HOW MUCH DID THE KNIGHT WEIGH?
Historians and researchers of the Middle Ages I. Flyade and G. Lenz write that the word “knight” comes from the German “ritter”, and it, in turn, from the word “reiter”, i.e. "rider". This rider in full gear weighed... 170 kg!
In the 11th-16th centuries, plate tournament armor - and tournament armor was more massive than combat armor - weighed about 40 kg. Combat, Milanese work, consisting of 6 parts - about 30 kg. All other weapons, including the spear - maximum 20 kg. What can you say about horse armor? Specimens of Polish and German armor preserved in museums around the world, which included a breastplate, a breastplate, and plates that protected the eyes and neck, weigh about 20 kg.
So, if you add up all the above numbers, you get 65-70 kg. Plus the weight of a massive saddle is 15 kg. If we assume that the knight weighed 80-90 kg, then in the end we have 160-170 kg. This is exactly the weight the knight's horse carried.
The horses on which the knights fought battles or performed in tournaments resembled today's heavy trucks in appearance, and were not at all similar to the cavalry horses of later times.
Knight's horses were bred in special stables, which were managed by marshals. It was a court rank, which only became a military rank in the 17th century. A good strong horse cost an entire village with 100 peasants, and knightly combat armor with weapons cost the same as 2-3 horses, or even more. In Budapest, in the Knights' Hall of the Royal Museum, samples of knightly weapons are exhibited. For example, Czech battle ax The 14th century is only 114 cm long, but not every man can lift it and hold it above his head. Two-handed sword of a German knight of the 15th century, the so-called. “The Crucifixion of Christ”, weighs 16.6 kg and has a length of 170 cm. The knight did not go on a campaign alone. He was followed by a squire (he was carrying two-handed sword, tied to a horse), two archers, a foot spearman and two servants. This detachment was called a “spear”. A large knight's castle could display up to 10 or more such “copies”.
WHAT POWERPOSSESSEDKNIGHT?
Judging by the annals and chronicles of those times - very considerable. For example, Cesare Borgia (son of Pope Alexander II) could cut off the head of a bull with a blow of his sword, and overturn a horse with a blow of his fist. The Polish knight Zawisza Pairny, the hero of the Battle of Grunwald in 1410, could squeeze the juice from an oak branch with his hand, throw a spear at a distance of 70 meters, and jump over a horse while wearing light armor. The German knight Conrad von Swan, according to a 16th-century chronicle, defending his castle, struck the attackers for two hours without a break with a huge two-handed sword, killing 19 people. Ruler Tzimisces, fully armed, leaning on a spear, could jump over four horses placed side by side, and also lifted a horse onto his shoulders and ran with it up to 50 meters.
In the Louvre there is a spear of the famous French knight of the 14th century Maurice de Gillaume, with which, according to legend, he killed 176 people in battles with the British over 10 years. The spear weighs 19 kg and has a diameter of 7 centimeters. The Russian prince Bobrok could cut a horse in half with a Tatar saber. A skilled medieval English archer could use a combat bow (170 cm long) with a yard arrow (91 cm) to pierce a knight's armor from 300 meters. The Saracen leader and talented military leader Salah-Ad-Din (Saladin) fought with two Damascus sabers at the same time, and once in a battle with the crusaders he chopped up 9 knights in armor, cutting them from the collarbone to the thigh.
These are the glorious knights that used to be!
LIKE KNIGHTSDID YOU FIGHT?
Always on horseback. Knights fought on foot only in duels “on trampled ground” or on lists: one on one or group against group. The crusaders' favorite formation before battle was the wedge, or "pig", as it was called Slavic warriors. The tip of the wedge consisted of 5 to 35 knights, each subsequent row increased by 5-10 people. Each wedge had from 200 to 350 horsemen. In major battles, the crusaders formed 9 wedges, which made up three battle lines. This is how Henryk Sienkiewicz described the knights of the 14th century: “Well, what brave Germans! The knight will bend down to the pommel of his saddle, point his spear, and before the battle, one will rush at the whole army, like a hawk at a flock. Which knights are the best? The English and Scots are the best shooters with bows and crossbows; they can pierce a shell with a person inside, and can hit a pigeon within a hundred paces. The Czechs and Serbs cut their fears like axes. As for two-handed sword, so here the German will not yield to anyone. A Swiss can easily split a helmet with an iron hammer; but no better than a knight than from French soil. This one fights both on horseback and on foot, with spears, swords or axes.”
