Plate armor. Knight's plate armor: myths and refutations

Gothic armor, Germany, 15th century

Milanese armor, Italy, 16th century

Armor of the winged hussars, Poland, 16th century

Different types armor as museum exhibits

Armor- armor made of large metal plates, anatomically repeating the male figure. Compared to other types of armor, the manufacture of such armor was the most complex and required a considerable amount of steel, and therefore the art of making armor began to actively develop only from the middle of the 14th century.

Because of these difficulties, plate armor, even in the 15th century, was not cheap and was often made to personal order. Of course, only members of the nobility could afford such luxury, which is why armor became a symbol of chivalry and high birth. So how effective is such armor and was it worth the money? Let's figure it out:

Myth 1: The armor weighed so much that a fallen knight could not get up without help.

This is wrong. The total weight of full battle armor rarely exceeded 30 kg. The figure may seem large to you, but do not forget that the weight was evenly distributed throughout the body, and besides, men-at-arms, as a rule, fought on horses. Taking this into account, we get the approximate weight of modern equipment for an army infantryman. Heavier varieties were classified as tournament armor, deliberately sacrificing mobility in favor of increasing the thickness of the armor, which reduced the risk of injury when hit by a spear or falling from a horse. Modern reenactors have repeatedly proved, that in a replica of full armor you can not only run fast, but even fencing and climbing ladders.

Myth 2: Plate armor could be easily penetrated by conventional weapons

And that's a lie. Main distinctive feature plate armor - excellent resistance to all types of damage. Cutting blows do not cause him any harm, unless a knight at full gallop exposes himself to the blow of a bird. Piercing blows could pierce soft, poorly tempered steel, but later armor could withstand the blow of the sharp end of a war hammer quite well. In addition, the armor (contrary to the opinion of mass culture, which loves to decorate armor with spikes and ribs) was made as smooth and streamlined as possible in order to evenly distribute the energy from the impact and thereby increase the strength of the entire structure. For real effective means against the man-at-arms there were daggers, which, due to the maximum short distance attacks are easiest to hit at the joints of armor, and two-handed swords are specifically designed as countermeasures against heavy infantry and cavalry. In contrast, video recordings are often provided in which the tester pierces a plate breastplate with a morning star or Lucernehammer. It should be noted here that theoretically this is indeed possible, but it is very difficult to deliver a direct blow with a wide swing at a perfectly right angle during a battle, and otherwise the man-at-arms has every chance of completely or partially avoiding damage.

Myth 3: It’s enough just to get into a weak spot, and the armored man will be defeated

This is a controversial issue. Yes, there are several weak points in plate armor (belt garters, gaps in joints and joints), hitting which will actually cause significant damage to the enemy. But this was not at all easy to do:

Firstly, under the armor the knights wore at least a gambeson, consisting of several layers of dense linen material. It provided good protection on its own, being surprisingly strong and light, and most knights did not hesitate to wear chain mail over it. Thus, the weapon had to overcome several layers of armor before reaching the body.

Secondly, the gunsmiths, who quickly realized the main weakness of armor in a combat encounter, tried to protect the knight as much as possible from the threat. All belts and garters were hidden deep inside the armor, special “wings” (an extension of the cast armor plate) served as a screen for the joints and joints. All parts of the armor fit together as tightly as possible, which in the hustle and bustle of large battles significantly increased the chances of survival.

So what was bad about plate armor?

The main disadvantage is the requirement for care. Due to the large area of ​​the armor itself, the metal quickly rusted and had to be protected from corrosion. Over time, gunsmiths learned to blue their armor, which made it darker and provided good protection against oxidation. In field conditions, the armor was lubricated with oil, and in peacetime stored in isolated conditions, usually wrapped in several layers of material. Otherwise, the armor was much more effective than any analogues - frayed straps can be quickly and easily replaced, and straightening a dent on a solid plate is much easier than repairing chain mail or replacing segments in lamellar armor. However, it was sometimes almost impossible to put on plate armor on your own, and if you were wounded, it was just as difficult to take it off. Many knights managed to bleed to death from a trivial wound, which put them out of action for the entire battle.

The end of the golden age of lats came with the beginning of the era firearms. When firearms appeared in the arsenal of regular armies, armor began to gradually disappear from use. A lead bullet penetrated such armor without any problems, although in the early stages, when the power of firearms was small, they could still serve as very effective protection.

The armor of the knights of the Middle Ages, photos and descriptions of which are presented in the article, went through a complex evolutionary path. They can be seen in weapons museums. This is a real work of art.

They surprise not only with their protective properties, but also with their luxury and grandeur. However, few people know that the monolithic iron armor of the knights of the Middle Ages is dated late period that era. This was no longer protection, but traditional clothing that emphasized the high social status of the owner. This is a kind of analogue of modern expensive business suits. They could be used to judge the situation in society. We will talk more about this later, presenting photos of knights in armor of the Middle Ages. But first, about where they came from.

First armor

The weapons and armor of the knights of the Middle Ages developed together. This is understandable. The improvement of lethal means necessarily leads to the development of defensive ones. Even in prehistoric times, man tried to protect his body. The first armor was animal skin. It protected well from soft weapons: sledgehammers, primitive axes, etc. The ancient Celts achieved perfection in this. Their protective skins sometimes withstood even sharp spears and arrows. Surprisingly, the main emphasis in defense was on the back. The logic was this: in a frontal attack it was possible to hide from shells. Backstabs are impossible to see. Flight and retreat were part of the combat tactics of these peoples.

Fabric armor

Few people know, but the armor of the knights of the Middle Ages early period were made of matter. It was difficult to distinguish them from peaceful civilian clothing. The only difference is that they were glued together from several layers of material (up to 30 layers). These were light, from 2 to 6 kg, inexpensive armor. In the era of mass battles and the primitiveness of chopping weapons, this is an ideal option. Any militia could afford such protection. Surprisingly, such armor even withstood arrows with stone tips, which easily pierced iron. This happened due to cushioning against the fabric. The more prosperous people used quilted caftans instead, stuffed with horsehair, cotton wool, and hemp.

The peoples of the Caucasus used similar protection until the 19th century. Their felted wool cloak was rarely cut by a saber and withstood not only arrows, but also bullets from smooth-bore guns from 100 meters. Let us recall that such armor was in service with our army until Crimean War 1853-1856, when our soldiers died from European rifled rifles.

Leather armor

The armor of medieval knights made of leather replaced cloth ones. They became widespread in Rus'. Leather craftsmen were widely valued at the time.

