Ancient & Medieval Terms

A brief history:

The evolution of armour has been along similar lines everywhere, although it has not gone equally far in all countries.

The first armour was undoubtedly the skins of beasts.

The next step was probably to fasten rings or scales of some harder material on it.
In the early armour of this type, the strengthening pieces were always put on the outside, later they were often riveted or quilted between layers of cloth or leather. This type of armour (brigandine) was largely used in Europe from the 10th to the 16th centuries.
The difficulty of making and working large pieces of metal confined its use at first to comparatively small plates fastened to each other , or to cloth or leather. Armour of this type was very heavy as it was necessary to have the plates overlap to secure complete protection.

Mail is the next logical step. The earliest mail was made of rings sown on leather and was extremely heavy as the links were large. The heaviness was largey relieved by the adoption (at the early part of the 12th century) of using interlocking rings, allowing them to hold together without having to be fastened to a leather garment beneath.
From the 10th to the 13th century, mail was so prominent in Europe that this period is often called the "Age of Mail". other forms of armour were still used, indeed padded, scale and ring armour were far more common, but the higher classes wore mail almost exclusively.

In the Transition period (1277-1410) padded and scale armour were still used, as was mail, but the latter was increasingly reinforced by plate. Brigandines of large plates were often worn instead of hauberks.

By the beginning of the 15th century, the entire person was protected by plate except for openings at the joints which were covered by gussets of mail fastened to the undergarments. The most elaborate and complete armours of plate were worn in Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries.

After this point, the greater use of firearms and a corresponding change in tactics towards infantry and large masses of men (and away from individual knights) caused the amount of armour worn to regress until it was eventually abandoned altogether.

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A B C F G H J K L M N P S T V W