Chainmail- This is a type of armor that consists of small metal rings connected together in the form of a network.
The word “chain mail” itself denotes the material (fabric of chain mail rings), and not products made from it. For example, a shirt made of chain mail is called hauberk when it is knee-length, haubergon when it is mid-thigh length, and bernie when it is waist-length. Chain mail gaiters are called , a chain mail hood is called a coif, and chain mail mittens are called mitons. A chainmail collar suspended from a helmet is called. A chain mail collar wrapped around the neck is called a pixan. Chainmail was often used for decorative purposes and in jewelry.
Story
Earliest finds chain mail date back to the 4th century BC, they were found in Celtic burials in Romania. It is believed that the Roman Republic first encountered chain mail during battles with the Gauls in Cisalpine Gaul (now Northern Italy). The Roman army adapted the technology for its troops in the form, which was used as the main form of armor during the Imperial period.
The use of chainmail can be traced throughout the Dark Ages, the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, and reached its apogee (in terms of body covering) in Europe during the 13th century, when chainmail covered the entire body.
In the 14th century they were widely used to strengthen chain mail. Typically, chain mail was reinforced with plates in most parts. However, chain mail was still widely used by many soldiers, along with brigands and quilts. These three types of armor made up the vast majority of all types of armor used at the time, and chain mail was the most expensive of them all. Often chain mail was more expensive than plate armor. A chainmail shirt woven between two layers of fabric was called a jazzerant, and could be worn as protective clothing.
The chain mail that has survived to this day is represented in various museum collections.
The Japanese used chain mail (kusari) in limited types of armor during the early Nambokuchi period (1336-1392). Two basic weaving methods were used: a 4-in-1 square (husari) and a 6-in-1 hexagon (hana gusari). Kusari was usually made from rings much smaller than those used in European chain mail, and kusari was used on a much smaller scale - instead of making a full coat of mail, small pieces of it were used to connect armor plates and to cover vulnerable areas such as the armpits. The rings were neither welded nor riveted, although some sections were woven from rings with two or more twists, similar to modern key chains. The rings were varnished to prevent corrosion, and were always sewn to fabric or leather. Kusari was sometimes hidden between layers of fabric or leather.
The effectiveness of chain mail
Mail armor provides effective protection against slashing and piercing attacks piercing weapon; The Royal Armories in Leeds (Great Britain) concluded that “... it is practically impossible to pierce chain mail with any ordinary weapon.” In general, chainmail's resistance to weapons is determined by four factors: the type of joint (jointed, riveted, or welded), the materials used (iron, bronze, or steel), the density of the weave (tighter weave requires a thinner weapon to penetrate the chainmail), and the thickness of the rings (usually 1-3 mm). Chainmail, if a warrior could afford it, gave a significant advantage to the warrior when using appropriate fighting techniques. However, a strong blow with a sword perpendicular to the surface of the chain mail could cut its rings; if the chain mail was not riveted, a precise blow from a spear or thin sword could penetrate it; a blow from a pollax or halberd could also penetrate chain mail. Special arrows, known as awls, were specifically designed to penetrate light chain mail through holes in its rings. Surviving evidence suggests that during combat the main tendency was to bypass armored areas rather than trying to penetrate them - this is shown by a study of skeletons found in Visby, Sweden - most of the skeletons had wounds on the less protected legs.
The flexibility of chainmail meant that a crushing blow could often wound the warrior wearing it, causing serious bruises and fractures, and chainmail was poor protection for the head. Mail-clad warriors usually wore separate helmets over their mail coifs to protect their heads. Moreover, blunt weapons such as clubs and war hammers could inflict injury through chain mail without destroying it, so it was common to wear soft armor such as padded armor underneath the chain mail. Chain mail was nevertheless of great importance in reducing the risk of cuts and infections, which were very dangerous to the life of a soldier at that time.
Making chain mail
Several ways to connect rings chain mail have been known since ancient times, of which the most common was the 4-in-1 weave (when each ring is connected to four others). In Europe, 4-in-1 weaving had complete dominance. Chain mail was also widespread in East Asia, mainly in Japan, where several other weaving methods were used.
Historically, in Europe, in the pre-Roman period, the rings of chain mail were riveted to reduce the likelihood of the rings coming apart when stabbed or hit by an arrow. Until the 14th century, European chain mail was made from successively connected riveted and welded rings. Later, chain mail was made only from riveted rings. The rings were made of wrought iron. Some later mail pieces were made from forged steel with a noticeable carbon content, allowing for hardening. 
