Parts of a Medieval Knight's Armor
Medieval knights were warriors and protectors, trained to be chivalrous and protect the kingdom. In order to do this, a knight had to be fully clad in protective armor on the battlefield. With weapons like swords, axes, daggers, lances and crossbows used in the heat of battle, a knight had to fight in heavy armored suits complete with protection for the head, arms, hands, legs, feet and body.
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Head & Neck
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It's highly important to keep the head and neck protected when doing dangerous activity, and this is especially true for medieval knights, who served as warriors for their kingdom. Each helmet had a visor that was detachable, and that was specialized to protect the eyes and face. In the 13th century, medieval knights' helmets were known as bascinets, and attached to the bottom of the helmets was a skirt that served as protection for the neck.
Arms & Hands
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There were four major pieces used to protect a knight's arms and hands. For the hands, a knight wore gauntlets. Gauntlets consisted of ringed metal plates that protected the fingers. The piece of armor used to protect the lower arm was known as the vambrace. For the upper arm and shoulder, a knight wore a rerebrace, and the armpit was protected by the attached besagues. Besagues were round shield-like pieces attached to the shoulder pieces of the armor.
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Body
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Body armor consisted of tough metal pieces to protect the chest, upper and lower back, hips and abdomen. The large piece of armor defending the chest was known as the breast plate. Protecting the upper back was a piece known as the backplate. For the lower back, hips and abdomen, there was a ring of armor known as a fauld. Faulds were attached to the bottom of the large breast plate and completely encircled the lower torso.
Legs & Feet
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Knights wore sabatons on their feet, which were boots that consisted of riveted iron plates. Spurs were attached to the heel of the sabatons so the knight could command his horse during battle. For the calf and ankle areas, knights wore plate armor known as greaves. Protection for the kneecap and thigh came from plate armor as well. These plates were called poleyns on the kneecap, and cuisses on the thigh.
Armor Weapons
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Other important parts of a knight's armor, although not directly worn as protection for specific parts of the body, were the weapons and shields. The shield was carried on one arm for defense. For the gauntlets worn to protect the hands and fingers, special spikes called gadlings could be attached to help a knight in battle. Knights also carried daggers and swords on a belt around their waists.
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References
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