Armor, chains and crowns
Frame from the movie "Ivanhoe" (1952). You can clearly see additional shields on the sleeves of chain mail and a surcoat with coats of arms, under which, most likely, there is something ...
“He removed the golden crown from the head of their king - the crown weighed a talent and was adorned with a precious stone - and placed it on his head. He also took a huge amount of booty in the city.
12 Samuel 30:XNUMX
12 Samuel 30:XNUMX
stories about weapons. Middle Ages. When you have to tell people who are not very knowledgeable, for example, in a tourist bus, about knights in chain mail, then not everyone even understands what is at stake. “We had chain mail, and the knights in these ... in armor!” Well, in principle, this ignorance is not so scary, the main thing is that a person works and pays taxes. But this example shows how deeply ingrained in our citizens the information transmitted through visualization. After all, this is exactly what “our” warriors look like in Alexander Nevsky, and the knights ... knights - yes, in white mantles and forged helmets that look like buckets.
However, in fact: after two and a half centuries, if not more, in chain mail, the knights began to attach all kinds of reinforcements to them. The Italians first of all attended to embossed (!) Leggings made of "boiled leather" and the same plates on the shoulders and forearms.
For example, Guillaume le Breton's message about the duel between Richard, Count of Poitou and William de Barre has come down to us, which says that they both had armor made of metal plates under chain mail and aketon (a jacket worn over chain mail). Since it is known that Breton died around 1225, it is obvious that such armor already existed in the first quarter of the XNUMXth century. True, it is not known how often it was used and how it looked. And since there are no other references to such armor, this suggests that such protection was rare and was not yet widespread at that time.
A beautiful depiction of a knight on a page from the "Appeal in verse to Robert of Anjou, King of Naples, from the city of Prato in Tuscany" ("Regia Carmina"). Pacino di Buonaguida, an illustrator active in Florence, c. 1300-1350 The book dates from 1335-1340. British Library, London
Nevertheless, there is no doubt that armor made of solid forged metal plates even then began to gradually spread throughout Europe. At first, gunsmiths protected the rider's knees and, in addition to chain mail, began to cover them with quilted knee pads, and metal plates in the shape of a kneecap were soon added to them.
As for the cuirass, that is, armor made of a single metal sheet that protects the chest and back, then the nameless effigy from Peshevor Abbey in Worcestershire (1270-1280) will help us. In the side slot of the surcoat, a cuirass fastened with straps is clearly visible on it. That is, at that time there were already such cuirasses; although equally it could be leather and metal.
They put on such cuirasses on chain mail, but under a surcoat, which is why they are not visible on the miniatures! But metal kneecaps and leggings are clearly visible, reaching to the very ankles. So we can say that already in the first quarter of the XIV century. the wealthiest knights who followed the military fashion received plate covers not only for their legs, but also for their hands. It is possible that they now also had “armor” made of leather or metal under the surcoat, but it is very difficult to determine this. The stone is… impenetrable to the eye.
Breviary for Preachers, 1323-1326 National Library of France, Paris
It is also true that between the one-piece forged armor, in which we traditionally imagine Western European knights, and the chain mail armor of the "chain mail era" there was a kind of "transitional period", when metal plates began to be worn along with chain mail, but, as before, they covered everything it is a patchwork garment made of fabric.
Please note that David and Goliath, already well known to us from previous materials, are constantly changing their attire by the will of the creators of the manuscripts (and fortunately for us!) Before us is a miniature of the manuscript from Westphalia "The Mirror of Human Salvation" (1360). University and State Library Darmstadt. On it, Goliath is depicted in a fully closed knightly topfhelm helmet, and even with horns both on the helmet and on the shield, that is, it turns out that this is his coat of arms! He is wearing a jupon or brigandine buttoned up in front, and plate gloves on his hands. And here stones are depicted hitting him in the head, and even splashing blood! It is interesting that such helmets with horns were very popular at that time in Germany, and tomb effigies confirm this!
A completely new armor appeared - a brigandine, which was a jacket made of fabric, lined from the inside with metal plates on rivets, the heads of which protruded from the outside. Warriors of various classes began to wear a brigandine over chain mail, and it differed only in the quality of the fabric. Surko turned into a jupon (jupon), which also had to be worn over armor, but it was only much shorter.
