The Reality

While armor often conveyed status and sophistication, its basic purpose was to protect the wearer. The evolution of armor was driven by the changing conditions of warfare, various forms of martial sports like jousting, and the development of metalworking technology.

Knights and other soldiers demonstrated their prowess, made their fortunes, and often lost their lives in battles and tournaments. Armor was designed to withstand the threats of a specific environment. Battlefield armor varied depending on a soldier’s role in combat, and allowed them to move and fight effectively in unpredictable circumstances, while tournament armor might be heavier and only cover areas exposed in a specific event.

The Battlefield

The well-armored soldier of the early Middle Ages wore a helmet made of steel plates and a flexible coat of mail made of thousands of interlocking rings. Improvements in metalworking in the 1300s made it possible to forge larger sheets of steel, which artisans fashioned into armor plates that gradually came to cover the entire body as an articulated suit. The continuous development of weaponry also fueled armor’s evolution.

Battlefield armor struck a balance between mobility and protection. While a full suit of field armor might weigh 50 to 60 pounds, it still allowed the wearer to be quite nimble.

Halberd
Italy
About 1540
Steel and wood
Weight 3 lb. 12 oz.
The John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection, 2014.137

Rondel Dagger
Nuremberg, Germany
About 1400–50
Steel, copper alloy, and bone
Weight 11 oz.
Higgins Collection Acquisition Fund, funds by deaccession from the John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection, and the Sarah C. Garver Fund, 2018.3

Broadsword
Western Europe (hilt possibly England)
1400–50
Steel with traces of organic materials
Weight 3 lb. 8 oz.
The John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection, 2014.56

In addition to his lance, the knight carried a sword as an all-purpose weapon. The diamond-shaped cross-section helped stiffen this blade, which was designed to penetrate the gaps in a suit of armor and break open the links of mail armor (metal rings linked together to form mesh) underneath.

This sword comes from an important cache excavated in 1972 from the Dordogne River, in France. It was lost in 1453 by the retreating English forces after Castillon, the final battle of the Hundred Years’ War.

Pauldron: This provided protection for a knight’s shoulder and armpit. You are looking at the back—the large wing over the shoulder blade prevented gapping when the knight raised his arm.

Mail Sleeve: Knights wore mail underneath plate armor to protect the gaps at vulnerable joints.

Cowter: Also called an “elbow cop,” the cowter overlapped plates of the upper and lower arm.

Gauntlet: Gauntlets came in two basic versions—glove and mitten. Gauntlets originally had leather gloves stitched inside, but those rarely survive.

Cuisse and Poleyn: The cuisse protected the knight’s thigh, while the poleyn covered the knee. These were often joined together. Wings at the side of the poleyn protected the back of the knee while allowing it to bend.

Sabaton: The sabaton, armor for a knight’s foot, echoed the shape of a medieval shoe. Armor of the time often mimicked the latest fashions.

The Tournament

The tournament was the ultimate sporting event of medieval and Renaissance Europe. Originally practice for warfare, tournaments evolved to offer multiple combat events, costumed role-playing, elaborate pageantry, and spectacular special effects. Each tournament followed specific rules for both foot and horseback events.

In the joust, horsemen charged at each other with lances. Armor for these competitions was often heavily reinforced on the side threatened by the opponent’s lance. Armor for tournaments on foot might include a reinforced helmet, and if there was a barrier separating the combatants, the armor might only cover the upper portions of the body. Presentation was often as important as winning or losing, and knights wearing distinctive armor often gained recognition.