rmor
During Medieval battles, knights and their horses often wore armor as protection
against the deadly, striking blows from an opponent’s sword, mace, war hammer,
spear, or battle axe. It could also provide some protection against a longbow’s
arrows or a crossbow’s quarrels. The earliest and most prevalent type of armor
was chainmail, which was constructed from small metal rings linked together to
form a flexible, protective fabric. Chainmail could be worn as a long sleeved tunic
over or under a soldier’s garments. A later adaptation of chainmail was ring mail,
a type of armor with larger metal rings that were attached to the outside of leather armor. Both forms of mail
were flexible and light weight, offering knights speed in battle. However, they were relatively easy to pierce. As a
result, plate or scaled armor was designed to withstand heavier blows and to cover more of the knight’s
vulnerable body. Scaled armor had small overlapping metal plates attached by (riveted to) cloth or leather
underneath. These scaled plates gave limited flexibility at the elbows and knees. Unfortunately, the armor was
heavy and cumbersome. Thus, knights had to weigh the costs and the benefits of each type of armor when going
into battle.
Resources
Cuthbert, Valerie. "Illuminated A with Flowers." Valerie Cuthbert Artist Gallery. Web. 29 May 2012.
<http://www.valcuthbert.com/photo_4120780.html>.
"The History of Medieval Armor." The History of Medieval Armor. Web. 29 May 2012.
<http://medieval.stormthecastle.com/essays/the-history-of-medieval-armor.htm>.
"Horse Armor." Armor of the Medieval Horse. Web. 29 May 2012.
<http://medieval.stormthecastle.com/medieval-horse-armor.htm>.
"Medieval Suit of Armor Components." Medieval Suit of Armor Components. Web. 29 May 2012.
<http://www.medievallifestyle.com/suit-of-armor.html>.