Very funny miniature. Its author depicted a plot related to history francs, when a foolish warrior, in front of King Clovis, cut the cup of the Bishop of Soissons. All characters are dressed in armor of the XIV century. Moreover, the warrior cutting the cup is in a brigandine, and the warrior to the right of Clovis is also in a brigandine. Both on the one and on the other, the heads of the rivets are clearly distinguishable! "Great Chronicles of France", XIV century. National Library of France, Paris
Well, simple armored men from the infantry at that time were also armed very well. Miniature from the manuscript "Decades", 1370 France. Library of Sainte-Genevieve, Paris
Funny! The Philistine Goliath is dressed as a knight of the late 1398th century. In a helmet-bascinet with a visor, plate leggings, knee pads and legguards, and on the torso there is a short jupon, possibly lined with metal plates, and on the neck there is a metal gorget, which is completely characteristic of the Spanish knights of this time. That is, he is clearly dressed in the Spanish way! Breviary of Martin of Aragon. OK. 1403-XNUMX Catalonia, Spain. National Library, Madrid
The brigandine turned out to be such a comfortable armor in all respects that it was used both in the form of a sleeveless jacket and with short sleeves in the XNUMXth century. Moreover, it could be the armor and infantry of the warriors of the militant Swiss, and at the same time the knightly nobility did not shy away from it!
"Padua Bible", 1400 Padua, Italy. British Library, London
A warrior dressed in a brigandine with sleeves. Book of Hours, 1440 Angers, France. Morgan Library and Museum, New York
At the end of the 1326th century, it became fashionable for knights to wear chains attached to the handles of swords and daggers, and even to the "grand helmet" in order not to lose it. The other end of the chain was usually attached to the chest, but, as always, exceptions are known. For example, in the grave image of the knight Roger de Trumpington from Trumpington Church in Cambridgeshire (c. XNUMX), a helmet chain is attached to his rope belt.
Interestingly, chains can be seen on almost every effigy of the XNUMXth-XNUMXth centuries, especially in Germany, where they gained particular popularity. Often there were not even three, but as many as four, although it is not clear why so many were needed. It is rather difficult to imagine how a man fought, holding a sword in his hand with a chain (and often golden!) More than a meter long and no less, attached to its handle; she certainly interfered, because she could wrap herself around the hand in which the knight held the weapon, catch on the horse’s head or the opponent’s weapon. And if the knight released the sword from his hands, then she could well get tangled in the stirrups and pull the sword to her hand for her would be very problematic ... And, nevertheless, the knights ignored this inconvenience. Perhaps, unlike us, they simply knew how to act so that the chains did not interfere with them? But at least one image, where the knights act with swords and chains, was found! Very bad, but found. True, and it explains very little.
Miniature from the manuscript "Swabian Mirror", 1400 Germany. Heidelberg University Library
And here it should be emphasized that the logical conclusion of the development of the protective functions of armor was the “armor” completely covering the body of a warrior from solid forged metal plates, which replaced chain mail armor by 1400. Chain mail has not yet been completely abandoned, but now it no longer played the main, but a supporting role!
"Friendly couple" David and Goliath once again demonstrate to us the changes that have occurred in the armor. Chain mail is now used mainly as an aventail. "Mirror of human health", 1420-1430. Germany. Heidelberg University Library
In addition to chains, another fashionable innovation in the transition period from knitted chain mail armor to all-metal forged armor was helmet-mounted ... crowns. Which knights began to wear after 1300 and the spread of bascinets with a pointed top. The crowns indicated the rank of the knight, complementing the heraldic images on the surcoat, shield and horse blanket. For example, the crown kept in the Cathedral of St. Stanislaus in Krakow has come down to us. On it, each of the four teeth is decorated with 65 semi-precious stones. However, this crown cannot be compared with the helmeted crown of one of the kings of Castile, made of gold and adorned with precious stones. The chronicle of 1385 reported that it cost 20 francs, and at that time it was just incredibly big money.
Well, a very beautiful crown on the simplest "iron hat". Portrait of Philip I the Handsome (1478–1506), son of Emperor Maximilian I (of the House of Habsburg) and Mary of Burgundy. Belgium, Royal Museums of Fine Arts, Brussels. Wildcat Photos
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