People rich enough to not have to work constitute a privileged class, strictly separated from the rest of society. In this upper class, everyone, excluding clergy, are warriors by profession, in the terminology of the Middle Ages, “knights”.
Charlemagne also obliged everyone free people his empire to bear arms. The need to protect oneself, a penchant for idleness and adventure, and a predisposition to military life led throughout medieval Europe to the formation of a military aristocracy. To attract people to military service, there was no need for the highest authority of the state. Since secular people believed military life the only honorable way of life, then everyone strove for it; the military, knightly class included everyone who had enough money to join it.
The first condition for becoming a knight was the opportunity to purchase weapons at your own expense. Meanwhile, starting from the 9th century, they fought exclusively on horses. Therefore, the medieval warrior was called chevalier in France, caver in the south, caballero in Spain, Ritter in Germany, and in Latin texts the ancient name for a soldier, miles, became synonymous with a knight.
Throughout feudal Europe, war is fought in the same way, and the warriors are armed almost identically.
Armor and weapons of medieval knights
A person who is fully armed for battle, a knight, has his body protected by armor. Until the end of the 9th century, this was armor, a tunic made of leather or fabric, covered with metal plaques or rings; later armor is everywhere replaced by chain mail, a shirt made of metal rings with gauntlets and a hood and with a slit at the top so that it can be worn like a shirt. At first the chain mail reached the feet; when it was shortened to the knees, they began to cover their legs with hoop stockings for protection; Spurs shaped like the tip of a spear were attached to these stockings. The hood covered the back of the head and head and reached the chin, leaving only the eyes, nose and mouth open.
During the battle medieval knight put a helmet on his head - a conical steel cap surrounded by a rim and ending with a metal or glass ball (cimier); the helmet was equipped with an iron plate that protected the nose (nasal - nasal, it disappeared by the end of the 12th century) and was tied to the chain mail with leather straps. Only in the XIV century. armor made of metal plates and a helmet with a visor appear, which survived until the 17th century - weapons Bayard and Henry IV, which, however, is often mistaken for the usual armament of a medieval knight.
To repel blows, the medieval knight wore a shield made of wood and leather, covered with metal strips and decorated in the middle with a plaque (boucle) made of gilded iron (hence the name of the shield - bouclier). At first round, the shield then becomes oblong and lengthens to the point that it covers the rider from shoulders to toes. The knights hung it around their necks on a wide belt; during the battle it was worn on left hand through the handles located on inside. It was on shields that, starting from the 12th century, they began to draw a coat of arms, recognized by one or another family for its emblem.
The knight's offensive weapons were a sword (branc), usually wide and short, with a flat hilt, and a spear with a long and thin shaft made of ash or hornbeam, ending with an iron tip in the shape of a diamond. Below the tip, a rectangular strip of material (gonfanon - banner) was nailed, which fluttered in the wind. The spear could be thrust into the ground with a handle ending in an iron tip.
Knights. Film 1. Chained in Iron
Dressed and armed in this way, the medieval knight was almost invulnerable, and over time the weapons were increasingly improved, making the warrior look like a living fortress. But at the same time he becomes so heavy that he needs a special kind of horse to fight. The knight has two horses with him: an ordinary one (palefroi) for riding, and a fighting one (dextrier), which is led by a servant by the bridle. Before the battle begins, the knight puts on his armor, sits on war horse and rushes into battle, pointing his spear forward.
Only knights were considered true warriors; stories about medieval battles tell us only about them, and only about them the battle columns consisted. But they were accompanied on their campaigns by other riders on less hardy horses, dressed in a tunic and a hat, equipped with lighter and less expensive armor, armed with a small shield, a narrow sword, a pike, an ax or a bow. The knight, who had heavy weapons, could not do without these companions: they led his war horse (with right side, hence the name dextrier), carried his shield, helped him put on armor at the moment of battle and sit in the saddle. Therefore, they were usually called valets (servants) or ècuyers (shield bearers), and in Latin - scutifer (shield bearer) or armiger (armiger). In the early Middle Ages, knights kept these squires in a subordinate position. Composed at the end of the 11th century. " Song of Roland"They are referred to as the lower class. They shaved their heads like servants and received coarser bread at table. But little by little brotherhood in arms brought the squires closer to the knights; in the 13th century both groups already constituted one class - the highest class of secular society, and the ancient Latin name noble (nobilis), which constituted belonging to upper class(edel in German).
Around 1420 plate armor can be considered as fully formed, all subsequent changes being only partial improvements or fads of fashion, which gradually had a decisive influence on armament. Changes in the shape of armor sometimes turn out to be very rational, but often, after a few years, new varieties are created; at the same time, national originality is noticed, which makes it very difficult to review the essence of the form.
Gothic armor
Such armor was made throughout the 15th century and reached its peak in the 1480s, when it was considered the best in Europe. Their appearance carried the features of Gothic architecture and Gothic art. The armor had many pointed shapes and graceful lines, in addition, as a rule, this type of armor had corrugations and corrugations - the so-called stiffening ribs, which increased the strength of the armor.