Wire for riveted rings was made in two ways. One method was to hammer the iron into plates, which were then cut. These thin strips were then pulled through a drawing board until the required diameter was achieved. Several manuscripts from the time show a water wheel used for this operation. Another method was simply forging iron rods and then drawing them into wire. The ends of the rings were connected using a punch. Forge welding was also used to join rings, but the only known example of such chain mail in Europe dates back to the 7th century - the Coppergate Mail Cape. Outside Europe, this method was more common, for example the well-known “theta” weaving from India.
Historical reconstruction
Many historical reenactment clubs, especially those focusing on antiquity and the Middle Ages, make extensive use of chain mail as armor and as part of costume. Chain mail is especially popular with clubs that use steel weapons. A warrior wearing a hauberk and shoss can run, get up from the ground, jump, somersault, and even swim full equipment, depending on the level of physical fitness. A modern reconstruction of a hauberk made from rings with an internal diameter of 10 mm weighs about 10 kg, and contains from 15,000 to 45,000 rings. Chain mail can be worn under casual clothes, and some reenactors wear the hauberk under their regular clothing to get used to it.
One of the two main disadvantages of chain mail is that its weight is unevenly distributed; The main burden falls on the shoulders. Weight can be more evenly distributed by using a belt worn over the chain mail, which provides another point of support.
Chain mail in films
Some films use knitted fabric painted with metallic paint instead of chainmail to keep the film's budget down (for example, Monty Paton and the Holy Grail, which was made on a very low budget). Films more attentive to costume precision often use ABS plastic (high-impact engineering resin) to make chainmail rings, to reduce cost and weight. Hundreds of these chainmails were made for the Lord of the Rings trilogy, in addition to regular metal chainmail. Metal chain mail is rarely used in films due to their weight, except in scenes close-up, in which chain mail made of ABS plastic no longer look believable.
Scientists became interested in how much energy a person dressed in Western European knightly armor spends. Modern fans of reenacting historical battles wear lighter armor than the warriors who wore them in the 15th century. Solid articulated armor was produced only in Europe, so to speak, for their own needs, because they fought in such clothing only in Europe. In Asia, it was rarely found only among Turkish sipahis.
Last weekend, the first Crossroads of Times festival took place on the Zaporozhye island of Khortitsa. dedicated to the Day christening of Rus', which took place in the format of a knight's tournament. Men dressed in knightly costumes from various eras took part in impromptu duels and mass battles. Modern armor weighs from 10 to 30 kilograms. When the thermometer exceeds the 30-degree mark, fighting with such equipment is not at all easy. Medieval warriors had it even worse - in the 15th century, the weight of knightly armor ranged from 30 to 50 kilograms.
Researchers from the University of Leeds have found that moving with armor is twice as difficult as without it. According to a web magazine covering biology, Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the volunteers participating in the experiment put on knightly armor and stood on a treadmill. Sensors were attached to them to record exhaled air, pulse rate, blood pressure and other physiological parameters while the subjects were walking or running.
The experiment showed that walking in armor consumes 2.1-2.3 times more energy than without it. During running, this figure increased by 1.9 times. The researchers also found that energy consumption when wearing armor is higher than when moving with an equal weight load on the hands. This is due to overcoming the resistance of the armor when moving the limbs.
Answering the simple question of how much knightly armor weighed on average is not so simple. The whole problem lies in the evolution that this military vestment has undergone. The immediate predecessors of Western European knights were heavily armed cavalry - cataphracts(translated: “booked” or “clad in iron”). In late Antiquity and the early Middle Ages, they were part of the Iranian, late Roman and Byzantine armies. Accordingly, the prototype for knightly armor was the protective vestment of cataphracts.
From the first half of the 12th century, chain mail woven from steel rings (sometimes in two or three layers) became widespread. Chain mail existed until the middle of the 14th century. In the next century, armor appeared that protected the most vulnerabilities. In addition, chain mail could no longer protect against a novelty that had appeared in military affairs - firearms.
The individual parts of the knight's armor were connected to each other with rivets, and the parts were fastened with straps and buckles. Total parts of Western European knightly vestments sometimes reached two hundred, and their total weight could be 55 kilograms. Russian warriors, who mostly fought with steppe nomads, wore lighter armor, which weighed about the same as the average load of a modern paratrooper, that is, about 20-35 kilograms.