In Europe, they were poorly developed, since the use of crossbows and bows was the favorite tactics of Europeans throughout the Middle Ages. Leather protection was used by archers and crossbowmen. She protected from light cavalry, as well as from brothers in arms of the opposite side. From long distances they could withstand bolts and arrows.

Buffalo leather was especially prized. It was almost impossible to get it. Only the richest could afford it. There were relatively light leather armor of the knights of the Middle Ages. Weight was from 4 to 15 kg.

Armor Evolution: Lamellar Armor

Next, evolution occurs - the production of armor for medieval knights from metal begins. One of the varieties is lamellar armor. The first mention of such technology is observed in Mesopotamia. The armor there was made of copper. Metal began to be used in similar protective technology. Lammellar armor is a scaly shell. They turned out to be the most reliable. We only got through with bullets. Their main drawback is their weight up to 25 kg. It is impossible to put it on alone. In addition, if a knight fell from his horse, he was completely neutralized. It was impossible to get up.

Chainmail

The armor of medieval knights in the form of chain mail was the most common. Already in the 12th century they became widespread. The ringed armor weighed relatively little: 8-10 kg. The full set, including stockings, helmet, gloves, reached up to 40 kg. The main advantage is that the armor did not restrict movement. Only the wealthiest aristocrats could afford them. Spread among the middle class only occurs in the 14th century, when wealthy aristocrats donned plate armor. They will be discussed further.

Armor

Plate armor is the pinnacle of evolution. Only with the development of metal forging technology was it possible to create such a work of art. It is almost impossible to make the plate armor of medieval knights with your own hands. It was a single monolithic shell. Only the richest aristocrats could afford such protection. Their distribution dates back to the Late Middle Ages. A knight in plate armor on the battlefield is a real armored tank. It was impossible to defeat him. One such warrior among the army tipped the scales towards victory. Italy is the birthplace of such protection. It was this country that was famous for its masters in the production of armor.

The desire for heavy defense stems from the battle tactics of medieval cavalry. Firstly, it delivered a powerful, swift strike in closed ranks. As a rule, after one strike with a wedge against the infantry, the battle ended in victory. Therefore, in the forefront were the most privileged aristocrats, among whom was the king himself. Knights in armor almost never died. It was impossible to kill him in battle, and after the battle the captured aristocrats were not executed, since everyone knew each other. Yesterday's enemy turned into a friend today. In addition, the exchange and sale of captured aristocrats sometimes amounted to main goal battles. In fact, medieval battles were like: There were rarely any deaths." best people“However, in real battles this still happened. Therefore, the need for improvement constantly arose.

"Peaceful Battle"

In 1439, in Italy, the homeland of the best blacksmiths, a battle took place near the city of Anghiari. Several thousand knights took part in it. After four hours of battle, only one warrior died. He fell from his horse and fell under its hooves.

The end of the era of combat armor

England put an end to "peaceful" wars. In one of the battles, the English, led by Henry XIII, who were tens of times outnumbered, used powerful Welsh bows against French aristocrats in armor. Marching confidently, they felt safe. Imagine their surprise when arrows began to rain down from above. The shock was that they had never hit knights from above before. Shields were used against frontal damage. The close formation of them reliably protected against bows and crossbows. However, the Welsh weapons were able to penetrate the armor from above. This defeat at the dawn of the Middle Ages, where the “best people” of France died, put an end to such battles.

Armor is a symbol of aristocracy

Armor has always been a symbol of aristocracy, not only in Europe, but throughout the world. Even the development of firearms did not put an end to their use. The armor always featured a coat of arms; it was a ceremonial uniform.

They were worn for holidays, celebrations, and official meetings. Of course, ceremonial armor was made in a lightweight version. Last time their combat use was already in Japan in the 19th century, during the samurai uprisings. However, firearms have shown that any peasant with a rifle is much more effective than a professional warrior with a bladed weapon, dressed in heavy armor.

Armor of a medieval knight: description

So, the classic set of the average knight consisted of the following things:

Weapons and armor were not uniform throughout the history of the Middle Ages, since they performed two functions. The first is protection. Second, armor was a distinctive attribute of high social status. One complex helmet could cost entire villages with serfs. Not everyone could afford it. This also applies to complex armor. Therefore, it was impossible to find two identical sets. Feudal armor is not a uniform uniform for recruit soldiers in later eras. They are distinguished by their individuality.

Plate limb protection appeared at the beginning of the 14th century in Spain and Portugal as an improvement on the bracers and greaves they borrowed from the Arabs during the Reconquista.

At first, leather bracers and greaves were borrowed as the easiest to manufacture (in the rest of Europe, these leather bracers and greaves did not gain popularity), and then, as soon as they learned to forge metal ones, which at first were almost flat, slightly curved plates, they were immediately improved by adding the same plates covered the hips and shoulders (the part of the arm between the elbow and shoulder joints), thereby receiving primitive armor protection for the arms and legs. The previously appeared fragile rectangular shields, ailettes, reminiscent of shoulder straps, covered with heraldry and made using the same technology as real wooden shields, were then used as shoulder pads. Soon they learned to forge real tubular bracers and greaves, protection for the hips and shoulders became more perfect, and real metal shoulder pads began to be used instead of ailettes.

Plate arms and legs, which appeared at the beginning of the 14th century, were worn together with the brigantine until the last quarter of the 14th century simply because, due to the fall of Rome, Europe forgot how to forge a cuirass. In this connection, the knights in “buckets” (out of use by the end of the 14th century) with clearly armored arms and legs that appear in some miniatures and frescoes are actually dressed not in armor at all, but in brigantines, dressed with armored arms and legs. . And only at the end of the 14th century, with the advent of the cuirass, the first plate armor appeared (the first plate armor, called white armor), which was a cuirass worn with a plate skirt, plate protection of the limbs and a helmet.

• White armor

White armor- any white armor

White armor- any armor that is not blued, covered with fabric and not painted at the same time

White armor(English) white armor, German alwite) - the first and early full armor, late XIV-early XV centuries, named to distinguish them from brigantines. Evolved in Italy into pot-bellied Milanese armor, and in Germany in angular cast-in-breast.

Early armor, called white armor, show similarities with both Milanese armor, and cast-in-breast, while appearance they are more similar to Milanese armor, and in terms of the connection between the breastplate of the cuirass and its navel, they are connected to casten-brust. In Milanese armor, the navel is located on top of the breastplate; in white armor, the navel (if there was one) was located, as in the caste-brust, under the breastplate. Moreover, depending on the region, the cuirass could be either pot-bellied, like the Milanese armor, or with a sagging chest (convex at the bottom), like a cast-in-breast, but without the angularity inherent in a cast-in-brest. The plate skirt was similar to the Milanese one, but often without tassets, in some versions showing similarities with short options cast-in-brust skirts. Unlike Milanese armor and caste-breasts, white armor worn not with plate gauntlets, but with plate gloves. The grand bascinet was usually worn as a helmet - a reliable helmet resting on the shoulders, characteristic of both caste-breasts and Milanese armor in the Italic style. alla francese (a la French). But at the same time, the visor of the grand bascinet often had not the classic round shape, but the pointed shape of the Hundsgugel, again combined with a pointed nape, instead of a round one.