In addition to steel plates, this armor included chainmail elements attached to the underarmor to protect the body on the inside of the joints and crotch.
Sometimes this type of armor is called German Gothic, and the contemporary Milanese armor is called Italian Gothic, on the basis that outside of Germany and Italy, Italian and German parts of armor were sometimes mixed (this was especially often done in England), resulting in armor that had mixed features.
Sometimes this type of armor is called German Gothic, and the contemporary Milanese armor is called Italian Gothic, on the basis that outside of Germany and Italy, Italian and German parts of armor were sometimes mixed (this was especially often done in England), resulting in armor that had mixed features. The argument against this use of terminology is that Milanese armor existed (with minor design changes) both before and after Gothic armor (Gothic armor existed from the middle of the 15th century, and in the early years of the 16th century - before the appearance of Maximilian armor, and Milanese armor with end of the 14th century and continued to be worn at the beginning of the 16th century).
By style, Gothic armor is divided into high and low Gothic, as well as late and early. Some people mistakenly believe that Gothic armor is characterized by the absence of thigh guards (tassets), but in fact this is a feature of the most famous examples - there are lesser known examples of Gothic armor in which the guards are not lost.
It is usually believed that high Gothic requires abundant fluting, but there are examples of high Gothic that have the characteristic silhouette of high Gothic, but do not have fluting (in particular, such are found both among those forged by Prunner and among those forged by Helmschmidt, who were at that time one of the most famous armor smiths).
Late Gothic and high Gothic are not the same thing; cheap examples of late Gothic sometimes have signs of low Gothic.
Milanese armor
Italian armor of the late XIV - early XVI centuries. This is armor that covers almost the entire surface of the body with large rounded smooth steel plates. Basic distinctive feature armor of this style is a rounded cuirass, front and rear end which consist of two large segments; as well as wide shoulder pads with large sides to deflect spears. Moreover, the left shoulder pad is especially massive and the protection of the forearm and shoulder is represented by one detail and the use of plate gauntlets to protect the hands (in German armor, plate gloves were mainly used).
Below is a textbook set of Milanese armor that belonged to a member of the von Matsch family, owners of Schloss Churburg Castle, dated around 1455. Now exhibited at the Glasgow Art Museum and Gallery.
This set of armor almost certainly belonged to a member of the Matsch family of Hkrburg Castle in the Italian Tyrol, which in the Middle Ages was a territory of Germany (now Austria). This armor is more than five centuries old. Even more impressive is the fact that this armor set is very close to the original. But if the right gauntlet is genuine, then the left modern production. The Barbuta helmet corresponds in production time to the rest of the armor set, but does not belong to it. But this helmet is beautiful in itself, and its original soft lining is also preserved. Chain mail, too, most likely refers to armor only by period, because at this time they rarely wore a full chain mail shirt under armor. Limited to scraps of chain mail laced to the underarmor jacket.
Some details are also missing. In particular, four leather straps are intended for the plates of glove guards hanging from the plate armor, to protect vulnerable spots between the skirt and the leg guards. In addition, the hook for securing the spear was broken off. There are dents on the plate skirt, probably from a spear or crossbow bolt. The weight of the armor (without the new-made gauntlet and chain mail) is 25.85 kg.
Maximilian armor
German armor of the first third of the 16th century (or 1505-1525, if characteristic corrugation is considered mandatory), named after Emperor Maximilian I.
The armor is characterized by the presence of an armet-type helmet and a closed helmet with a corrugated visor, fine fan-shaped and parallel corrugations, often covering most of the armor (but never the greaves), engraving, and a strongly convex cuirass.
A characteristic feature is the “Bear Paw” sabatons (plate shoes), corresponding to the shoes fashionable at the time with very wide toes, from which the expression “living large” came. Later, after going out of fashion, these sabatons and shoes were nicknamed “Duck Paws.”
The armor itself was designed to emulate the pleated clothing that was fashionable in Europe at the time. The creation of armor that not only provided the maximum level of protection, but also was visually attractive was a trend in Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries. She combined the Italian rounded style of armor with the German fluted style. Maximilian armor is indeed somewhat similar to Italian armor in the Italic style. alla tedesca (ala Germanic), but created in Germany/Austria under the influence of Italian armor, famous for its reliability and protection (in return for sacrificing freedom of movement). With external outlines that make it similar to Milanese armor (adjusted for the different curve of the cuirass), it has design features inherited from German Gothic armor. The abundance of stiffening ribs (made by embossing) gave a more durable structure, which made it possible to reduce the thickness of the metal and significantly reduce weight!
