Medieval Armor Knight Information

The "knight-in-shining-armor" remains one of the well-known symbols of the Middle Ages. The heroic knight, with his suit of armor, sword and shield, is now synonymous with the concept of chivalry. Over the years, medieval armor evolved to suit the changing needs of the times.

Purpose

The primary reason that medieval knights wore suits of armor was to protect themselves during battle. In addition to body armor, knights also wore protective helmets over their heads.

Mail Armor

Medieval knights began wearing mail armor in the 11th century. Mail armor consisted of thousands of metal rings woven together to create a loose-fitting yet strong protective shirt.

Plate Armor

In the 1300s, medieval knights began wearing armor made of tight-fitting riveted metal plates. This type of armor covered a knight's entire body and offered greater protection than mail armor.

Problems

With mail armor weighing around 25 pounds and plate armor weighing around 50 pounds, medieval armor was very heavy. Excessively heavy armor could make it difficult for a knight to move freely.

Status

In addition to providing protection, medieval armor was also a symbol of status. Typically, only the wealthy and members of the army owned armor because it was very expensive to produce.

References

• History Channel

Resources

• Medieval Knights Armor