Complete early armor has not survived to this day, and individual surviving parts can also be interpreted as parts of early Milanese armor.

• Milanese armor

Milanese armor- full plate Italian armor, which appeared at the end of the 14th century and existed until the beginning of the 16th century. This is the first type of armor in which armor (steel plates) covered the entire body. Design Features:

• helmet of the “armet” type, initially - armet with rondel, later armet, sallet or other versions of the helmet;
• large elbow pads, which made it possible to abandon the shield;
• asymmetrical shoulder pads, in some samples covering each other on the back;
• plate gauntlets with long bells.

• Castaing-Brust (armor)

Kastenbrust(German) Kastenbrust- literally “box-shaped chest”) - German armor of the first half of the 15th century. In addition to the box-shaped chest, this armor was characterized by a helmet - a grand bascinet (a round helmet resting on the shoulders, with a visor perforated below the visual slits), a very long plate skirt and plate gauntlets.

Despite the presence of a large number of pictorial sources that clearly prove the prevalence of this armor in Germany in the first half of the 15th century (that is, before the advent of gothic armor in the second half of the 15th century), very little armor has survived to this day. And until recently it was believed that the only surviving example kastenbrust located in the Vienna City Hall and dating from 1440 (the helmet, part of the arm protection (including gauntlets) and some other parts of the armor are lost). But recently kastenbrust from Glasgow, previously considered a fake, was found to be genuine based on metallographic analysis.

As for the cuirass stored in the Metropolitan of New York, there is no clear opinion whether it can be attributed to kastenbrustam. In addition, some researchers, in particular Ewart Oakeshott, who wrote “European Weapons and Armor. from the Renaissance to the Industrial Revolution", use a more strict definition of what to count kastenbrust, according to which neither the kastenbrust from Vienna nor the kastenbrust from Glasgow are classified as kastenbrust due to the lack of angularity.

• Warwick armor

The armor from the tombstone of Richard Beauchamp, 5th (13th) Earl of Warwick, gave historians reason to talk about separate type armor However, the presence of an absolutely identical image in the church Santa Maria delle Grazie in Mantua says that this is most likely one of the options for export armor, made in Italy for English feudal lords and knights. Its main distinctive features:

• Cuirass with characteristic stampings, obviously stiffening ribs;
• Instead of an armet, a “toad head” is depicted, but in battle it was most likely the armet that was classic for that time;
• The legguards are made of five segments. Obviously, this trait was subsequently transferred to greenwich armor English gunsmiths.

• Gothic armor

Gothic armor- German armor of the second half of the 15th century, the characteristic feature of which is sharp corners, especially noticeable on elbow pads, sabatons (plate shoes) and gloves, as well as a salad helmet, in versions without a crest, very similar in outline to the German helmet. In addition, as a rule, this type of armor had conspicuous corrugations and corrugations, which increased the strength of the armor as stiffening ribs. Another feature of the armor that is not striking was that this armor was designed to provide maximum freedom of movement, for example, the cuirass was designed to allow free bending and unbending. The only exceptions were the half-gloves-half-mittens of some armor, which better protect the fingers than a glove, but are more mobile than a mitten, in which the large phalanges of the four fingers of the hand consisted of one relief plate, while the remaining phalanges could move freely.

Sometimes this type of armor is called German Gothic, and its contemporary Milanese armor- Italian Gothic, based on the fact that outside of Germany and Italy, Italian and German parts of armor were sometimes mixed (this was especially often done in England), resulting in armor that had mixed features. The argument against this use of terminology is that Milanese armor existed (with small design changes) both before and after gothic armor(gothic armor existed from the middle of the 15th century, and in the first years of the 16th century - before the appearance Maximilian armor, A Milanese armor from the end of the 14th century and continued to be worn at the beginning of the 16th century).

By style, Gothic armor is divided into high and low Gothic, as well as late and early. About some misconceptions:

• Some people mistakenly believe that Gothic armor is characterized by the absence of tassets, but in fact this is a feature of the most famous examples - there are lesser known examples of Gothic armor in which tassets are not lost.
• It is usually believed that for High Gothic, abundant fluting is necessary, but there are examples of High Gothic that have the characteristic silhouette of High Gothic, but do not have fluting (in particular, such are found both among those forged by Prunner and among those forged by Helmschmidt, who were at that time one of the most famous armor smiths).
• Late Gothic and high Gothic are not the same thing; cheap examples of late Gothic sometimes have signs of low Gothic.

• Maximilian armor

Maximilian armor- German armor of the first third of the 16th century (or 1515-1525, if characteristic corrugation is considered mandatory), named after Emperor Maximilian I, as well as with a hint of maximum protection. Moreover, the name “Maximilian” does not mean that any armor worn by Maximilian I is Maximilian.

In appearance, Maximilian armor is similar to Italian armor in the Italic style. alla tedesca (a la Germanic), but created in Germany/Austria under the influence of Italian armor, famous for its reliability and protection (in return for sacrificing freedom of movement). With external outlines that make it look like Milanese armor(adjusted for the different bend of the cuirass), has design features inherited from the German gothic armor, such as an abundance of stiffening ribs (made by corrugation), allowing for a more durable structure with less weight. At the same time, the armor, unlike the Gothic, like the Milanese, was made not from small, but from large plates, which is associated with the spread of firearms, which is why it was necessary to sacrifice the famous flexibility and freedom of movement of the Gothic armor for the sake of the ability to withstand a bullet fired from a distance . Due to this, a knight in such armor could be reliably hit from the hand-held firearms of that time only by shooting at point-blank range, despite the fact that very strong nerves were needed in order not to prematurely shoot at an attacking knight on an armored horse, which could trample without resorting to weapons . Also playing a role was the low accuracy of the firearms of that time, and the fact that they fired with a slight and, most importantly, almost unpredictable delay (the gunpowder on the seed shelf does not ignite and burn instantly), which made it impossible to target the vulnerable spots of a moving rider. In addition to creating stiffening ribs by corrugating in Maximilian armor, another method of creating stiffening ribs was widely used, in which the edges of the armor were bent outward and wrapped into tubes (along the edges of the armor), which were shaped by additional corrugation twisted ropes, as a result of which large plates received very rigid stiffening ribs at the edges. It’s interesting that the Italians have Ital. alla tedesca (a la Germanic) the edges of large plates also curved outward, but did not wrap. In Gothic armor, instead of arching, the edges of the plates were corrugated and could have a riveted gilded edging as decoration.