At the same time, the armor, unlike the Gothic one, like the Milanese one, was made not from small, but from large plates, which is associated with the spread of firearms, which is why it was necessary to sacrifice the famous flexibility and freedom of movement of the Gothic armor for the sake of the ability to withstand a bullet fired from a distance . Due to this, a knight in such armor could be reliably hit from the handguns of that time only by shooting at point-blank range, despite the fact that very strong nerves were needed in order not to shoot prematurely at an attacking knight on an armored horse, which could trample without resorting to weapons . The low accuracy of the firearms of that time also played a role, and the fact that they fired with a slight and, most importantly, almost unpredictable delay (the gunpowder on the seed shelf ignites and does not burn instantly), which makes it difficult to aim vulnerabilities for a moving rider it was unrealistic.
In addition to creating stiffening ribs by corrugation, another method of creating stiffening ribs was widely used in Maximilian armor. The edges of the plates were bent outward and wrapped into tubes (along the edges of the armor), which in turn, through additional corrugation, were shaped in the form of ropes, as a result of which the plates received very strong stiffening ribs along the edges. It’s interesting that the Italians have Ital. alla tedesca (a la Germanic) the edges of large plates also curved outward, but were not always wrapped. In Gothic armor, instead of arching, the edges of the plates were corrugated and could have a riveted gilded edging as decoration.
A characteristic feature of Maximilian armor is considered to be plate gauntlets, capable of withstanding a blow to the fingers with a sword, but with the spread of wheeled pistols, Maximilians with plate gloves appeared, allowing them to shoot pistols. At the same time, although the plate gauntlets consisted of large plates, these plates were still somewhat smaller than in the Milanese armor, and their number was greater, which provided a little more flexibility with approximately equal reliability. In addition, protection thumb The design corresponded to the thumb protection of Gothic armor and was attached to a special complex hinge, providing greater mobility of the thumb.
Ceremonial armor
In Medieval Europe, until the 15th century, combat armor was used as ceremonial armor, additionally decorated with heraldry: helmet figures (made of papier-mâché, parchment, fabric, leather, wood), shoulder shields, and coats of arms on a surcoat, mantle, horse blanket and brigantine. Some wore a real crown over a helmet or chainmail hood. In addition, the chain mail was decorated with woven copper rings, polished to a golden shine. Helmets were sometimes painted with a solution of gold in mercury, after the evaporation of which a golden design remained on the helmet. Additionally, a richly decorated knight's belt made of gold or gilded plaques (actually a sword belt in the form of a wide belt) was worn, and in the 14th century chains appeared (for hanging weapons and helmets), which could also be decorated.
In the 15th century, due to the widespread spread of armor, separately manufactured ceremonial armor based on combat armor appeared, differing from them primarily in that it was painted with gold. At the same time in Germany expensive armor, even those that were not ceremonial, had abundant corrugation, and plate shoes were equipped with extravagantly long toes that could be detached.
And in Italy, richly decorated ceremonial helmets with an open face were in circulation.
In the 15th-16th centuries, some ceremonial armor was covered with elegant fabric decorated with heraldry and nailed to the metal with figured rivets. Moreover, some of these armors had a metal base hidden under the fabric that was heavily perforated to lighten the weight, so that such lightweight armor was unsuitable for combat, although it could be used for tournament duels with maces. What is noteworthy is that metal cuirasses covered with fabric actually appeared at the end of the 14th century, being then a type of large-plate brigantines (coracins), transitional from brigantines to armor. At the end of the 15th - beginning of the 16th centuries, as a result of the influence of the Renaissance, ceremonial armor in the ancient style appeared, created in imitation of Roman and ancient Greek armor. Moreover, the Italians, who loved armor in the Italic style. alia romana (that is, Roman), one did not have to travel far to see what kind of armor the Romans wore.
In the same 16th century, some armor was painted with enamel, drawing real pictures on them in the style of contemporary Renaissance paintings. Naturally, when the armor was hit, the enamel could not withstand and crumbled, which is why this armor, although it could withstand the blow of a weapon, was intended for parade, and not for battle. At the same time, in addition to gold painting, armor covered with chasing and engraving, as well as applications of gold and silver plates, became widespread.
Suit armor
The peak of fashion for such armor occurred in the first quarter of the 16th century - the heyday of the Renaissance, the rise of landsknechts and cuirassiers and the beginning of the decline of knighthood. It was the last knights, inspired by the spirit of the Renaissance, who were the owners of such armor; It was precisely the insane high cost of such armor that led to the fact that many nobles, instead of being knighted according to tradition at the age of 21, preferred to remain squires and serve not as knights, but as cuirassiers, gendarmes, reiters, hussars, etc. ., and even go as officers to the infantry, which just a hundred years ago was unthinkable for many nobles.
Possession of such extremely expensive armor was a matter of prestige for a knight, for every knight, arriving at a tournament or other gala event, tried to impress others. And if in previous centuries - during the times of chain mail and brigantines - this cost an acceptable amount (to do this, they simply decorated the helmets with painted coat of arms figures made of papier-mâché, wood or parchment, and put an elegant surcoat over the armor, also covering the horse with an elegant blanket), then in the 16th century, trying to impress others was ruinous. Moreover, in old times tournament armor was also used in battle, and in the 16th century few people wore tournament armor into battle.
