The armor of the knights of the Middle Ages, photos and descriptions of which are presented in the article, went through a difficult evolutionary path. They can be seen in weapons museums. This is a real work of art.
They surprise not only with their protective properties, but also with luxury and grandeur. However, few people know that the monolithic iron armor of the knights of the Middle Ages is dated to the late period of that era. This was no longer protection, but traditional clothing, which emphasized the high social status of the owner. This is a kind of analogue of modern expensive business suits. On them it was possible to judge the situation in society. We will talk more about this later, present a photo of knights in armor of the Middle Ages. But first, about where they came from.
First armor
The weapons and armor of medieval knights developed together. This is understandable. Improving lethal means necessarily leads to the development of defensive ones. Even in prehistoric times, man tried to protect his body. The first armor was animal skin. She defended well against non-sharp tools: a sledgehammer, primitive axes, etc. The ancient Celts achieved perfection in this. Their protective skins sometimes withstood even sharp spears and arrows. Surprisingly, the main emphasis in defense was placed on the back. The logic was this: in a frontal attack it was possible to hide from shells. Impacts in the back are impossible to see. Escape and retreat were part of the combat tactics of these peoples.
Cloth Armor
Few people know, but the armor of the knights of the Middle Ages in the early period was from matter. It was difficult to distinguish them from civilian civilian clothing. The only difference is that they stick together from several layers of matter (up to 30 layers). It was light, from 2 to 6 kg, inexpensive armor. In an era of mass battles and the primitiveness of chopping guns - ideal. Any militia could afford such protection. Surprisingly, such armor withstood even arrows with stone tips, which easily pierced iron. This was due to depreciation on the fabric. The more prosperous instead used quilted caftans, stuffed with horsehair, cotton, hemp.
The peoples of the Caucasus up to the 19th century used such protection. Their felted fur was rarely cut by a saber, withstood not only arrows, but also bullets from smooth-bore guns from 100 meters. Recall that such armor was in service with our army until the Crimean War of 1853-1856, when our soldiers died from rifled European rifles.
Leather armor
The cloth was replaced by the armor of medieval knights made of leather. They became widespread in Russia. Skin masters were widely appreciated at the time.
In Europe, they were poorly developed, since the use of crossbows and bows is a favorite tactic of Europeans throughout the Middle Ages. Leather protection was used by archers and crossbowmen. She protected from light cavalry, as well as from fellow weapons on the opposite side. From long distances they could withstand bolts and arrows.
The buffalo skin was especially appreciated. It was almost impossible to get her. Only the richest could afford it. There were relatively light leather armor of the knights of the Middle Ages. Weight was from 4 to 15 kg.
Armor Evolution: Lamellar Armor
Then evolution takes place - the manufacture of armor of the knights of the Middle Ages from metal begins. One of the varieties is lamellar armor. The first mention of such technology is observed in Mesopotamia. The armor there was made of copper. In the Middle Ages, similar protective technology began to be used from metal. Lamellar armor is a scaly shell. They turned out to be the most reliable. They made their way only with bullets. Their main disadvantage is weight up to 25 kg. It is impossible to wear it alone. In addition, if a knight fell from a horse, he was completely neutralized. It was impossible to rise.
Chain mail
Armor of knights of the Middle Ages in the form of chain mail was the most common. Already in the 12th century they became widespread. Ring armor weighed relatively little: 8-10 kg. A complete set, including stockings, helmet, gloves, reached up to 40 kg. The main advantage is that armor did not constrain movement. Only the wealthiest aristocrats could afford them. Spread among the middle class only occurs in the 14th century, when wealthy aristocrats donned plate armor. They will be discussed later.
Plate
Plate armor is the pinnacle of evolution. Only with the development of metal forging technology could such a work of art be created. Do-it-yourself plate armor of the knights of the Middle Ages is almost impossible to do. It was a single monolithic shell. Only the richest aristocrats could afford such protection. Their distribution occurs in the Late Middle Ages. A knight in plate armor on the battlefield is a real armored tank. It was impossible to defeat him. One such warrior among the troops tipped the scales in the direction of victory. Italy is the birthplace of such protection. It was this country that was famous for its masters in the production of armor.
The desire to have a heavy defense is due to the tactics of the battle of the medieval cavalry. First, she dealt a powerful swift blow in closed ranks. As a rule, after one wedge strike against the infantry, the battle ended in victory. Therefore, in the forefront were the most privileged aristocrats, among whom was the king himself. Knights in armor almost did not die. It was impossible to kill him in battle, and after the battle the captured aristocrats were not executed, since everyone knew each other. Yesterday's enemy turned into a friend today. In addition, the exchange and sale of captured aristocrats were sometimes the main goal of the battles. In fact, medieval battles were like jousting. They rarely killed the "best people", but in real battles it still happened. Therefore, the need for improvement constantly arose.
"Peace battle"
In 1439, in Italy, in the homeland of the best blacksmiths, a battle took place near the city of Angiari. Several thousand knights took part in it. After four hours of battle, only one warrior died. He fell off his horse and fell under his hooves.
The end of the battle armor era
England put an end to "peaceful" wars. In one of the battles, the British, led by Henry XIII, which were ten times smaller, used powerful Welsh bows against the French aristocrats in lats. Marching confidently, they felt safe. Imagine their surprise when arrows began to pour in from above. The shock was that before that they had never hit knights from above. Shields were used against frontal lesions. Closed order of them reliably protected from bows and crossbows. However, the Welsh weapon was able to break through armor from above. This defeat at the dawn of the Middle Ages, where the “best people” of France died, put an end to such battles.
Armor - a symbol of aristocracy
Armor has always been a symbol of aristocracy, not only in Europe, but throughout the world. Even the development of firearms did not put an end to their use. The coat of arms was always depicted on the armor; they were the full uniform.
They were put on for holidays, celebrations, official meetings. Of course, ceremonial armor was made in a lightweight version. The last time their combat use was in Japan was already in the 19th century, during the time of the Samurai revolts. However, firearms showed that any peasant with a rifle is much more effective than a professional warrior with a cold gun, dressed in heavy armor.
Armor of the Knight of the Middle Ages: Description
So, the classic set of the average knight consisted of the following things:
- Helmet. In the 10th-13th century, a Norman with a rondash open, conical or egg-headed shape was used. The front was attached to the scavenger - a metal plate. Much later, among large aristocrats, the practice of a closed individual helmet was common. It was a real work of art. On it it was possible to determine the owner.
- Armor. Long chain mail to the knees with sleeves and a jacket, a metal hood. She had cuts on both sides on the hem for easy movement and horseback riding. Under it, the knights wore gambeson - an analogue of cloth armor. He absorbed the blows on the iron, arrows stuck in it.
- Highways are chain stockings.
- Rondash is a shield. It was a protection against arrows, and was also widely used against one-handed sabers during the Crusades. Had a round or oval shape. However, the rondash of the pointed form of the lower part was widely used to protect the left leg.
Weapons and armor were not uniform in the entire history of the Middle Ages, since they performed two functions. The first is protection. The second - armor was a distinctive attribute of a high social status. One complex helmet could cost whole villages with serfs. Not everyone could afford it. This also applies to complex armor. Therefore, it was impossible to find two identical sets. Feudal armor is not a unified form of soldiers-recruits in the late eras. They are distinguished by individuality.