when did medieval europe knights start wearing chainmail

#WHEN DID MEDIEVAL EUROPE KNIGHTS START WEARING CHAINMAIL FULL#

This definition of mail was not the one used by Victorian scholars though. The word 'mail' is derived through the Old English mayle, the French maille, and Italian maglia, from the Latin macula, which refers to the mesh of a net. Although there were variations, this '4-in-1' pattern was by far the most prevalent. Each ring is linked through four others, two in the row above it and two below. It consists of a 'fabric' of interlocked metal rings that form a strong, flexible, mesh armour. Today, armour scholars define 'mail' as it was defined in the Middle Ages. Many of the problems we have today with mail terminology can be traced back to scholars of the 18th-19th centuries. 4≾ach of these images from the Bayeux Tapestry are believed to represent the same type of 4-in-1 patterned mail Mail's effectiveness against weapons will be discussed in more detail later.įig. Since unaugmented mail remained the armour of choice in Europe for those who could afford it one must conclude that it offered good protection against all contemporary weapons. If a weapon had been devised during that period that could reliably penetrate mail, one of two things would occureither the armour would have been augmented until it protected against the new threat, or it would have been discarded because the reduced protection no longer justified its weight and expense.

For mail to have been used for such a long period and remain virtually unchanged during that time suggests that it was an extremely effective form of protection. When worn in this fashion, mail offered very good resistance to cuts and punctures and helped to reduce the effects of blunt trauma. The second part was the padding worn underneath 3. The first part was the mail itselfa flexible metal 'fabric' made from interlocked rings that form a mesh. Mail consisted of a two-part composite defense. It is, without a doubt, the most successful and versatile type of armour ever devised. One should keep in mind that mail saw continuous use in virtually every iron-using culture in the world for the best part of two thousand years 2. All of the preceding statements are demonstrably false. There are also many misconceptions about mail armour, leading scholars to disregard its effectiveness on the battlefield: it was heavy and cumbersome it was highly susceptible to piercing attacksespecially arrows it was cheap and relatively simple to produce and mail was superseded by 'superior' plate as soon as it was technically possible.

#WHEN DID MEDIEVAL EUROPE KNIGHTS START WEARING CHAINMAIL FULL#

There are a number of reasons why this might be the case: the sculptural qualities of plate armour are generally more aesthetically appealing to art museums than the more mundane mail hauberk the metallurgical skills required to produce plate armour have been considered superior to those required to produce mail the wide variety of plate styles and designs are considered far more interesting than the perceived uniformity of mail and the ultimate battlefield warrior was considered to be the knight in shining full plate harness while the mailed warrior was considered inferior. According to Robert Woosnam-Savage, Curator of European Edged Weapons at The Royal Armouries, Leeds, there are only around 40 specific entries relating to mail armour in the extensive library of the Royal Armouries 1. The number of texts dedicated to mail is few in number and difficult to access when compared to those on the subject of plate armour. 2≺ 13th century depiction of mail from the Maciejowski Bibleįor many years, the study of mail armour has been relegated to the sidelines in favour of its more flamboyant cousin. Nicaise, circa 1220-30, showing mail armourįig.

When did medieval europe knights start wearing chainmail