The immediate predecessor of Maximilian armor is armor in the Schott-Sonnenberg style (according to Oakeshott), which has many of the features of Maximilian armor, and is distinguished, first of all, by the absence of corrugation, as well as a number of other less noticeable features, including the absence of convexity of the edges, made in the form of a twisted rope, like Maximilian armor.

A characteristic feature of Maximilian armor is considered to be plate gauntlets, capable of withstanding a blow to the fingers with a sword, but with the spread of wheeled pistols, Maximilians with plate gloves appeared that allowed them to shoot pistols. At the same time, although the plate gauntlets consisted of large plates, these plates were still somewhat smaller than in the Milanese armor, and their number was greater, which provided a little more flexibility with approximately equal reliability. In addition, the thumb protection corresponded in design to the thumb protection of Gothic armor and was attached to a special complex hinge, providing greater mobility of the thumb.

Another characteristic feature is the sabatons (plate shoes) " Bear Paws”, corresponding to shoes fashionable at that time with very wide toes, from which the expression “living large” came. Later, after going out of fashion, these sabatons and shoes were nicknamed “Duck Paws.”

One of the most notable features that catches the eye is the visor, which had the following shapes:

• "accordion" (English) bellows-visor) - ribbed visor made of horizontal ribs and slits
• "sparrow's beak" sparrow beak) - a classic pointed-nosed form of visor, which was widespread over two centuries - in the 15th-16th centuries
  • classic design with single visor
  • a design that appeared in the 20s of the 16th century, in which the “beak” is divided into upper and lower visors, so that you can tilt the upper visor up (“open the beak”), improving visibility, with the lower visor lowered (naturally, such a visor was found only among the later Maximilians)
• "monkey face" monkey-face), also known as “moskin nose” (eng. pug-nose) - having a protruding grille of vertical rods below the visual slits, similar to a radiator
• "grotesque" grotesque) - a visor representing a grotesque mask human face or the muzzle of a beast

The helmet itself had corrugation and a stiffening rib in the form of a low ridge. As for its design, there were four options for protecting the lower part of the face:

• with a chinrest that flips up like a visor, and is often attached to the same hinge as the visor;
• with a chinrest that was not hinged, but simply fastened in front;
• with two cheekpieces closing with each other at the chin like doors (the so-called Florentine armet);
• in which the lower part of the helmet consisted of left and right halves, folding upward like a bomb bay, closing with each other in front and with a relatively narrow backplate at the back;

of which in Germany the most popular was the version with a folding chinrest and the slightly less popular option with two cheekpieces, while in Italy there were popular options in which the protection of the lower part of the face consisted of left and right parts. In addition, the version with a folding chinrest did not need a disk sticking out like a nail with a huge head from the back of the head, and designed to protect against cutting (with a blow to the back of the head) the belt that holds the lower part of the helmet together. Interestingly, the variants of which the protection of the lower part of the face consisted of left and right parts, in the 15th century (previous in relation to the Maximilian armor), the Italians often equipped them with an additional chin guard on belts.

Throat and neck protection - gorje (plate necklace) existed in two versions:

• Actually consisting of a traditional chinrest and backrest. Unlike the design of the 15th century, the chinrest is not rigidly attached to the cuirass and closes with the backplate, forming a continuous plate neck protection, under which there is a real gorje; so it turned out to be two movable cones.
• The so-called Burgundy, which provides the best mobility of the head; a flexible gorge, consisting of plate rings, capable of tilting in any direction, on which a freely rotating helmet is fixed with a characteristic fastening in the form of two hollow rings (in the form of twisted ropes), freely sliding one into the other.

The increase in the plates of German armor, which led to the appearance of maximilians, was also accompanied by an increase in the size of the shoulder pads, as a result of which there was no need for the mandatory presence of a pair of rondels (round discs to protect the armpits). As a result, in addition to Maximilians with a traditional pair of rondels, there were also Maximilians with only the right rondel covering the cutout in the shoulder pad for the spear hook protruding from the cuirass, since the left shoulder pad completely covered the armpit in front. As for the Maximilians without rondels, there is no consensus whether they had a right rondel (which was later lost), or no rondels at all.

• Greenwich armor

Greenwich Armor(English) Greenwich Armor) - armor of the 16th century, produced in Greenwich in England, imported by German gunsmiths.

Greenwich workshops were founded by Henry VIII in 1525 and had the full name English. "The Royal "Almain" Armories" (literally - “Royal “German” Arsenals”, fr. Almain-French name for Germany). Since the workshops were created for the production of “German” armor, the production was headed by German gunsmiths. The first Englishman to head the production was William Pickering in 1607.

Although the armor was supposed to be Henry VIII, reproduce German ones, they, however, carried both German and Italian features, and therefore the Greenwich Armor, although made by German craftsmen (with the participation of English apprentices), is distinguished by researchers as a separate “English” style.

The pattern of borrowings from various styles in Greenwich Armor is as follows:

• The cuirass (including both shape and design) is in the Italian style.
• Helmet (before about 1610) - in the German style with a "Burgundian" gorge.
• Thigh guards and leg guards - in the Low German and Nuremberg style.
• Shoulder protection - Italian style.

The appearance of the first armor occurred long before the advent of military affairs, war as such, and therefore soldiers and the army. Stone Age people first learned to make simple armor from animal skins. Armor is often associated with something metallic, but leather and cloth were much more common materials for its manufacture. The skins became the prototype for the first leather and fabric armor. The skin protected the first people during hunting. Of course, such armor could not save from serious wounds, because the skin had to be treated to give it strength, and such technologies would appear only millennia later. And there was no need for combat armor, the guns were then extremely simple, and clashes with their own kind were rare.

Antique armor

The period of the first civilizations marked the beginning of the era of wars between states and the emergence of the army as an organization. People learned to process fabric, metal, and leather, so in this era it became possible to create armor that provided real protection. Leather armor, as well as fabric armor, became the first on the way to a knight in armor. They learned to process metal a long time ago, but truly strong armor appeared only in the late Middle Ages, so fabric and leather for a long time remained in the foreground.