aiguilette (or aglet, aiglet, anglet): The metal tag on the end of a point or lace, sometimes the point itself. Points were used to fasten together pieces of plate armour.
aketon: Quilted garment worn either as an independent protective covering or under mail armour (12th and 13th centuries). Evolved into the arming doublet in the 15th century.
anime: Laminated body armour of the late 16th century. The plates are horizontal and lap so that the open joints are upwards. While this makes it very flexible, it is not good as a defence.
arciones: The high peaks, back and front, of the war saddles of the middle ages. They were covered with steel plates which were often forged to be highly decorative.
armed: In the middle ages, and up to the 17th century, "armed" meant wearing armour and had no reference to carrying arms. A man without armour was said to be "unarmed" , even though carrying a number of weapons.
armet: Modern term used to describe a close helmet (designed to protect the whole head and face, with a movable visor) in which the bevor is formed of two large hinged cheek pieces meeting and fastening together at the chin. Most important form of head armour for men-at-arms in southern Europe in 15th century.
armiger: (Latin for "armour-bearer") squire, or knight's shield bearer, not necessarily of noble status. In 11th and 12th centuries armiger could also be an ordinary soldier.
arming doublet: A padded garment of heavy material (usually leather), worn under armour to act as a cushion to blows on the armour as well as to protect the person from stains and chafing. When mail gussets were worn to protect the joints they were fastened to the arming doublet; aiguilettes for holding the arm pieces in place were also attached to it.
arming girdle: The sword belt worn with armour.
arming hose: heavy hose worn with armour.
arming points: Laces or cords for fastening the pieces of armour together, or for supporting it from the doublet.
arming spurs: Spurs worn with armour. When the horses wore plate armour, the spurs had to have very long shanks in order to reach the animal under the flanchards.
arming sword: A short sword worn at the right side.
Attic helmet: Type of Greek helmet used from the 5th to 2nd centuries BC. No agreement on exact definition, but term most often used to describe a Chalcidian helmet without a nasal guard.
avant-bras: Armour for the forearm.
aventail (or camail): The mail defence attached to the lower edge of a basinet (knight's helmet) in the 14th and 15th centuries, covering the neck and shoulders. It was attached to the helmet by a pierced leather band which fitted over a series of pierced lugs of brass or iron called vervelles, through which in turn a cord was passed, securing the aventail in place.
baldric: A collar or shoulder belt, worn either as a support for a sword or other weapon, or simply as an ornament, 14th century or later.
barbote: Alternative name for the bevor, the face defence worn with the sallet or kettle hat.
barbute: Italian helmet of the 15th century, normally classified as a type of sallet - often called a Venetian sallet - with a characteristic T-shaped opening at the front. Thought to have developed from the basinet by extending the sides and rear downwards, obviating the need for an aventail. Similar to Corinthian helmets.
bard (or barding): General term for horse armour. Horse armour went through the same development as that for men, and reached its highest development in the 15th and 16th centuries and then degenerated into mere parade decoration. The most complete suits consist of chanfron (headpiece), crinet (which covered the neck), peytral or poitrel (covering the chest and shoulders as far back as the saddle), flanchards (covering the sides, beneath the saddle), and crupper (covering the hindquarters). The legs were rarely covered.
basinet: Characteristic head armour of mid-late 14th and early 15th centuries. It appears to have developed from the plate reinforcement to the mail coif, worn under the great helm in the early 14th century. By the 1340s it was worn with a visor and without the great helm. See also cervelliere.
bevor: Piece of plate armour to protect the lower front of the face. Formed part of close helmet (see armet) or as an additional piece of armour on sallets and kettle-hats.
bracer: In archery, a leather guard strapped to lower part of archer's arm at wrist. Term also used to refer to a piece of metal armour which protected the lower part of the arm.
breastplate: A plate, or set of plates, covering the front of the body from the neck to a little below the waist. The backplate was commonly included when the name breastplate was used.
breaststrap: A broad strap crossing a horse's chest and fastened to the saddle to keep it from sliding back. It was used as much for decoration as for utility and many were very ornate.
breech of mail: A short skirt of mail worn in the latter part of the 16th century. It was sometimes called a brayette.
brichettes: The collective name for armour protecting the loins and hips. It was composed of culettes and tassets that hung from the breast and back.
brigandine: Plate armour made of small overlapping plates or bands of iron, steel or leather riveted inside a tight-fitting coat of leather or heavy canvas, often covered with some finer material. Used from 13th to 15th centuries. Most commonly worn by soldiers on foot, it offered the advantages over heavier plate and mail of being both very flexible and relatively light.
byrnie: Anglo-Saxon term for the hauberk or mail shirt.
caparison: Covering for the horse of a man-at-arms, usually made of padded cloth or leather and often decorated with the rider's coat of arms.
cervelliere: Skull cap, synonymous with basinet. Appeared as small hemispherical skullcap around 1220, usually worn under the mail coif. This practice disappeared by around 1330.
Chalcidean helmet: Greek helmet of 4th - 6th centuries BC. Evolved from Corinthian helmet by cutting away between the cheek and neck to leave the ear uncovered and allowing the wearer to hear. The cheek pieces were often hinged.