There were also special armor sets in which additional parts were attached to ordinary armor, turning it into tournament armor, but such sets were also very expensive and looked worse than costume armor. However, not all suit armor was suitable for tournaments. So, very fashionable and prestigious armor, stylized as antiquity, for example in the Italian style. alia romana (a la Roman), due to insufficient protection they were unsuitable for tournaments, and despite the fact that such armor was much more expensive than combat armor. The owner of such armor, although he sported it at the tournament, still put on another armor for the duel. Not every tournament participant could afford to have, in addition to tournament armor, “antique” armor, suitable only for a parade. Other types of costume armor, for example in the “de fajas espesas” style, were also suitable for tournament battles, as they provided good protection, and therefore armor that looked like clothing from the 16th century was very popular. The price of such armor was determined not only by the abundance of gold decorations and quality, but also by the complexity of manufacturing: since clothing of that era often had elaborate elements (for example, huge puffy sleeves), not every blacksmith could forge such armor - so the most impressive armor was also the most expensive.
Tournament armor
Armor for tournament fights. Could, but not necessarily, be ceremonial armor at the same time. Classic tournament armor (of the late 15th and entire 16th centuries), due to its too narrow specialization, was unsuitable for real combat. Thus, the classic armor for foot combat was not suitable for mounted combat, and the armor for spear fighting was not suitable not only for foot combat, but also for hacking on horseback. In addition to highly specialized armor, there were also armor sets, which were a real constructor made of plate parts. It could be used to assemble any tournament or battle armor, and even ceremonial armor.
Since the emergence of tournaments, it was customary to use ordinary armor as tournament and ceremonial armor; the only difference was that additional chain mail was worn for the tournament, not counting the elegant cloak.
In the 14th century, with the spread of visors for bascinets, the pot helmet gradually ceased to be worn in battle, continuing to be worn in tournaments, and by the end of the 14th century it turned into a purely tournament helmet. With the spread of armor, the pot helmet turned into the so-called “Toad Head”, screwed to the cuirass.
The appearance of the “Toad Head” led to the fact that if earlier, during a horse fight, they bowed their heads, pressing their chin to their chest, then in a toad head, screwed to the cuirass, they straightened up so that the spear did not even accidentally hit the visual slit. In a helmet not screwed to the cuirass, getting hit in the head with a spear at full gallop was fraught with the risk of breaking your neck.
The armor for equestrian spear duels (shtehtsoig) weighed up to 85 kg. It covered only the rider's head and torso, but was more than a centimeter thick. They dressed the knight in it, placing him on a log raised above the ground or a special “lifting” device, since he could not mount a horse from the ground. The tournament spear was very heavy and had a powerful steel circle at the handle to protect the hand and the right side of the chest. A system of hooks and grips was used to hold it and direct it to the target. The horse for the tournament was also dressed in special armor with a thick soft lining. The knight sat in a huge saddle, the pommel of which was supported by steel rods, and the front one was bound with steel and was so wide and extended downwards that it reliably protected the stomach, hips and legs. All the vestments of the rider and horse were covered with the richest heraldic robes, capes, blankets, heraldic figures were attached to helmets, spears were decorated with flags, ribbons or a scarf.
Since the blow of the spear, according to the rules, was angled upward and forward, the legs could be hit either intentionally or in an accident. Therefore, in order to lighten the weight, the legs were either not protected at all, or their protection was limited to thigh guards, instead of which sometimes there were leg guards fastened to a cuirass or a plate skirt.
Armor for a walking tournament
Initially, it was distinguished by a very long plate skirt with a bell, for reliable protection of the genitals. But later, with the development of armor art, options appeared that gave reliable protection and without a long plate skirt. Another characteristic feature was the shoulder-supported helmet, in which the impulse of the impact on the helmet was transferred not to the head, but to the shoulders to avoid concussions.
Moreover, for fights with blunt weapons like a mace (i.e., when there is no danger that the tip of the weapon will accidentally hit the eye), instead of a visor, a large lattice made of thick rods was used, which gave a good view.
To protect the fingers, plate gauntlets were usually used, which could withstand blows to the fingers well. What is curious is that the helmet sitting on the shoulders, mittens and a long plate skirt made this armor similar in general outline to a cast-in-breast.
Greenwich armor
16th-century armor produced in Greenwich in England, brought there by German gunsmiths.
Greenwich workshops were founded by Henry VIII in 1525, and had their full name in English. “The Royal “Almain” Armories” (literally “Royal “German” Arsenals”, French Almain - the French name for Germany). Since the workshops were created for the production of “German” armor, the production was headed by German gunsmiths. The first Englishman to head the production was William Pickering in 1607.
Although the armor was supposed, according to Henry VIII, to reproduce the German ones, they nevertheless carried both German and Italian features, and therefore the Greenwich Armor, although made by German craftsmen (with the participation of English apprentices), are distinguished by researchers into a separate “English” style.