Egyptian armor

Ancient Egypt was not very different in climate from present-day Egypt, which left an imprint on what kind of armor the Egyptians used. Due to the unbearable heat and the relative high cost of making even fabric armor, ordinary soldiers almost never wore armor. They used a shield and wore traditional Egyptian wigs, which were made of hard leather and often had a wooden base. It was a kind of helmet that could soften the blow of the weapon popular at that time - a mace or club. Bronze axes were enough rare weapons, and let’s not even talk about swords. Only people close to the Pharaoh could afford this. The same can be said about armor, even made of fabric and leather. Over many years of excavations, almost not a single metal shell was found, which indicates the high cost of its production and, possibly, low efficiency. Business card The Egyptian army, and many armies of that period, had chariots, of course, so all noble, well-trained warriors fought on chariots. They mainly acted as mobile cavalry and used archery. This kind of action required considerable skill, and therefore the chariot warriors always wore fabric or leather armor, because the loss of such a skillful soldier was not cheap. Not to mention the fact that these were often noble people.

Armor of Greece

Ancient Greece can rightfully be considered a kind of birthplace of armor, in the sense in which we know it. Hoplites are Greek heavy infantry. Light infantry were called peltasts. Their names come from the types of shields they used: hoplon and pelta, respectively. A warrior in armor in those days was no less terrible than knights, clad in full armor, racing on a horse. The best armies of the Greek city policies consisted of wealthy citizens, because in order to become a member of the phalanx (a formation of heavily armed infantrymen) you had to buy equipment, and this cost big money. The main means of protection, of course, was a large round shield - a hoplon, which weighed about 8 kg and protected the body from the neck to the knees. Thanks to this formation, the hoplite, by and large, did not need to protect the body, because the phalanx assumed that the body would always be behind the shield. Despite the fact that in these times bronze processing reached a very high level, bronze armor was not as popular as fabric armor.

Linnothorax - battle armor made of several layers of dense fabric, most often used by hoplites, as well as light infantry and cavalry. The armor did not restrict movement, and was a pleasant relief for the already bronze-clad soldier. The bronze version of the armor was called the hippothorax, and we can often see it in an anatomical version. Just like the bracers and leggings, made as if they tightly fit the soldier’s muscles. Scales never took hold in Greece as the main type of armor, which could not be said about their eastern neighbors.

In addition to the shield, the famous attribute of the Greek hoplite was the helmet. The Corinthian helmet can be considered the most recognizable. This is a fully enclosed helmet with openings for the eyes and mouth, in a T-shape. The helmet was often decorated with horsehair, the decoration reminiscent of a mohawk. In the history of the Greek helmet there were two initial prototypes. The Illyrian helmet had an open face and no protection for the nose, and it also had cutouts for the ears. The helmet did not provide such protection as the Corinthian one, but it was much more comfortable, not to mention best review. Subsequently, the Corinthian helmet evolves into something similar to the Illyrian one, but for most of its history it will remain closed on all sides.

Roman armor

The Roman army is a kind of continuation and development of the ideas of the phalanx. At this time the Iron Age begins. Battle armor made of bronze and fabric is replaced by iron, the Roman legions adapt to modern materials. The use of a sword in the Bronze Age was ineffective, since it was necessary to get close to the enemy and break the formation. Even great swords Bronze Age were very short and weak. The spear was the weapon of the hoplite and many armies of this time. In the Iron Age, the sword became more durable and longer, and there was a need for armor that could effectively stop slashing blows. So the heavy armor of the hoplite is replaced by chain mail - lorica hamata. Chain mail is not very effective against a spear, but can stop a slash from a sword or axe. Legions often fought with tribes that did not have a formation as such; many barbarians from the north were armed with axes, which made chain mail an excellent defense.

With the evolution of blacksmithing comes the evolution of armor. Lorica segmentata - plate armor; Roman warriors could be distinguished among many by this armor. This battle armor replaced chain mail, which over time had become ineffective against Germanic longswords, which had become easy and cheap to make, making them common in tribal armies. Plates fastened in pairs on the chest and pestle pauldrons provided greater protection than chain mail.
The last “new thing” of the Roman army, after the birth of Christ, was the lorica sqamata. Scale or lamellar armor was often used by auxiliary troops. The metal plates were fastened with overlapping leather cords or metal rods, making the armor look like scales.

Gladiator armor

In the Roman era, armor was worn not only by soldiers, but also by gladiators - slave warriors fighting in arenas for the entertainment of the public. It is a confirmed fact that women participated in battles, but they have been little studied, so men's armor is better known. The gladiator's armor was unusual and sometimes not very effective, which is logical, because gladiator fights are held for the public, appearance and entertainment were in the first place. Gladiators often used fully enclosed helmets, sometimes with decorations and even a jagged or sharpened comb, to fight against a gladiator with a net. The torso was most often open, but the use of breast plates and cuirasses was not unusual. Very often one could see plastic or chain mail sleeves with or without a shoulder pad; they covered a hand without a shield or a hand without a weapon. Leggings often looked like Greek ones, and were sometimes made of thick fabric. One type of gladiator, of which there were more than a dozen, had plastic armor covering the entire body and a closed helmet.

Early Middle Ages armor

The fall of the Roman Empire and the migration of peoples mark the beginning of the early Middle Ages - the starting point of the evolution of European armor. At this time, light armor was gaining popularity. In particular, quilted armor is cheap to produce and easy to use. Its weight was, according to various estimates, from 2 to 8 kg, the heaviest among Russian hemp armor, which also covered the legs. Good protection was achieved by stitching up to thirty layers of fabric. Such armor could easily protect against arrows and slashing weapons. This type of armor was used in Europe for almost a thousand years, as well as in Rus', which is not surprising, because excellent armor made of fabric could be compared in the degree of protection with chain mail. Armor from the Roman era, specifically lamellar armor, was also popular during this time. It was easy to manufacture and provided the proper level of protection.

A more advanced version of fabric armor had metal plates of varying sizes sewn into or on top of the armor. This type of armor is found mainly among wealthier soldiers.

Helmets in this era were mostly similar to metal caps, sometimes with some kind of protection for the nose or face, but most only protected the head. In the post-Roman era, a fairly rapid transition to chain mail began. Germanic and Slavic tribes begin to wear chain mail over clothing or padded armor. In that era, weapons and military strategy assumed close combat, rarely in an organized formation, so such protection was extremely reliable, because weak point chain mail is just the opposite of a spear. The helmets begin to “grow”, covering the face more and more. They begin to put chain mail on the head, sometimes even without a helmet. The length of the chain mail on the body also increases. Now the battle armor looks like a chain mail coat. A cavalryman's armor often included chain mail protection for the legs.