The armor of the 15th century reliably protected against damage from arrows from a bow, and withstood the blows of crossbow bolts and arquebus bullets fired from a distance of 25-30 meters. Neither darts, nor spears, nor even swords, with the exception of heavier two-handed swords, could penetrate them.
In the second half of the 15th century, the art of forging knightly armor reached its highest development, not only from a technological point of view, but also from an artistic one. Knightly armor for the nobility was decorated very richly: they were covered with niello (a special alloy of silver, lead and sulfur), they were tauched (inlaid with metal on metal) or notched (filling specially made “grooves” in the armor with non-ferrous metal - gold, silver, aluminum). Deep embossing and bluing were also used, that is, obtaining iron oxides on the surface of the steel. Moreover, the latter was used not only for decorative purposes, but also for pragmatic ones, as it helped reduce metal corrosion. Also used was a method of decorating armor such as gold plating or gilding. To cover military vestments with a layer of this precious metal, gold was first dissolved in mercury and stirred with a graphite rod until completely dissolved. The resulting amalgam was poured into water and cooled, after which it was applied to the prepared product. The “uniforms” of the Italian knights were considered the most beautiful.
In the 16th century, a new “style” of knightly armor appeared, which, unlike the Gothic ones, began to be called Maximilian, in honor of the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I of Habsburg (1459-1519), nicknamed " the last knight". However, in German there is another equivalent for their name - Riefelharnisch, and in English they are also not always called Maximilian armor, A fluted armor.
Distinctive feature This armor, the peak of which was spread from 1515 to 1525, had grooves covering the entire surface, which increased the strength of the metal and diverted bladed weapons to the side. The armor consisted of the following parts: a helmet with a visor and throat cover, a necklace, a breastplate and a backrest, two shoulder guards, two bracers and two elbow pads, two mittens or two gloves, a belly, leg guards, leggings and two boots.
On average, the weight of knightly armor reached 22.7-29.5 kilograms; helmet - from 2.3 to 5.5 kilograms; chain mail under the armor - about seven kilograms; shield - 4.5 kilograms. Total weight knightly armor could approach 36.5-46.5 kilograms. Knocked out of the saddle, the knights could no longer mount their horses on their own. For foot combat they used special armor with a steel skirt instead of leggings and boots.
Scientists became interested in how much energy a person dressed in Western European knightly armor spends. Modern fans of reenacting historical battles wear lighter armor than the warriors who wore them in the 15th century. Solid articulated armor was produced only in Europe, so to speak, for their own needs, because they fought in such clothing only in Europe. In Asia, it was rarely found only among Turkish sipahis.
At one of the festivals “Crossroads of Times”, dedicated to the Day of the Baptism of Rus', which took place in the format of a knightly tournament, men dressed in knightly costumes of various eras participated in impromptu duels and mass battles. Modern armor weighs from 10 to 30 kilograms. When the thermometer exceeds the 30-degree mark, fighting with such equipment is not at all easy. Medieval warriors had it even worse - in the 15th century, the weight of knightly armor ranged from 30 to 50 kilograms.
Researchers from the University of Leeds have found that moving with armor is twice as difficult as without it. According to the biology web journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, volunteers participating in the experiment donned knight's armor and stood on a treadmill. Sensors were attached to them to record exhaled air, heart rate, blood pressure and other physiological parameters while the subjects walked or ran.
The experiment showed that walking in armor consumes 2.1-2.3 times more energy than without it. During running, this figure increased by 1.9 times. The researchers also found that energy consumption when wearing armor is higher than when moving with an equal weight load on the hands. This is due to overcoming the resistance of the armor when moving the limbs.
Answering the simple question of how much knightly armor weighed on average is not so simple. The whole problem lies in the evolution that this military vestment has undergone. The immediate predecessors of Western European knights were heavily armed horsemen - cataphracts (translated: “armored” or “clad in iron”). In late Antiquity and the early Middle Ages, they were part of the Iranian, late Roman and Byzantine armies. Accordingly, the prototype for knightly armor was the protective vestment of cataphracts.
From the first half of the 12th century, chain mail woven from steel rings (sometimes in two or three layers) became widespread. Chain mail existed until the middle of the 14th century.
In the next century, armor appeared that protected the most vulnerable places. In addition, chain mail could no longer protect against a new product that had appeared in military affairs - firearms.
English armor of the 14th century
The individual parts of the knight's armor were connected to each other with rivets, and the parts were fastened with straps and buckles. The total number of parts of Western European knightly vestments sometimes reached two hundred, and their total weight could be 55 kilograms.