charnel: Hasp used around mid-15th century to secure the great helm to the back and breastplate for jousting. It took the form of a hinged flap with rectangular holes corresponding with a series of pieced rectangular lugs, and replaced the leather straps and buckles found on earlier jousting helmets.
chausses: Close fitting mail armour for the legs, either laced up the back of the leg or designed as a hose.
cingulum: Roman military belt consisting of rectangular metal plates riveted to a leather belt.
cataphract: Technical term for heavily armed Eastern cavalry of the 3rd century BC.
clibanarius: (Latin "oven man") late Roman heavily armoured cavalry soldier. Cataphracts were given this name because the armour was extremely hot to wear.
coat of plates: Protective body covering made of iron plates riveted inside a fabric coat. Widely worn from mid 13th to late 14th centuries (when one-piece breast plate introduced).
coif: Protective head covering made of mail. Worn until mid-14th century when basinet and aventail became the most common form of head defence. Usually wore a cap of coiled rope beneath it.
Coolus helmet: (or Mannheim helmet) of Celtic origin, found mainly in France and the Rhineland, appears to have been adopted by Roman legions in 1st century BC. Similar to Montefortino helmet, but had a spherical skullcap without a topknot and apparently no cheek pieces.
In the 1st century AD the neck guard was enlarged and a brow guard and large cheek pieces fitted. Superseded by the Imperial Gallic helmet in second half of 1st century AD.
Corinthian helmet: Commonest form of Greek hoplite helmet, used from 8th to early 5th century BC. Ideal for fighting in phalanx formation, where the head was the most vulnerable part of the body. The helmet completely encased the head but had a T-shaped split down the front leaving the eyes and mouth uncovered, although the nose was still protected by a nasal. Only flaw was that the wearer could not hear through the helmet - later replaced by Chalcidian, Attic and Thracian helmets.
corsalet: General term for armour covering the chest and back (see cuirass)
couter: Piece of plate mail armour for the elbow by early 14th century. Towards end of 14th century it became part of the fully articulated vambrace.
crinet: Protective neck covering forming part of a set of horse armour (see bard). Separate plate or mail defence for horse's neck appeared in Europe in late 14th century.
cuirass: Protective plate covering for the trunk of the body, used throughout Europe from 13th century. By 15th century, cuirasses of iron or steel plate, formed a breastplate and backplate, often made of a number of separate pieces. Standard piece of a complete set of armour.
culet: Rear part of a skirt made of plate in European armour. Term appeared in 17th century, probably regarded as half of the fauld in the 15th century.
fauld: A hooped plate skirt attached to the lower edge of a plate cuirass. First appeared in early 15th century with full sets of plate armour.
flanchard: Side part of a set of European horse armour. From 14th century plate flanchards were standard elements of a plate bard.
gambeson: Quilted coat used as armour from 12th century. Worn under mail or plate armour in order to reduce chafing and the shock of blows. Some were made from fine materials such as silk and worn over armour for display and added protection.
gauntlet: Protective covering for the hand, wrist and later the lower forearm, usually made of plate. Plate gauntlets were an essential part of armour from 13th to 17th centuries.
gorget: Plate armour in the form of a collar designed to protect the neck, chest and shoulders. Used from 15th century. Generally made of two pieces, joined by a hinge or pivoting rivet and locked together around the neck by use of a keyhole and stud.
great helm: Large cylindrical protective head covering made of plate. First appeared in early 13th century. They extended the current flat-topped helmet by the addition of a face defence, pierced at the front by sights and breaths, and then a neck defence, with all parts being solidly riveted together.
Early helms were worn over arming caps and mail coifs. By late 13th century the top had become a truncated cone, though round-topped helms existed. Development of the visored basinet relegated the great helm from the battlefield by the 15th century, although it remained for jousting armour.
greave: Armour protection for lower leg. The full greave, covering the leg from knee to just above the ankle developed in Greece as part of hoplite armour. Demigreaves protected only the front and outside of the shin, while greves closes, formed of two hinged plates, completely enclosed the lower leg.
gusset: Panel of mail used to protect a joint in plate armour. Common in 15th century, particularly in protecting the underarm, and sewn to arming doublets (quilted jerkins worn beneath armour). Term also used of the articulating plates fitted at the arm openings of breastplates in late 16th century.
habergeon: Diminutive of hauberk (mail shirt). Term first used in 14th century, with shortening of mail shirt. By 15th century the two terms were interchangeable.
harness: Term for complete set of plate armour.
hauberk: Mail shirt (synonymous with byrnie). Term used throughout whole medieval period.
hautepiece: Upright flange formed by an extension of the pauldron, guarding the neck. Appeared on Italian plate armour from around 1425, used until 16th century.
hounskull: Another term for the visored basinet (knight's helmet) of the 14th-early 15th centuries.
jack: Type of soft armour in the form of a quilted fabric doublet used in England c. 1390-1540. It was the main protective body covering used by most English archers during 100 Years' War, and Wars of the Roses. Largely replaced by the plate jack after 1500.
jazerant: Rare type of armour consisting of mail shirt sewn inside a fabric doublet. Used c. 1200-1500.