Subsequently, for almost 600 years, the armor did not change, only the length of the chain mail increased, which in the 13th century became almost a second skin and covered the entire body. However, the quality of chain mail during this period, although superior to early chain mail, still lagged behind the quality of weapons. The chain mail was extremely vulnerable to spears, arrows with a special tip, blows from maces and similar weapons, and even heavy swords could cause fatal injury to a warrior. And what can we say about crossbow bolts, which pierced chain mail like paper, and were extremely common in European armies. In this regard, it was only a matter of time before armor appeared that could solve these problems. Since the end of the 13th century, plate armor has become widespread in Europe - the crown of blacksmithing of the Middle Ages, the most durable armor in the world. The armor was made of steel sheets, and they first covered the body, and after a short time the arms and legs, and then completely encased the warrior in steel. Only a few points remained open so that it was possible to move at all, but they also subsequently began to close. This was the golden age of heavy cavalry, the sight of which would cause infantry to panic. The legendary armor of the knights, made with high quality, was practically impenetrable to the weapons of the militia. It happened that a knight, knocked off his horse during an attack, simply could not be finished off. Of course, such a set of armor could cost more than a small village with an estate, and was available only to the aristocracy and the knightly class.

Sunset of Armor

Heavy European medieval armor is becoming a relic of history with the widespread introduction of firearms and artillery. The first samples of firearms were extremely unreliable, the effectiveness was tens of meters, they had to be reloaded before the second coming, so heavy armor did not immediately leave the theater of war. However, already in the Renaissance, plate armor could only be seen at ceremonies and coronations. Plate armor is replaced by a cuirass. The new design breast armor allowed bullets and long pikes to ricochet off the armor; for this purpose, a so-called rib was created on the cuirass, in fact, the armor seemed to stretch forward and create an angle, which was supposed to contribute to the chance of a ricochet. With the advent of more modern types of guns at the end of the 17th century, the cuirass finally lost its meaning.

Also, the 18th century was marked by a transition to regular armies, which were maintained by the states. Since armor at a reasonable price was not adequate, it was abandoned altogether. However, the need for heavy cavalry has not gone away, and cuirasses good quality still provided acceptable protection. Now only cavalrymen wear combat armor on the battlefield - cuirassiers, the heavy cavalry of the new generation. Their armor made it possible to feel calm at a distance of 100 meters from the enemy army, which could not be said about ordinary infantrymen, who began to “crumble” already at a distance of 150-160 meters.
Further changes in weapons and military doctrine finally put the armor out of action. Warriors of modern times already walked without using armor.

Armor in Rus'

Before the arrival of the Mongols, Russian armor evolved in approximately the same way as in Europe. Chain mail armor remained the main protection of the Russian warrior, until the advent of small arms. As in China, the era of knights and heavy armored cavalry never came. The Russian warrior always had to remain mobile and “light”. In this regard, medium armor seemed a more reasonable choice in the fight against nomadic armies that relied on mobility and horse archers, which is why Russian armor never transitioned to plate armor. The cavalry's armor could be heavier, but still remained in the medium category. So, in addition to standard chain mail, battle armor in Rus' took the form of scales, chain mail with metal plates, and also mirror armor. Such armor was worn over chain mail and consisted of a metal plate - a mirror, creating a kind of cuirass.

Japanese armor

The Japanese warrior in armor, called a samurai, is known to everyone. His weapons and armor were always very prominent in the “crowd” of medieval armor and chain mail. As in other regions, samurai did not use armor. Classic samurai armor was primarily lamellar, but breastplates and cuirasses were also used. Various parts of the armor could be made in “chainmail tones”. Japanese chain mail differed from European chain mail not only in appearance, but also in its finer weave. Classic Japanese armor consisted of:

• a helmet that completely covered the head and often the face, usually it was covered with a terrifying mask; the helmet often had horns;
• lamellar armor, sometimes reinforced with a plate, like a mirror or with a cuirass on top;
• leggings and bracers, metal or lamellar, under them there could be chain mail gloves and shoes;
• armor on the shoulder, made of different materials, but their interesting feature It was comfortable to wear for archers. In Europe, an archer never wore shoulder pads, because they greatly interfered with shooting, but in Japan, the shoulder pad seemed to slide back when the bowstring was pulled and returned when the samurai fired a shot.

Such armor, just as in the case of knights, was an indicator of status and wealth. Ordinary soldiers used simpler armor, sometimes chainmail or a mixture.

Modern armor

Armor evolved along with weapons. As soon as protection appeared, weapons immediately appeared that could overcome it. And even though in this race the weapons are often more advanced, the creators of the armor do not lag behind, and sometimes come out ahead, albeit not for long.

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Armor is a defensive weapon that consists of the armor itself. In this case, the following types of armor are distinguished: soft, ringed, lamellar, lamellar-ringed. Naturally, there are many more types of armor, and today we will look at some of them in more detail. The armor also includes a combat headband, leggings, bracers and other protective equipment.

Gothic armor

The solid armor of the European heavy cavalry of the second half of the 15th century, the predecessor of Maximilian's, differs from the latter in greater functionality, high quality of metal processing and workmanship of parts, elegance of forms and somewhat less precision in joining parts, and the absence of grooves. Based on the totality of its properties, some researchers define it as the most advanced solid armor.

Decorative armor

Interior armor, which is produced for the purpose of designing and decorating various interiors. This type of armor is a copy of combat, hunting and other types of armor, but does not fulfill its original functions.

Heterogeneous armor

Armor that includes elements consisting of parts that are not rigidly connected and are small in size.

Homogeneous armor

Armor, which contains mainly large parts consisting of one material, as well as large ones.

Homogeneous-heterogeneous armor

Armor that combines the properties of both homogeneous and heterogeneous armor.

Gendarme armor

A classic type of solid armor, which was widespread in the second half of the 15th century. It was first adopted under King Charles VII. Used by the French gendarmes - heavy cavalry from impoverished nobles. As the head of the armor, a salad was used, in which the end of the crown goes into a long back plate. A forearm screwed to the top of the plate breastplate protects the lower part of the face. The upper part of the face is covered with a fixed visor, in which there is a transverse slit at eye height, providing visibility.

The shoulders are covered with shoulder pads made of overlapping plaques, connected, in turn, to elbow pads. The armpits are covered with a chain mail net and, in addition, are covered with shoulder shields lowered low to the breastplate. A single-plate plate breastplate has a thickening at the bottom, called the “armor,” which provides additional reinforcement to this part of the armor. The belly and legguards are made in the form of somewhat curved plates, stacked on top of each other like tiles. For a warrior sitting in the saddle, they cover his legs up to the knees.