Russian warriors, For the most part, those who fought with the steppe nomads wore lighter armor, which weighed about the same as the average load of a modern paratrooper, that is, about 20-35 kilograms.
The armor of the 15th century reliably protected against damage from arrows from a bow, and withstood the blows of crossbow bolts and arquebus bullets fired from a distance of 25-30 meters. Neither darts, nor spears, nor even swords, with the exception of heavier two-handed swords, could penetrate them.
English armor of the 15th century
In the second half of the 15th century, the art of forging knightly armor reached its highest development, not only from a technological point of view, but also from an artistic one. Knightly armor for the nobility was decorated very richly: they were covered with niello (a special alloy of silver, lead and sulfur), they were tauched (inlaid with metal on metal) or notched (filling specially made “grooves” in the armor with non-ferrous metal - gold, silver, aluminum). Deep embossing and bluing were also used, that is, obtaining iron oxides on the surface of the steel.
Moreover, the latter was used not only for decorative purposes, but also for pragmatic ones, as it helped reduce metal corrosion. Also used was a method of decorating armor such as gold plating or gilding. To cover military vestments with a layer of this precious metal, gold was first dissolved in mercury and stirred with a graphite rod until completely dissolved. The resulting amalgam was poured into water and cooled, after which it was applied to the prepared product. The “uniforms” of the Italian knights were considered the most beautiful.
Maximilian armor
In the 16th century, a new “style” of knightly armor appeared, which, unlike the Gothic ones, began to be called Maximilian, in honor of the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I of Habsburg (1459-1519), nicknamed the “last knight”. However, in German there is another equivalent for their name - Riefelharnisch, and in English they are also not always called Maximilian armor, but fluted armor.
The armor was a complex mechanical structure, consisting of more than two hundred individual parts, made individually for a specific person. To carry it, good physical training was required, since its weight without weapons was at least three poods (fifty kilograms).
The main part of Maximilian's armor is the aventail, a plate with a cutout for the neck, it was intended to protect the collarbone and shoulders. The remaining parts of the armor were attached to it. The chest and back of the knight were protected by armor, which consisted of two halves. In front, for greater reliability, a belly pad was put on the armor. It was made from a set of metal plates connected by hinges. Upper part The armor was reinforced by mantles, to which bracers were attached. They consisted of two parts, connected by a hinged elbow pad, which allowed the knight to bend his arm. A belt or spring mechanism connecting the armor and mantles ensured free movement of the arms.
But that's not all. A special throat plate and butt plate were attached to the top of the aventail, which protected the neck from a slashing blow from behind.
The lower part of the helmet rested on the throat plate, protecting the chin and lower part of the face. The upper part was upholstered from the inside soft skin and lay freely on the knight's head. Only when the visor was lowered were the parts of the helmet connected into a single rigid structure.
The knight's legs were protected by steel legguards, to which hinged knee pads were attached. The shins were covered with special leggings, consisting of a front and back half.
Not only the inside of the helmet, but also the surface of the armor was covered with leather, and in places of possible impacts, felt or woolen plates were inserted under the skin. On the outside, Maximilian armor was decorated with various patterns and engravings.
To prevent the metal armor from chafing the body, the knight wore a gambizon underneath - a thin quilted robe consisting of a short jacket and pants. After the advent of lightweight tournament armor, the gambizon was no longer used, replacing it with a leather camisole and leggings.
Dressed in Maximilian armor, the knight was practically unable to move without assistance. In a combat situation, he was constantly accompanied by a squire. He served necessary weapons and helped the knight get off his horse.
Special steel recipes were developed for armor. Thanks to special hardening, they protected from almost all types of throwing and cutting weapons. Making armor was a long and difficult task, since all the parts were bent by hand using cold forging.
Curiously, hard metal armor became widespread only in Europe. In the countries of the East, Maximilian armor was replaced by long metal chain mail, to which metal plates - mirrors - were attached to the back and chest.
The use of chain mail was explained by the fact that the main branch of the military in the East was cavalry, the success of which was ensured by speed and maneuverability. But it is difficult to even imagine how a cavalry charge could be carried out if it involved horses loaded to the limit with metal.
turkish armor
Russian armor
On average, the weight of knightly armor reached 22.7-29.5 kilograms; helmet - from 2.3 to 5.5 kilograms; chain mail under the armor - about seven kilograms; shield - 4.5 kilograms. The total weight of knightly armor could be close to 36.5-46.5 kilograms. Knocked out of the saddle, the knights could no longer mount their horses on their own. For foot combat they used special armor with a steel skirt instead of leggings and boots.
