical with a nose-guard. You start seeing the large mail hauberk in this period-- a mail shirt with elbow-length sleeves, extending down to the knees, with an integral mail coif covering the head. Higher-up warriors may have worn mail sleeves to protect the rest of their arms as well. Shields were typically a long tapered 'kite' shape, as opposed to the older round or oval forms. A heavy cloth or leather gambeson would have been worn under the hauberk to pad against the rough mail and offer extra protection against blows. The Bayeux Tapestry is an invaluable reference for the early stages of the Norman Conquest and the Battle of Hastings.
+Mid Norman through Crusades/ Early Middle Ages (mid 1100's-early 1200's)-- the mail hauberk extends its sleeves all the way to the hands, eventually developing a 'muffler' or mitten that wrapped around the hand. Mail chausses, or trousers, were also created as leg protection. The coif was still integral to the hauberk, but on occasion was a separate piece of mail. Helmets gradually became flat-topped and cylindrical with a shaped plate of steel in front of the face. A thick round head-band may have been worn under the coif to help pad the head. A cloth surcoat, initially plain but later bearing one's coat-of-arms, is also worn during this period. Notable events: the Crusades, duh.
Middle of the Middle Ages(late 1200's-early 1400's): Mail starts being reinforced by armour here and there, most notably the 'coat of plates', pieces of sheet metal loosely attached to each other and covered by leather or fabric; very similar to the later 'brigandine'. Arms and legs are protected by splinted leather or metal over the mail. Helmets develop two ways-- large and conical, covering the head and neck with an attached 'aventail' of mail. Sometimes a pivoted or hinged visor is added to cover the face. This form is called a 'bascinet'. Secondly, the 'great helm', in a number of forms, which covered the whole head. This was sometimes combined with the bascinet. Overall armour rapidly changes during this period, transitioning quickly from mail with a few extra bits to almost an entire covering of plate. Notable events: Wars between England, Wales and Scotland (see Braveheart... but not for historical accuracy). Hundred Years' War between England and France.
Late Middle Ages and Renaissance (late 1400's-1600's): This is when we start to truly see full plate armour-- but unfortunately, owing to the appearance of firearms in profusion as well as massed infantry tactics, the great decline and fall of the mounted knight. Also the time where you start seeing honest regional differences in armour; previously, designs were very universal. A French knight may have looked much the same as an English knight during the Hundred Years' War, but when the War of the Roses happened, they would have had visible stylistic differences in the make of their armour. Principal sources of armour in this period were Germany and Italy, 'Milanese' and 'Gothic' being probably the two biggest buzzwords. With the rise of the Renaissance, armour increasingly became more ornamental than useful despite the noble classes' best efforts. Ridiculous amounts of decoration start appearing, as well as armours molded after either contemporary fashions or 'Classical' styles such as Roman or Greek. Eventually phases out after roughly the late 1600's, although every now and then you see pieces such as the breastplate or gorget being worn as a fashion statement.
That's it for now as I need to run errands. Next post I make here, I'll put up my links!
Anyway, related to that, over quite a bit of time I've built up a small collection of bookmarks for Websites relating to arms and armour. Some are purely reference; others sell/manufacture it.
Please note that the majority of this will be in regard to European armour, specifically Western European (anything west of Poland and Hungary, basically), Greco-Roman through Renaissance. My knowledge is sadly lacking in regard to Asian, Eastern European, African or anywhere else; your links will be welcome here! I do not claim to be an authority, and in areas where I understand there to be ongoing debate I will acknowledge this. Feel free to post evidence one way or other. I do NOT claim that my dates are authoritative, I use them to give a general idea of the periods, which can and do overlap quite a good deal throughout history.
If anybody is interested in specific knowledge about anything herein, feel free to post and ask and I'll try to share what I know, but learning and researching things for yourself is amazing in many ways and will help you much more than I can ever do.
First a quick and loose overview of the history:
Egypt, Assyria, Persia, etc-- not a whole lot of armour. Leather armour did exist; there's an example of a crocodile-hide armour from Egypt. Scale may have been worn, there's pictorial evidence for it here and there. Helmets definitely did exist in a variety of forms, probably bronze as iron was rare in this time.
Greece (600-400 BC's?)-- not a whole lot of armour except for high nobility who could afford it, until the 'Classical' period when the linothorax, an armour of either linen or leather (debate ongoing) was devised. Bronze helms were often worn. The large aspis shield was fairly common in this time. Greaves fitted to the calf were also worn. Other than this, there wasn't a whole lot of armour; but suffice it to say that 300 notwithstanding, most Greek citizen-soldiers would have had some armour at least. Notable events: Battles of Marathon, Thermopylae, and Platae. Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta.
Don't know that much about the Macedonian or Carthaginians or Ptolemaic-era Egypt, but they generally followed the Greek model, IIRC. Big event after decline of Athens is the Alexandrian conquest of much of Asia Minor, Egypt, Greece, and North Africa.