The hips can be protected only by thigh guards or additionally by side guards (hip pads). The plate backplate (back plate) also has a “shell”, the continuation of which is the sacral covering, which reaches the saddle when the rider is sitting. Under the armor, the pelvic area is additionally protected by a chainmail skirt.

The knee pads, attached to the pads (lower part of the thigh) and leggings, consist of 5 plates, the central one (superimposed on the side ones like a ridge tile) is strongly curved in the form of a dome. Leggings consist of a greave and a shin guard, connected by hinges and fastened on the inside of the leg. The shoes are pointed, with a long point and spurs in the form of a wheel with long rays placed on a long shaft.

The points of the shoe and spurs are fastened by the squire after the knight mounts his horse, and are unfastened before he dismounts. The elbows are covered with elbow pads, the forearms are a continuation of plate gauntlets. The armor is relatively light (total weight 15-30 kg), but can only be fully donned and securely fastened with the help of a squire. Worn over soft overalls (pants and jacket), chain mail elements.

First, the shoes are put on, then the pads, connected by straps to the belt. After them, leggings, legguards, knee pads are put on, then armor, belly and shoulder pads. The last to be secured were the shoulder shields, attached to the overalls and passing through special holes in the bib with straps. Additional protection for the right side of the body is provided by the spear shield.

The shield is not provided as an independent weapon and is practically not used. The rider's weapons are a sword, a spear, a dagger, and a dagger; The officers, moreover, are slanderers. The horse also wears plate armor that completely covers the chest, back, croup, sides, neck and head, superimposed on or connected by a chain mail net. By the end of the 16th century. the armor has undergone changes. The spear was removed from service, and instead the gendarme received a sword and dagger, the leg guards disappeared, and the breastplate became shorter and lighter. The cuirass has been replaced by a half cuirass.

Ringed armor

Armor that is made of metal rings, but their sizes are not the same. This type of armor includes chain mail and canopy.

Laminar armor

Armor that includes plates made of hard material. The plates are quite long and arranged horizontally, they are connected to each other.

Plate armor

Armor, the basis of which is relatively small quantity large, flat or curved (often complex relief) plates (armor), connected to each other into a single whole using auxiliary parts, hinges or non-connected, independent ones. Plate as armor that provides protection to the chest, abdomen and back (analogous to a cuirass) is known already in Ancient Egypt, widespread among the Celts and Ancient Greece, where they were made in the form of two rigid curved plates of forged bronze connected by hinges, accurately reproducing the relief of the customer’s (owner’s) muscles, and therefore were made strictly individually (Hyalothorax).

From simple plate armor (cuirass, greaves, bracers, shoulder pads), this armor later developed into continuous armor by increasing the number of parts, connecting them to each other and precise mutual adjustment. Maximum development and perfection was achieved in Gothic armor of the late 15th century. and in Maximilian armor of the early 16th century, completely covering the entire body. In Russia, armor of this type was called plank or plank.

Plate armor XVII and XVIII

Over time, solid armor becomes simpler, no longer covers the entire body, the number of parts decreases, and first of all, the legs, pelvis, and back lose coverage. The armor, especially the cuirass breastplate, is very heavy and massive to protect against bullets. The breastplate is short, there is usually no paunch, the legguards are in the form of long pads fastened to the cuirass, forming a protrusion of the knee pad with side ears above the knee. Leggings are usually absent. A helmet of the burgignot type often has a nosepiece, characteristic of this era, of the eastern type in the form of a rod, giving a curl at the bottom, and another curl above the protrusion of the visor.

Sometimes there is a similar decoration on the back of the head. The shoulder pads are symmetrical - they, like the bracers, are scaly. The last troops armed with such armor were the cuirassiers of Louis XIV. The armor is blued, the breastplate is even shorter, the belly is short, and the pads are large. The arms are covered with scales, the combat head is a chaplain with a back plate and a nosepiece, reminiscent of a Japanese head. There is a sultan on the crown.

At the beginning of the 18th century. in the armor only the chaplain and cuirass remain, very short, covering the body to the level of the ribs and deeply cut under the arms. Subsequently, the backrest is abandoned, and the breastplate of the cuirass is put on and secured to the body with belts. Sometimes, instead of a half-cuirass, they put on an iron collar, like a plate necklace, with a wide protrusion going down to the chest. Shoulder pads and forearm armor could be attached to this collar.

Maximilian armor

The armor, which became widespread during the Renaissance, was used by knights in Europe. It consists of about 200 large elements, and the outside is covered with ribs and gutters. Total quantity There are up to 1000 parts, including buckles, connecting bolts, hooks and other small parts. The ribs (veins) and grooves are designed and directed so that the spear blows slide outside the joints of the armor, which increases the protective properties of the armor. In addition, they act as stiffening ribs and increase the strength of the armor, while simultaneously reducing its weight. Named after Emperor Maximilian I, for the weapons of whose army it was developed. The average weight of armor is 22-30 kg, helmet - 1.5-4 kg, chain mail - 4-7 kg, shield - 3-6 kg, sword - 1-3 kg. The total weight of the armor rarely exceeded 40 kg.

The combat headgear - arme - has a pommel with holes near the ears; sometimes the ridge protruding from the pommel is not flat, but in the form of a tourniquet. On the back (crown) there is a tube for the plume. A visor is made of one or two parts, the upper one (visor) protects the forehead, the lower one (blowhole) protects the chin; has slots or is made in the form of a lattice. Sometimes the visor consisted of three or more parts. The chin covers the entire lower part of the face up to the lower lip; it is continued by a throat cover made of several curved plates attached to it. At the back, a butt plate made of several scales is attached to the pommel using scales.

The basis and support for the armor is a mantle-aventail made of three front and rear plates covering the neck; armor, shoulder pads, and armor are attached to it. An aventail is a kind of necklace; it has a hinge on the left side and clasps or cufflinks on the right. It was always made to measure, carefully adjusted in accordance with the anthropometric data of the owner of the armor, as it ensured mobility and strength of joints, and the ability to move the head.

A poorly selected aventail causes pain and deprives a warrior of mobility and the ability to control weapons. Sometimes, instead of arme, they used a helmet with a necklace, with a straight base, which did not have a throat cover and a butt plate. Lower smooth edge When the head was turned, the helmet slid in a groove or along the upper rounded edge of the neck cover (necklace). The necklace served as a cover for the throat and back of the head; in appearance it resembled an aventail, only very wide and worn over the head, which is why it did not require adjustment to the owner.

However, the lower edge of the helmet and the necklace were adjusted to each other very carefully so as not to interfere with the movements of the head. This design, unlike the previous one, did not allow the head to be tilted or thrown back in battle without threatening the safety of the knight. The armor consisted of a breastplate connected by hinges, equipped with a large rib, and a backrest. The breastplate was usually forged from a single sheet of iron. The rib deflected the blow, the grooves directed it.