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“Oh, knights, arise, the hour of action has come!
Shields, steel helmets and you have armor.
Your dedicated sword is ready to fight for your faith.
Give me strength, oh God, for new glorious battles.
I, a beggar, will take rich spoils there.
I don’t need gold and I don’t need land,
But maybe I will be, singer, mentor, warrior,
Rewarded with heavenly bliss forever"
(Walter von der Vogelweide. Translation by V. Levick)
A sufficient number of articles on the topic of knightly weapons and, in particular, knightly armor have already been published on the VO website. However, this topic is so interesting that you can delve into it for a very long time. The reason for turning to her again is banal... weight. Weight of armor and weapons. Alas, I recently asked students again how much a knight’s sword weighs, and received the following set of numbers: 5, 10 and 15 kilograms. They considered chain mail weighing 16 kg to be very light, although not all of them did, and the weight of plate armor at just over 20 kilos was simply ridiculous.
Figures of a knight and a horse in full protective equipment. Traditionally, knights were imagined exactly like this - “chained in armor.” (Cleveland Museum of Art)
At VO, naturally, “things with weight” are much better due to regular publications on this topic. However, the opinion about the excessive weight of the “knightly costume” of the classical type has not yet been eradicated here. Therefore, it makes sense to return to this topic and consider it with specific examples.
Western European chain mail (hauberk) 1400 - 1460 Weight 10.47 kg. (Cleveland Museum of Art)
Let's start with the fact that British weapons historians created a very reasonable and clear classification of armor according to their specific characteristics and ultimately divided the entire Middle Ages, guided, naturally, by available sources, into three eras: “the era of chain mail”, “the era of mixed chain mail and plate protective weapons" and "the era of solid forged armor." All three eras together make up the period from 1066 to 1700. Accordingly, the first era has a frame of 1066 - 1250, the second - the era of chain mail-plate armor - 1250 - 1330. But then this: the early stage in the development of knightly plate armor(1330 - 1410), " great period"in the history of knights in “white armor” (1410 - 1500) and the era of the decline of knightly armor (1500 - 1700).
Chain mail together with a helmet and aventail (aventail) XIII - XIV centuries. (Royal Arsenal, Leeds)
During the years of “wonderful Soviet education” we had never heard of such periodization. But in the school textbook “History of the Middle Ages” for VΙ grade for many years, with some rehashes, one could read the following:
“It was not easy for the peasants to defeat even one feudal lord. The mounted warrior - the knight - was armed with a heavy sword and a long spear. He could cover himself from head to toe with a large shield. The knight's body was protected by chain mail - a shirt woven from iron rings. Later, chain mail was replaced by armor - armor made of iron plates.
Classic knightly armor, which was most often discussed in textbooks for schools and universities. Before us is Italian armor of the 15th century, restored in the 19th century. Height 170.2 cm. Weight 26.10 kg. Helmet weight 2850 g (Metropolitan Museum, New York)
Knights fought on strong, hardy horses, which were also protected by armor. The knight's weapons were very heavy: they weighed up to 50 kilograms. Therefore, the warrior was clumsy and clumsy. If a rider was thrown from his horse, he could not get up without help and was usually captured. To fight on horseback heavy armor, long training was needed, the feudal lords were preparing for military service since childhood. They constantly practiced fencing, horse riding, wrestling, swimming, and javelin throwing.
German armor 1535. Presumably from Brunswick. Weight 27.85 kg. (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)
War horse and knightly weapons were very expensive: for all this it was necessary to give a whole herd - 45 cows! The landowner for whom the peasants worked could perform knightly service. Therefore, military affairs became an occupation almost exclusively of feudal lords” (Agibalova, E.V. History of the Middle Ages: Textbook for the 6th grade / E.V. Agibalova, G.M. Donskoy, M.: Prosveshchenie, 1969. P.33; Golin, E.M. History of the Middle Ages: Tutorial for 6th grade evening (shift) school / E.M. Golin, V.L. Kuzmenko, M.Ya. Leuberg. M.: Education, 1965. P. 31-32.)
