How to Wear Medieval Armor
Medieval armor was very heavy, uncomfortable and expensive. Knights either had the money based on the success of their land, and men-in-arms relied on the wealth of their presiding lord. Chain mail was less expensive and more versatile and worn more often. Full suits of plate armor became more popular as the Middle Ages progressed. Wars continued and became more deadly, especially with the increased use of longbows and crossbows, and the knights overcame discomfort for the hope of a longer lifespan. For those who could bear the weight, a combination of chain mail and plate armor was worn to maximize the strengths of both.
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Things You'll Need
- Gambeson or padded leather shirt
- Armor cap
- Chain mail
- Plate mail
- 1 assistant
Instructions
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Wear a gambeson under the chain mail to provide padding as well as greater protection in battle. It is a thick leather shirt or tunic filled with wool and sometimes patterned with metal studs that is often tied at the back, so you need an assistant to get you in and out of it. Heavy and cumbersome, it made the expense of the steel chain mail shirts worthwhile because it assisted in staving off sharp-edged weapons, such as swords and arrows. The aketon eventually replaced the gambeson because it was lighter and more versatile.
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Place the armor or arming cap on your head before the armor. It is a padded leather cap worn under the helmet or chain mail coif head covering that provides cushioning to absorb the impact of bludgeoned or sharp-edged blows, assists the coif and helmets to stay on your head and provides a measure of comfort. The caps are quilted and comes down around the shoulders, protecting the neck and collar bone. It ties in front.
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Ask your assistant to lift the chain mail shirt. Crouch under it, lift your arms to go in first as your helper eases the shirt down. Tie the back of the coif to the back of the shirt with the leather ties so that they stay firmly in place. Chain mail was the favored medieval armor in the beginning of the Middle Ages. Sheets of tiny steel rings were fashioned into shirts, head caps, leggings, gauntlets or gloves and even footwear. Coming into the 14th century, chain mail was often mixed with plate mail like breast plates and shoulder caps to protect against the powerful crossbow arrows that could pierce the armor and the leather padding worn underneath.
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Crouch again for the assistant to place the steel breast plate over your head and your body, either over chain mail, aketon or by itself. Ask the assistant to tie on the leg, elbow and foot pieces. Leave the gauntlets and helmet for last. These were easily put on by the wearer. The breast plate, helmet, gauntlets, couters for the elbows and greaves for the legs below the knees are the most often worn. Give yourself enough time and assistance to get dressed.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Armschuetzerwaffe image by fotofrank from Fotolia.com