The shape of the breastplate changed - convex, pointed at the end of the 15th - beginning of the 16th centuries, in the middle of the 16th century. it becomes elongated oblong, from the 1570s. made with a point, and from the beginning of the 17th century. - blunt and short. Very rarely, the entire cuirass was made of scales. Axillary scales were attached to the bib in the armpits using straps.

The abdomen consisted of 2-3 plates. Gaiters covered the sides, starting from the waist, and the upper part of the legs (the upper third of the front and lateral surface of the thigh), often being a continuation of the abdomen. Consisted of several scales or plates, at the end of the 16th century. lengthened to cover the thigh from hip joint to the knee and compensate for the lack of obsolete pads.

The lower part of the back was covered by a sacral cover of 1-3 scales that did not have a cutout, which was made in Gothic armor for a tight fit to the surface of the saddle. On top of the armor, mantles were attached to the aventail with straps. The right shoulder is always smaller so as not to interfere with arm movements; in addition, the left side, which is usually hit, requires more protection.

Armor for left-handers is known. Not all armor has neck covers and they are ridges or wings over the shoulders that protected from hooks and prevented the knight from pulling off the helmet. Sometimes round plaques were attached instead. The bracers are divided into two parts by the elbow pad. The top one is a cylinder and several scales attached to it. The lower one, protecting the forearm, was made in the form of a double-leaf cylinder with hinges and cufflinks, and was attached to the upper one with belts. The elbow pad is convex, in early models with a point, attached to the bracers with screws.

Tin-lined mittens (gloves) in some Spanish and Italian armor had fingers, then each finger was covered with scales or rings; in other armor, the fingers were covered with common scales, sometimes only indicated on the outside. The thumb in all cases is separated from the others and has a separate scaly covering. The opening of the glove is decorated with a bracelet or edge with a hinge and clasp.

The frame (bracket) is composite, with the lower part (support) fixedly attached to the cuirass, and the hook itself could, if necessary, be lowered on a hinge. The pads consisted of two plates (the front and the outer side) and were fastened with belts. The kneecap consisted of a conical or spherical front part and an outer side, as well as four scales. Leggings for the lower legs are semi-cylindrical, their flaps are called greaves and greaves (spreaders and greaves), connected on the outer surface of the leg with a hinge and fastened on the inside.

Later, the leggings lost the back half and began to be secured with straps. The foot greaves are attached to the greave with a leg joint. Under the armor they wore suede leggings, overalls, chain mail to mid-thigh or slightly shorter, with long sleeves. The armor scales were attached to each other from bottom to top. Large scales were attached on top of smaller ones. The blow of the spear and the tip of the sword slid along the scales until it met the next scale, then with raised ribs and stripes, where it lost power. The weak parts of the armor were doubled with chain mail underneath.

Soft armor

Armor made from fabric and leather. There were varieties that also included reservations.

Hunting armor

Armor that became widespread among hunters who hunted large animals - for example, wild boar.

Ceremonial armor

Armor that was worn only for especially special events. In all cases, it differed from the battle armor of the same time in its lighter weight, lower quality fitting of parts and rich finish. There are known ceremonial armor and armor made entirely of gold and silver, inlaid with precious stones, and the thickness of the armor sometimes does not exceed 5 mm (the earliest gold armor was discovered in a Bronze Age burial). European plate ceremonial armor, in addition, was distinguished by the absence of a fokra (spear hook) and the symmetry of the shoulder guards. Sometimes it was covered with expensive fabrics.

Plate-ringed armor

Armor that consisted of rings and plates. This type of armor includes bakhterets and yushman.

Plate armor

Armor, which includes plates, and their shape and size can be different.

Full armor

Armor, which includes armor, leggings, helmet, bracers, shield and other elements.

Knight's armor

Full armor worn by knights in Europe during the Middle Ages.

Solid armor

One of the varieties of scaly or ring-scale armor that completely protected the warrior’s body.

Sports armor

Armor used to protect athletes during military sports competitions. Tournament armor is also considered sports armor.

Quilted armor

Soft-shaped armor consisting of layers of leather or fabric. Between the layers, a cotton or wool interlining was usually sewn, which was sewn along both straight and oblique lines.

Training armor

Armor that was worn during the training of warriors, i.e. when military exercises were practiced.

Tournament armor

Armor worn by European warriors in tournaments. As a rule, it is a solid, heavy armor that greatly limits the mobility of a knight, which over time has been greatly simplified and transformed into incomplete armor, providing protection only for the head, the front surface of the body (mainly its left part) and the left leg and hips. Made from very thick iron.

The armor for the equestrian spear tournament with a barrier (lattice) excluded the use of leggings. To prevent injury from sliding along the barrier, the leg was protected by a special design of the saddle pommel in the form of a box. The guards and legguards were made from a single plate. The hands were usually not protected, the left had a mitten, the right was covered with a shield. The cuirass had one, sometimes two (front and rear) fokras, and later began to be equipped with blow counters.

Later, the back plate of the cuirass was abandoned - thus, only the front surface of the body was covered. An additional shield is often screwed to the left side of the breastplate. The space between the shoulder and chest is covered by armpit covers in the form of discs. If there is only a left disc, then the right shoulder shield is enlarged and often has a cutout for a spear. The left shoulder pad is sometimes integral with the full helmet. Combat head - lattice helmet, burgignot, early 16th century. a “toad head” headband is used. This helmet is attached to the breastplate, and sometimes to the backrest. At the end of the 16th century. Mostly lettuce was used.

Tarch transformed into a wooden cloak. If the spear did not have a shield, the right hand acquired a bracer that protected its front surface. The total weight of the armor reached 80 kg.

Tournament armor for foot combat remained complete (solid) until the cessation of tournaments; it differed from contemporary combat armor in the absence of a belly, leg guards and sacral cover, replaced by a bell-shaped skirt that more reliably protected the pelvic area. The shoulder pads are almost symmetrical. The total weight of the armor ranged from 25-40 kg. Combat head - lattice helmet, burgignot, in the 16th century. - salad.

Knotted armor

Protective weapons in the form of a covering worn on the body, woven from wood fibers, bark, twigs, vines, and tarred ropes. Thick knots, tightly tied close to each other, provided reliable protection from arrows, blow needles, and chopping blows from bronze and even iron blades. Various varieties of this armor were widely used by the natives of Africa, Polynesia, and America.

Scaly armor

The armor, consisting of plates, is shaped like scales.