jupon: Hip-length fabric garment, usually long-sleeved, worn over armour - synonymous in late 14th century with terms "coat armour" and "surcoat". By 1350, surcoat was shortened to the hips, although still called coat armour, was also called jupon from 1350.
kettle-hat (chapel de fer): Plate helmet with a broad brim. Appeared around end of 12th century and continued throughout rest of medieval times. Characteristic helmets of ordinary soldiers, but also used extensively by the knightly classes.
klappvisier: Visor for a basinet attached by hinged bar to two studs at the centre of the forehead. Appeared in Germany c. 1360-70, and continued in use to around 1410, principally in Germany.
lamellar armour: Type of armour made of scales, usually of leather or iron, pierced with pairs of holes and laced together into strips with leather laces which were then laced together with leather or silk laces to form complete body coverings. Used in Asia from 400 AD, Muslim world by 1000. Spread into Scandinavia and was still used in China in 1500.
Developed in central Asian steppes. Excellent protection against horse archery. May be related to Chinese laced plate style of armour. Distinguished from scale armour by upward overwrapping of the rows of lamellae and by the lacing of the scales flexibly to each other rather than to a fabric lining, or inflexibly to each other by wiring.
latten: Alloy of copper, tin and zinc used in Europe for decorative borders on armour, and occasionally for whole pieces.
mail: Armour formed of circular (usually iron) links arranged so that each link passes through two others in the row above and two in the row below (except for Japanese mail, where links of two different sizes are used to form a lattice structure).
Links could be of four different kinds:
riveted: each made of a length of wire with its ends overlapped, flattened, and joined by a rivet, the usual form of a link.
welded: the ends forge-welded together to form a solid link, used for alternating rows with riveted links until c. 1400.
solid: punched from sheet metal (usually characteristic of alternate rows in some Turkish mail.
butted: ends merely butted together, such garments have little protective capability.
Most mail was formed of iron links, but some have borders of brass links.
Mannheim helmet: Alternative name for Coolus helmet.
Montefortino helmet: Celtic helmet found in 4th century BC Gallic cemetery. In general sense applies to all helmets with back peak and integral topknot. First truly Roman helmet, most made of bronze and many partly lined with iron. Some made entirely of iron. Superceded by Coolus and Imperial Gallic helmets in early 1st century BC.
muffler: Modern term for extension of the sleeve of a mail shirt over the hands. Appeared on European shirts towards end of the 12th century and remained until the mid-14th century.
nasal: Modern term for the nosepiece of a helmet, either forged as part of a helmet (as in Norman Sprangenhelm or Corinthian helmet), or attached by a bracket and adjustable.
pauldron: Piece of plate shoulder armour with extensions to cover parts of the chest and back. Appeared at the very end of the 14th century and became the usual form of shoulder defence on complete suits of plate armour.
peytral: Breast armour for a horse, particularly in the 15th and 16th centuries when horse armour was relatively common.
plackart: Lower half of a two-part breastplate. Made from 1420 to the end of the 15th century. Term later used for a reinforcing breastplate worn over a complete breastplate.
poleyn: Piece of plate armour for the knee. First appeared about 1250, usually attached to gamboised cuisses (quilted thigh defences). By 1340 represented with small side wings and from 1370 were joined by articulating lames to solid plate cuisses.
pourpoint: Fabric doublet worn under armour, synonymous with "arming doublet".
sabaton: Piece of plate foot armour. Appeared in the early 14th century, remained part of complete armour until the 17th century.
sallet: Characteristic German helmet of mid-late XV. Typical "sou'wester" form with broad brim at the back, and was sometimes made in one piece, covering the entire head with a sight cut in the front or with a movable visor.
scale armour: Made of small, usually D-shaped plates sewn either individually or in rows (with the individual scales wired together) to a fabric lining, characteristically overlapping downwards. Probably the easiest form of armour, appeared around 17th century BC. Continued to be manufactured through Roman period into early medieval period. Romans used both bronze and iron scales varying from 15 x 19 mm / 0.6 x 0.75 in to 80 x 54 mm / 3.1 x 2.1 in.
spaulder: Modern term for piece of plate armour for the shoulders formed of narrow articulating lames, as opposed to the pauldron in which the main plates were extended to cover parts of the chest and back. Spaulders appeared before pauldrons in the early to mid-14th century. Usually permanently attached to the upper canons of the vambraces (or rerebraces).
Thracian helmet: Adopted by the greeks during the 5th century BC and became the elite helmet during Hellenistic period (300-30 BC). Ideally suited to front ranks of phalanx, giving the same protection as Corinthian helmet but better vision and hearing.
vambrace: Plate armour for the arm. In the 14th century applied to armour for forearm (with rerebrace used for upper arm (and shoulder armour)). Modern terminology follows that of the 16th century, in which the vambrace comprises the upper and lower arm armour (termed the upper and lower canons of the vambrace), including the couter but excluding the shoulder defence which was usually a separate piece of armour.
vervelle: Pierced brass or iron lug on a basinet, used to secure the aventail.
white armour: Complete set of plate armour worn in late med. Europe as uncovered, bright metal. First of the type appeared in 1420s and continued as standard form for rest of the period.