The pattern of borrowings from various styles in Greenwich Armor is as follows:
The cuirass (including both shape and design) is in the Italian style.
The helmet (before about 1610) is in the German style with a “Burgundian” gorge.
Hip guards and leg guards are in the South German and Nuremberg style.
Shoulder protection - Italian style.
The execution of other details is in the Augsburg style.
Landsknecht armor
Incomplete armor worn by Landsknechts, the configuration and price of the armor depended on the rank and salary of the Landsknecht. A typical landsknecht's armor consisted of a cuirass with a necklace and legguards, which provided the only protection for the legs. Often integral part The armor consisted of plate bracers of a simplified design. Attached to the necklace were shoulder pads that reached to the elbow. The landsknecht's head was protected by a burguignot helmet.
Reitar armor
It had the same design as cheap cuirassier and expensive Landsknecht armor. In the 16th century there was no longer a special design of armor “for landsnechts”, “for cuirassiers”, “for reiters” and so on. There was only full knightly armor, worn at that time only by the highest aristocracy and the gendarmes of the French king, and incomplete armor, worn by everyone else, including the reitar. Armor and weapons were purchased at their own expense, and therefore the difference between Landsknecht and cuirassier armor stemmed from who could afford what kind of armor. The usual landsknecht was often limited to an open helmet, a cuirass with shoulder pads and leg guards. A cuirassier, as a rule, a nobleman, could buy himself a closed helmet with a visor (armé or heavy burgignot), a cuirass, full hand protection, long legguards with knee pads and a pair of strong good boots, reinforced with steel plates - which was the difference between typical Landsknecht or Reitar armor.
The similarity between Landsknecht and cuirassier armor appeared if the nobleman was impoverished, and the Landsknecht received a “double” salary. Reitar, in this regard, was much better off than an infantryman, but since his main weapon - wheeled pistols - were very expensive (for comparison: in the infantry only officers could afford pistols), he had to save on armor, since, unlike cuirassiers , for a reitar it was preferable to have good expensive pistols and inexpensive armor than vice versa.
Typical Reitar armor consisted of a cuirass with segmented legguards (usually knee-length), plate arm protection, a plate necklace and a helmet. Plate hand protection, depending on the wallet, could be complete, or it could be limited to segmented shoulder pads up to the elbows and plate gloves, also up to the elbows. The compromise version consisted of the same elbow-length shoulder pads and plate gloves, complemented by elbow pads. In addition to elbow pads, there could also be knee pads, which, if available, were usually attached to the thigh pads. As for the helmet, at first the burgignot with a visor and cheek pads, called the “assault helmet” (German: Sturmhaube), was popular. Usually the face was open, but if desired, if funds allowed, one could buy an option with a folding chin guard that covered the face like a visor, but not from top to bottom, but from bottom to top.
The purely cuirassier version of the helmet - arme - did not enjoy noticeable popularity among the Reitar. Subsequently (German: Sturmhaube) gave way to the reiters, as well as arquebusiers, to the morion, and then to the shishak (kapelina), as it was more convenient for shooting. Since the reitar sat in the saddle and, as a rule, did not dismount in battle, the groin was well covered by the saddle and the horse, which made the codpiece practically unnecessary. Although when great desire wear it for ceremonial purposes, and the codpiece, in order to emphasize the masculinity of its owner, was often given a grotesquely large shape; it could be purchased additionally.
As for the black color of the armor, this color was found not only among the “Black Horsemen” and, in addition to aesthetic and psychological reasons, there were also practical reasons. On the one hand, an ordinary mercenary, not having a personal servant, monitored the condition of the armor himself, and therefore armor painted with oil paint was preferable to unpainted armor, since it was less susceptible to rust, and on the other hand, the blacksmiths who made the armor often used the paint themselves so that hide existing defects in cheap armor. As a rule, expensive armor was polished, and if it was necessary to give it a black color, it was not painted, but blued, which even better protected the armor from the effects of rust.
Cheap armor usually weighed about 12 kg, while expensive bulletproof armor was gray. The 16th century could weigh all of 30-35 kg, for comparison: the armor of the beginning of the same 16th century weighed about 20-25 kg and covered the entire body.
Hussar armor
The armor of a winged hussar, consisting of a segmented cuirass with long shoulder pads and wings attached to the back, bracers, and a shishak-type helmet (kapalin). Used mainly in the 17th century.
The early hussars of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth of the early 16th century did not have metal armor, but wore only quilted caftans. Soon they had chain mail and chapels, borrowed from the Hungarians. Everything changed at the end of the 16th century - with Stefan Batory. This was cuirassier style cavalry. They often wore the skins of various animals over their armor, and also wore wings, which they wore on the side or back of the saddle, or even on the shield. But the armor itself, as a rule, was imported from Western Europe. The armor acquired its classic look only mid-17th century century - during the reign of Vladislav IV. But firearms developed, and therefore hussars in metal armor lost their importance. In the 18th century, the hussars gradually turned into a ceremonial army. And finally, in 1776, the duties of the hussars were transferred to the lancers, along with which the armor was no longer used.