A knight in armor and a horse in horse armor. The work of master Kunz Lochner. Nuremberg, Germany 1510 - 1567 It dates back to 1548. The total weight of the rider's equipment, including horse armor and saddle, is 41.73 kg. (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)
Only in the 3rd edition of the textbook “History of the Middle Ages” for VΙ grade of secondary school V.A. Vedyushkin, published in 2002, the description of knightly weapons became somewhat truly thoughtful and corresponded to the above-mentioned periodization used today by historians around the world: “At first, the knight was protected by a shield, helmet and chain mail. Then the most vulnerable parts of the body began to be hidden behind metal plates, and from the 15th century, chain mail was finally replaced by solid armor. Battle armor weighed up to 30 kg, so for battle the knights chose hardy horses, also protected by armor.”
Armor of Emperor Ferdinand I (1503-1564) Gunsmith Kunz Lochner. Germany, Nuremberg 1510 - 1567 Dated 1549. Height 170.2 cm. Weight 24 kg.
That is, in the first case, intentionally or out of ignorance, the armor was divided into eras in a simplified manner, while a weight of 50 kg was attributed to both the armor of the “era of chain mail” and the “era of all-metal armor” without dividing into the actual armor of the knight and the armor of his horse. That is, judging by the text, our children were offered information that “the warrior was clumsy and clumsy.” In fact, the first articles showing that this is actually not the case were publications by V.P. Gorelik in the magazines “Around the World” in 1975, but this information never made it into textbooks for Soviet schools at that time. The reason is clear. Using anything, using any examples, show the superiority of the military skills of Russian soldiers over the “dog knights”! Unfortunately, the inertia of thinking and the not-so-great significance of this information make it difficult to disseminate information that corresponds to scientific data.
Armor set from 1549, which belonged to Emperor Maximilian II. (Wallace Collection) As you can see, the option in the photo is tournament armor, as it features a grandguard. However, it could be removed and then the armor became combat. This achieved considerable savings.
Nevertheless, the provisions of the school textbook V.A. Vedyushkina are completely true. Moreover, information about the weight of armor, well, say, from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York (as well as from other museums, including our Hermitage in St. Petersburg, then Leningrad) was available for a very long time, but in the textbooks of Agibalov and Donskoy For some reason I didn’t get there in due time. However, it’s clear why. After all, we had the best education in the world. However, this special case, although quite revealing. It turned out that there were chain mail, then - again and again, and now armor. Meanwhile, the process of their appearance was more than lengthy. For example, only around 1350 was the appearance of the so-called “metal chest” with chains (from one to four) that went to a dagger, sword and shield, and sometimes a helmet was attached to the chain. Helmets at this time were not yet connected to protective plates on the chest, but under them they wore chain mail hoods that had a wide shoulder. Around 1360, armor began to have clasps; in 1370, the knights were almost completely dressed in iron armor, and chain mail fabric was used as a base. The first brigandines appeared - caftans, and lining made of metal plates. They were used as an independent type of protective clothing, and were worn together with chain mail, both in the West and in the East.
Knight's armor with a brigandine over chain mail and a bascinet helmet. Around 1400-1450 Italy. Weight 18.6 kg. (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)
Since 1385, the thighs began to be covered with armor made of articulated strips of metal. In 1410, full-plate armor for all parts of the body had spread throughout Europe, but mail throat cover was still in use; in 1430, the first grooves appeared on the elbow and knee pads, and by 1450, armor made of forged steel sheets had reached its perfection. Beginning in 1475, the grooves on them became increasingly popular until fully fluted or so-called “Maximilian armor”, the authorship of which is attributed to the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, became a measure of the skill of their manufacturer and the wealth of their owners. Subsequently, knightly armor became smooth again - their shape was influenced by fashion, but the skills achieved in the craftsmanship of their finishing continued to develop. Now it was not only people who fought in armor. The horses also received it, as a result the knight with the horse turned into something like a real statue made of polished metal that sparkled in the sun!
Another “Maximilian” armor from Nuremberg 1525 - 1530. It belonged to Duke Ulrich, the son of Henry of Württemberg (1487 - 1550). (Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna)
Although... although fashionistas and innovators, “running ahead of the locomotive,” have always been there too. For example, it is known that in 1410 a certain English knight A man named John de Fiarles paid Burgundian gunsmiths 1,727 pounds sterling for the armor, sword and dagger they made for him, which he ordered to be decorated with pearls and... diamonds (!) - a luxury that was not only unheard of at that time, but even for him was not at all typical.