Rome (ca. 500-300 BC's thru 300-400's AD)-- early period used armour not too different from the Greek. There was some variety based on indigenous Etruscan and other Italian tribes' armours. Chain mail starts appearing around this time; it may have been invented centuries before by the Greeks or Celts, another subject of debate, but it was definitely used by the legionaries. The lorica segmenta armour was invented probably sometime in the early AD's and used till around the 300's, IIRC. The common legionary would have had a large scutum shield and helmet; that was about it. Centurions may have worn greaves, only fitted to the front of the shin rather than wrapping around the calf. Late period Roman, in the times when non-Romans became the great majority of the military, used mainly mail, spangenhelm (a helmet made of small plates connected by bands) and shield, in a variety of forms. Too many events to really list, but a few off the top of my head-- Caesar conquering Gaul, the battle of the Teutenborg Forest, Trajan's conquest of Dacia...
'Dark Ages' (400's? - 700's)-- continued the general pattern of mail, spangenhelm and shield. Scale and leather armour may have been used occasionally during this period; not much evidence. Mail would have been rare as it became quite costly due to the scarcity of steel; the common man would've only had a shield and his helm to protect him, most likely. There may have been some tentative steps towards solid metal armour in this period, such as splinted arm and leg guards.
Byzantine-- a fairly specialized study in its own right. May have used lamellar armour (small strips laced together) as well as mail. Notable for the use of cataphracts, heavy armoured horsemen.
Carolingian through Viking era (700's-900's)-- again, helmet (or spangenhelm) and shield for the common warrior, possibly with the extra protection of layered or quilted cloth or leather armour. Higher-class warriors would have worn mail as well. The standard mail-shirt in this time would have been more of a short-sleeved tunic, only extending to mid-thigh and the elbows or even sleeveless. Shields came in a variety of forms-- dished, round, oval. Generally the hand-grip was in the center, behind a large boss of either domed or pointed variety, with a painted design on the front. You start seeing one-piece helmets raised from a single piece of metal again in this period. Not much historical evidence of this period, unfortunately, but the hijinks of the Vikings are some amusing reading, so look up the Sagas if you like.
Norman era-- covers a fairly large period, actually. I just use 'Norman' to denote it as one of the pre-eminent events of the time was the conquest of England starting in 1066, but this also includes the early Crusades and what not. This is also the time when you start seeing mounted knights as distinct from armoured footmen/dismounted knights and common soldiery.
Early Norman period (900's-mid 1100's)-- helmet or spangenhelm, typically conical with a nose-guard. You start seeing the large mail hauberk in this period-- a mail shirt with elbow-length sleeves, extending down to the knees, with an integral mail coif covering the head. Higher-up warriors may have worn mail sleeves to protect the rest of their arms as well. Shields were typically a long tapered 'kite' shape, as opposed to the older round or oval forms. A heavy cloth or leather gambeson would have been worn under the hauberk to pad against the rough mail and offer extra protection against blows. The Bayeux Tapestry is an invaluable reference for the early stages of the Norman Conquest and the Battle of Hastings.
+Mid Norman through Crusades/ Early Middle Ages (mid 1100's-early 1200's)-- the mail hauberk extends its sleeves all the way to the hands, eventually developing a 'muffler' or mitten that wrapped around the hand. Mail chausses, or trousers, were also created as leg protection. The coif was still integral to the hauberk, but on occasion was a separate piece of mail. Helmets gradually became flat-topped and cylindrical with a shaped plate of steel in front of the face. A thick round head-band may have been worn under the coif to help pad the head. A cloth surcoat, initially plain but later bearing one's coat-of-arms, is also worn during this period. Notable events: the Crusades, duh.
Middle of the Middle Ages(late 1200's-early 1400's): Mail starts being reinforced by armour here and there, most notably the 'coat of plates', pieces of sheet metal loosely attached to each other and covered by leather or fabric; very similar to the later 'brigandine'. Arms and legs are protected by splinted leather or metal over the mail. Helmets develop two ways-- large and conical, covering the head and neck with an attached 'aventail' of mail. Sometimes a pivoted or hinged visor is added to cover the face. This form is called a 'bascinet'. Secondly, the 'great helm', in a number of forms, which covered the whole head. This was sometimes combined with the bascinet. Overall armour rapidly changes during this period, transitioning quickly from mail with a few extra bits to almost an entire covering of plate. Notable events: Wars between England, Wales and Scotland (see Braveheart... but not for historical accuracy). Hundred Years' War between England and France.
Late Middle Ages and Renaissance (late 1400's-1600's): This is when we start to truly see full plate armour-- but unfortunately, owing to the appearance of firearms in profusion as well as massed infantry tactics, the great decline and fall of the mounted knight. Also the time where you start seeing honest regional differences in armour; previously, designs were very universal. A French knight may have looked much the same as an English knight during the Hundred Years' War, but when the War of the Roses happened, they would have had visible stylistic differences in the make of their armour. Principal sources of armour in this period were Germany and Italy, 'Milanese' and 'Gothic' being probably the two biggest buzzwords. With the rise of the Renaissance, armour increasingly became more ornamental than useful despite the noble classes' best efforts. Ridiculous amounts of decoration start appearing, as well as armours molded after either contemporary fashions or 'Classical' styles such as Roman or Greek. Eventually phases out after roughly the late 1600's, although every now and then you see pieces such as the breastplate or gorget being worn as a fashion statement.
That's it for now as I need to run errands. Next post I make here, I'll put up my links!