The cuirass was forged with a thickness of 2 to 3.5 mm, and provided good protection against many types of bladed weapons. Weight was no more than 15 kg. The cuirass consisted of a backrest and a breastplate, a collar (necklace) and shoulder pads were connected to the cuirass with leather straps or steel loops. Bracers were worn to protect the forearms and elbows, so mobility was high. All elements of armor could often be decorated with copper or brass. The quality of finishing depended on the price of the armor. For example, armor bought according to the common practice in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, by a rich hussar for a poor one, often had a crude finish that looked impressive only from a distance. While the armor of the master captain (who usually acted as one or another magnate) was distinguished by its subtlety and luxurious finish.
Classic hussar armor had bracers to protect the arms from wrist to elbow, and earlier, depending on the price, could be limited to chain mail sleeves, sometimes worn with plate gloves. As for the protection of the legs of poor nobles, whose armor (and often the war horse too) belonged to a comrade (and there were often more than two-thirds of such nobles in a hussar company, since a rich noble, becoming a hussar, was obliged to bring with him several warriors equipped at his own expense , and naturally, he did not bring serfs, but simply impoverished nobles), there was no separate protection for the legs. But those who owned the armor of the poorer hussars often had plate leg protection in the cuirassier style - from segmented leg guards ending in knee pads. In the early version, the upper part of the thighs could be covered with chain mail, both with chain mail worn under a cuirass, and with armor consisting of chain mail and a helmet, there could also be a chain mail hem worn with chain mail hands in addition to the cuirass.
Initially, in the 16th century, the wing was a trapezoidal shield, which at first was simply painted by drawing feathers on it, and then they began to decorate it with real feathers. During the reform of the hussars by Stefan Batory, shields were replaced by a cuirass by royal decree. But, nevertheless, the wing did not disappear, but turned into a wooden strip with feathers, held in the hand like a shield.
By the end of the 16th century (that is, more than a decade and a half before the “carousel”), the wing began to be attached to the left side of the saddle, and soon a second wing appeared, attached to the right. And by 1635, both wings crawled behind the back, remaining attached to the saddle. During the years of the “bloody flood,” when, due to the protracted war, according to eyewitnesses, only every tenth hussar was dressed in armor, wings also became a rarity. After the end of the protracted war, when the economy began to recover, the hetman, and then the king, John III Sobieski, made every effort to dress all the hussars in armor again, at the same time a fashion arose to attach wings not to the saddle, but to the cuirass. However, the Lithuanian hussars (and Lithuania and Poland constituted one state, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth) even then continued to attach their wings to the saddle, and not to the cuirass.
Feathers - eagle, falcon, crane or ostrich, or brass plates instead of feathers - were attached to a wooden frame or a metal tube from 110 to 170 cm long.
According to different theories of wings, the following functions are attributed:
-protection from the lasso, which was actively used by the Cossacks, Turks and Tatars.
-additional back protection against blows from cold weapons.
-when riding, the wings made a sound that could frighten enemy horses.
- in case of falling from the saddle, the impact on the ground was absorbed.
These wings were attached to the back of the cuirass on brackets, or were held on belts and, if necessary, were quickly unfastened. But they still had several drawbacks. This is, first of all, aerodynamic resistance and additional mass, which complicates the movement of the rider. It was also impossible to carry anything on your back. In addition, there were options not with two, but with one wing. This significantly reduced efficiency and looked worse, but it reduced weight and cost. The wings could also be attached not to the back, but to the saddle. This significantly increased the mobility of the rider, in which case they did not have to be removed. But at the same time, they could no longer protect themselves when falling from a horse. In addition, the wings could be not only of natural color, but also painted in different colors. The most widespread use of wings was among the Poles. Along with them, the wings were also used by some Serbian, Hungarian and Turkish cavalrymen.
Shishak, or kapelina (Polish kapalin), is a hemispherical helmet with a visor, ears, backplate and enlarged nosepiece, in some versions similar in size to a mask or half-mask.
It was made from two welded plates, to which a visor was riveted, a segmented backplate was attached, the ears were held on leather straps, and the nosepiece passed through the crown and was movable. This type of helmet came to Poland from Hungary, as a modification of the Russian erikhonka, which in turn arose on the basis of eastern shishaks. The top of the Polish helmet was decorated with either a spire or a high crest, which had a protective function. Then from Poland this type of helmet came to Europe, spread in France as “Capeline” (French) and in Germany as “Pappenheimer” (German: Pappenheimer-Helm), and later other popular helmets were developed on its basis. But many of them still retained the transliterated name “shishak”. Therefore, the hussars wore not only Polish-made helmets, but also captured ones, including German and Turkish ones.