Field armor of Sir John Scudamore (1541 or 1542-1623). Armourer Jacob Jacob Halder (Greenwich Workshop 1558-1608) Circa 1587, restored 1915. Weight 31.07 kg. (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)
Each piece of plate armor received its own name. For example, plates for the thighs were called cuisses, knee pads - logs (poleyns), jambers (jambers) - for the legs and sabatons (sabatons) for the feet. Gorgets or bevors (gorgets, or bevors) protected the throat and neck, cutters (couters) - elbows, e(c)paulers, or pauldrones (espaudlers, or pauldrons) - shoulders, rerebraces (rerebraces) - forearm , vambraces - part of the arm down from the elbow, and gantelets - these are “plate gloves” - protected the hands. The full set of armor also included a helmet and, at least at first, a shield, which subsequently ceased to be used on the battlefield around the middle of the 15th century.
Armor of Henry Herbert (1534-1601), Second Earl of Pembroke. Made around 1585 - 1586. in the Greenwich armory (1511 - 1640). Weight 27.24 kg. (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)
As for the number of details in the “white armor”, in the armor of the mid-15th century there are total number could reach 200 units, and taking into account all the buckles and nails, along with hooks and various screws, even up to 1000. The weight of the armor was 20 - 24 kg, and it was distributed evenly over the knight’s body, unlike chain mail, which pressed on the person on shoulders. So “no crane was required to put such a rider in his saddle. And knocked off his horse to the ground, he did not at all look like a helpless beetle.” But the knight of those years was not a mountain of meat and muscles, and he by no means relied solely on brute strength and bestial ferocity. And if we pay attention to how knights are described in medieval works, we will see that very often they had a fragile (!) and graceful physique, and at the same time they had flexibility, developed muscles, and were strong and very agile, even when dressed in armor, with a well-developed muscle reaction.
Tournament armor made by Anton Peffenhauser around 1580 (Germany, Augsburg, 1525-1603) Height 174.6 cm); shoulder width 45.72 cm; weight 36.8 kg. It should be noted that tournament armor was usually always heavier than combat armor. (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)
IN last years In the 15th century, knightly weapons became the subject of special concern for European sovereigns, and, in particular, Emperor Maximilian I (1493 - 1519), who is credited with creating knightly armor with grooves along their entire surface, eventually called “Maximilian.” It was used without any special changes in the 16th century, when new improvements were required due to the ongoing development of small arms.
Now just a little about swords, because if you write about them in detail, then they deserve a separate topic. J. Clements, a well-known British expert on edged weapons of the Middle Ages, believes that it was the advent of multi-layer combined armor (for example, on the effigy of John de Creque we see as many as four layers of protective clothing) that led to the appearance of a “sword in one and a half hands.” Well, the blades of such swords ranged from 101 to 121 cm, and weight from 1.2 to 1.5 kg. Moreover, blades are known for chopping and piercing blows, as well as purely for stabbing. He notes that horsemen used such swords until 1500, and they were especially popular in Italy and Germany, where they were called Reitschwert (equestrian) or knight's sword. In the 16th century, swords appeared with wavy and even jagged sawtooth blades. Moreover, their length itself could reach human height with a weight of 1.4 to 2 kg. Moreover, such swords appeared in England only around 1480. Average weight sword in the X and XV centuries. was 1.3 kg; and in the sixteenth century. - 900 g. Bastard swords “one and a half hands” weighed about 1.5 - 1.8 kg, and the weight of two-handed swords was rarely more than 3 kg. The latter reached their peak between 1500 and 1600, but were always infantry weapons.
Three-quarter cuirassier armor, ca. 1610-1630 Milan or Brescia, Lombardy. Weight 39.24 kg. Obviously, since they have no armor below the knees, the extra weight comes from thickening the armor.
But shortened three-quarter armor for cuirassiers and pistoleers, even in its shortened form, often weighed more than those that offered protection only from edged weapons and they were very heavy to wear. Cuirassier armor has been preserved, the weight of which was about 42 kg, i.e. even more than classic knightly armor, although they covered a much smaller surface of the body of the person for whom they were intended! But this, it should be emphasized, is not knightly armor, that’s the point!
Horse armor, possibly made for Count Antonio IV Colalto (1548-1620), circa 1580-1590. Place of manufacture: probably Brescia. Weight with saddle 42.2 kg. (Metropolitan Museum, New York) By the way, a horse in full armor under an armored rider could even swim. Horse armor weighed 20-40 kg - a few percent of own weight a huge and strong knight's horse.
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