Most likely, talking about medieval armor, the imagination of most of us pictures something heavy, bulky and bulky. Something like that:
And not everyone knows that in reality everything was not quite like that.
This is better:
This beautifully acid-etched armored suit from the late Middle Ages no longer looks like a heavy shell, but still gives the impression of bulky and uncomfortable armor. However, it was created specifically for wear and has certain parameters that should fit the owner's size, so it will look much better on a person.
But this is a completely different conversation!
Meet Dr. Tobias Capwell, fully clad in homemade armor based on a sculpture dating back to the 1450s. This perfectly fitted “second skin” is designed to protect the life and health of its owner in tournament competitions or in foot combat. Now you can see how intimidating the right armor can look - it seems as if he is capable of putting an entire army to flight even without a sword.
“Medieval armor was restrictive and heavy”
Properly created armor does not restrict the movement of its wearer. Moreover, the above armor also allows a person to increase the range of movement. The exact weight of this combat equipment is unknown, but usually medieval warriors preferred not to wear armor heavier than 30 kilograms. Although this armor was expertly crafted from modern materials, its design is entirely inspired by the armor protection created over 500 years ago.
“The knights actually bludgeoned each other until one of them fell.”
Methods of historical fencing in Western and eastern countries vary a little. Here, for example, is a 15th century engraving by the German fencing master Hans Thalhoffer, which demonstrates the “Mordschlag” (German death blow) technique and counteraction to it. Of course, the piercing and cutting blows of the sword are ineffective against a full set of closed armor, but using it as a hammer, you can seriously stun the enemy with the hilt or guard.
Here's “Mordschlag” in action
It shows both the possibility of this destructive attack and the strength of the armor - without it, the human skull would have lost its integrity long ago. And so the wearer of the armor (previously prepared for such a technique) merely lost consciousness due to the impact of the impact power and was unable to continue the battle. It should also be taken into account that the knights were trained in hand-to-hand combat techniques, working with one-handed and two-handed weapons, daggers, stilettos, knives, methods for countering and methods of countering counteractions.
This is probably the apotheosis of the medieval art of armor making
This combat equipment was created for the English king Henry VIII and his participation in foot knightly competitions in tournaments. This armor may seem odd to some due to its steel rear design, but look closely and you will realize that this is one of the first protective armor suits that completely hides vulnerable human flesh from the merciless edge of a weapon. By the way, the American aerospace agency NASA studied this armor in detail when creating the first space suit.
And finally, an example that a knight does not necessarily need to have a sword in his hand to hit the enemy with a shield.
A protective covering used to protect a person from various types of weapons, both close combat and ranged (for example, bows). Armor was used to protect both soldiers and war animals such as war horses (horse armor was called barding).
Armor has been used throughout history and was made from a variety of materials; Starting with the simplest leather armor, personal armor has evolved to armor. For most of military history the production of metal armor in Europe was the most technologically advanced process. The production of armor was the reason for the development of many technologies ancient world, such as wood processing, mining, metal cleaning, manufacturing Vehicle(for example, chariots), leather processing, and, later, decorative metal processing. This production influenced the development of the Industrial Revolution, and influenced the commercial development of metallurgy and engineering.
Technologies armor were the single most influential factor in the development of firearms that revolutionized the battlefield.
Materials
Has been used for centuries big variety materials for the production of armor: hides, leather, bones, linen, wood, bronze, iron plates. The armor's resistance to penetrating impact depends on the thickness of the steel - 2mm thick steel can withstand 3 times more impact energy than 1mm thick steel.
Characteristics of armor
Since the 15th century, most of the human body has been protected by specialized steel pieces, usually worn over linen or wool underwear, which are secured to the body with leather straps, clasps and ties. Chain mail protected areas that could not be protected by plate armor; for example, the back and knees. Known components of plate armor include the helmet, gauntlets, breastplate, and.
Complete for the elite armor was made individually. Most armor was purchased "as is", but some armor was customized to suit the individual wearer. The cost of armor varied greatly depending on the era and place, and included both the cost of production and the cost of decoration of the armor. In the 8th century, chain mail cost 12 oxen; by 1600, a horse's armor cost 2 oxen. A typical full plate suit of armor cost approximately £1 in 14th century England, with a warrior earning around 1 shilling per day during the same period. Thus, the armor cost approximately 20 days of service. But plate armor was only available to those who could buy it: the nobility, landowners, and mercenary professional warriors who were the bulk of armies in the Medieval period. Lower ranking soldiers wore significantly less armor. Full plate armor made the wearer virtually invulnerable to sword blows, and also provided significant protection against arrows, clubs, and even early firearms. The edge of the sword could not penetrate the relatively thin plate (only 1 mm). Additionally, although arrows from bows and crossbows, as well as early firearms, could pierce plates, especially with close range, Later improvements in steel processing techniques and armor design made this method of attack much more difficult. As the pinnacle of development, the hardened steel armor was almost impregnable on the battlefield. Knights were more vulnerable to polearms such as halberds and blunt weapons such as maces or war hammers, the blows of which caused damage without piercing armor, and resulted in injuries such as fractures, internal hemorrhages, and/or traumatic brain injuries. Other tactics were aimed at striking between pieces of armor, using daggers, spears and the points of other weapons, hitting the eyes or joints.
Contrary to common misconceptions, well-made medieval "battle" armor (as opposed primarily to the ceremonial "ceremonial" or "tournament" armor favored by kings and nobles of later years) hindered its wearer no more than modern military equipment. It must be remembered that the knight was trained to wear armor from adolescence, and he was able to develop the technique and endurance to run, crawl, climb ladders, as well as climb onto a horse without a crane. Full medieval plate armor supposedly weighed about 30kg, and was on average lighter than modern military equipment (up to 50kg).
History of armor
Many factors have influenced the development of armor throughout human history. The most significant factors in the development of armor include the economic and technological needs of production. For example, plate armor first appeared in Medieval Europe, when waterwheel-powered hammers made plate formation faster and cheaper. Likewise, modern militaries generally do not provide their soldiers with the best protection, as it would be extremely expensive. Throughout time, the development of armor has paralleled the development of weapons on the battlefield, and armorers have strived to create better protection without sacrificing mobility.
Mail armor
Chain mail is made of iron rings connected to each other, which can be riveted or welded. Mail is believed to have been invented by the Celts in Eastern Europe around 500 BC. As the Celts moved west, chain mail began to spread. Most cultures that used chain mail used the Celtic word "byrnne" or variations thereof, implying the Celts as the creators. The Roman army used chain mail throughout most of its history. Following the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD, the infrastructure for making plate armor was largely lost in Europe, leaving chainmail to be the best armor available during the Early Medieval Period.
Transition to plate armor
Gradually, small additional plates or discs of iron were added to the chain mail to protect vulnerable areas. By the end of 1200. the knees were thus protected, and two round discs called "besagews" protected the armpits. There are many known ways to improve the protection of chain mail, and in all likelihood, armorers experimented with various options for protection. Reinforced leather and pinned devices were used to protect parts of the arms and legs. The plate jacket appeared, armor made of large plates sewn onto a textile or leather jacket (sometimes quite long).
Early plate armor in Italy, and in other places in the 13-15th centuries it was made of iron. Iron armor could be carburized or tempered to produce a harder surface. Plate armor became cheaper than chain mail by the 15th century because it was less labor-intensive to manufacture, and labor became much more expensive after the bubonic plague epidemic in Europe in 1348-49, although it required more metal to produce. Mail continued to be used to protect those parts of the body that could not be adequately protected by plates, such as the armpits, elbows and groin. Another advantage of the armor was that the support for the spear could be mounted on the chest plate.
Probably the most recognizable style of armor in the world is plate armor, associated with the knights of the European Late Middle Ages.
Until about 1400, a full set of plate armor was developed in the armories of Lombardy. Heavy cavalry dominated the battlefield for centuries due in part to their armor.
In the early 15th century, small "hand guns" began to be used on the battlefields of the Hussite Wars, in combination with gorod tactics, allowing infantry to defeat armored knights on the battlefield. At the same time, crossbows became powerful enough to pierce armor. Instead of eradicating armor as a class, the threat of firearms stimulated improvement protective properties armor This was a 150 year period in which better and more metallurgically advanced steel armor was used, due to the danger posed by firearms. Thus, firearms and armored cavalry were "menace and retribution" together on the battlefield for almost 400 years. By the 15th century, plate armor in Italy was almost always made of steel. In southern Germany, gunsmiths began to harden their steel armor only at the end of the 15th century.
Quality of metal used for manufacturing armor, worsened as armies became larger and armor was made thicker, requiring the removal of riding horses. If during the 14th-15th centuries armor rarely weighed more than 15 kg, then by the end of the 16th century the armor weighed 25 kg. The increasing weight and thickness of late 16th century armor gave a significant increase in strength.
During the appearance of the first pistols and arquebuses, firearms had a relatively low bullet speed. Full armor, or breshtuks, actually stopped bullets fired from short distances. The front gaps were actually zeroed in during testing of the armor. The point of impact of the bullet was often surrounded by an engraving to indicate it. This was called "proof". Armor often bore the manufacturer's insignia, especially if it was good quality. Crossbow arrows, if still in use, rarely penetrated good armor, as no bullet penetrated except those fired at close range.
In fact, rather than rendering armor obsolete, the advent of firearms stimulated the development of armor in its later stages. For much of the period, the armor allowed riders to fight while constantly in the crosshairs of arquebusiers without becoming easy targets. Full suits of armor were commonly worn by generals and royal commanders until the second decade of the 18th century. This was the only way to be safe away from the battlefield from distant musket fire.
The horses were protected from spears and infantry weapons by steel plate "bard" protection. This gave protection to the horse and enhanced the visual impression of the mounted knight. Later, elaborately crafted bards were used in ceremonial armor .
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