PIARIN COUNTY FREE LIBRARY II 31111Q1S189812 ^.0 L «5. •* V harlc^Hr^ and DavHi li No figure in history is mor,:; vv.ri.d and dramatic than the me'.'jex :/< knight. Fierce in battle ana ga'Jant in their defense of the weak, these warriors of the Middle Ages are seen as champions of justice in a savage world. They did not always live up to our image of them, but they still represent a noble ideal. And when we think of knights, we think first of their plumed hel- mets, their flashing swords, and, most of all, the gleaming armor that covered them from head to toe. In lucid text and marvelously precise illustrations, Charlotte and David Yue tell the story of armor — how it evolved over the centuries, how it was designed and made by skilled craftsmen and armorers, even how the knight donned his armor. There are chapters on armor for horses, on jousts and tournaments, on the exotic armor of warriors in the Near East, the South Seas, and Japan. Here is an absorbing introduc- tion to a subject that has fascinated readers of history and legends for many years. Jacket art © 1 994 by David Yue !>!;:ij;^M5T4 CIVIC CENTER 3 1111 01518 9812 tiH r i DATE DUE ' '^^' ) mi 1 m I 1996 MAY 0^ ip: '^ T ^KUii «v> Vj; J ^'^ 1 MAR 2 8 199 1 ipCI 1 2 1999 .HOtt 2 7 iqqq - H»p 1 «! 2000 2- 7fc-C)5 FMior L^lkarloitite and Uavidl Yiie Houghton Mifflin Company Boston 1994 To the Classroom on Carpenter Lane for being ''graceland' Thanks to Frances Elise Yue for all her assistance in the preparation of this manuscript Copyright © 1994 by Charlotte and David Yue All rights reserved. For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to Permissions, Houghton Mifflin Company, 215 Park Avenue South, New York, New York 10003. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Yue, Charlotte. Armor / by Charlotte and David Yue. p. cm. ISBN 0-395-68101-4 1. Armor — Europe — History — Juvenile literature. 2. Military history. Medieval — Juvenile literature. 3. Armor — History — Juvenile literature. [1. Armor — History. 2. Military history, Medieval.] I. Yue, David. II. Title. U810.Y84 1994 93-50601 355.8'241 — dc20 CIP AC Printed in the United States of America VB 10 987654321 Contents 1. Knights and Knighthood 1 2. The Development of Armor 13 3. The Armorer and His Craft 33 4. A Full Suit of Plate Armor 43 5. Getting Dressed 63 6. Armor for Horses 69 7. Tournaments and Jousts 71 8. Last of the Knights 79 9. Other Armor 83 Bibliography 87 Index 91 A Knight of the Fifteenth Century V/earing Italian Gothic Armor Knights and Knighthood CHAPTER ONE Two armies thirsting for a fight face each other on the battlefield in the first light of dawn. The king has formed the center of the line with his best men. Two of his most trusted leaders flank him with their men-at-arms. The enemy begins the fighting with a shower of arrows. Both sides shout curses and insults, trying to make their opponents angry enough to break ranks and fall into disarray. After the bombardment of arrows and insults, the foot soldiers close in bloody hand-to-hand combat. It is a grim trial of strength, with a confusion of men cutting, stabbing, and blud- geoning with swords, axes, clubs, and spears. Suddenly a horn sounds. At the signal, there is a thunder of horses and the gleam of metal. Knights charge into the fray with lance and sword. Iron-willed and iron-hearted, they move quickly and hit hard. Foot soldiers are no match for the combined force of man and horse, and they scatter and run before the invincible men of iron. KNIGHTS AND KNIGHTHOOD The knight in shining armor is one of the most vivid images of the Middle Ages. We envision vaHant warriors on horseback, completely encased in suits of iron. Knights were the masters of the battlefield; their fierce and determined charge would decide the outcome of a battle. Off the battlefield, we picture them fighting for the right, defending the weak, upholding justice, and trying to establish order in a savage world. In truth, knights frequently fell short of this image. They were often violent, de- structive, and cruel. And they were likely to be a major cause of lawlessness and disorder. Yet the image of knights as zealous champions of causes and chivalrous defenders of principles re- mains untarnished. For in spite of their many shortcomings, the medieval knights still represent for us a noble ideal that men were striving to attain. Who were these knights in shining armor, and how did they become such an important part of medieval life? The origins of the knight go back to the downfall of the Roman Empire in the fifth century a.d. At its greatest, the Roman Empire included most of what is now central and northern Europe west of the Rhine and Danube Rivers, as well as North Africa and practically all the Mediterranean world. It united millions of people within its realm and protected them with an army of well-trained, profes- sional soldiers. But the vast size of the empire made it difficult to defend. Across the long borders of the Rhine and Danube, there were dense forests, treacherous mountains, and wild marshlands in- habited by tribes of people that the Romans called barbarians. Although the Romans thought them uncivilized, these people had their own laws and culture. They lived in villages of houses built of a woven matting of brushwood thickly plastered with clay. Their religion was based mainly on nature worship. Important questions that concerned a tribe — war, peace, migrations, se- •^' Barbarian Helmet, Shield, and Sword .^^^ KNIGHTS AND KNIGHTHOOD lections of leaders, judgments of crimes and disputes — were decided by an assembly and a council of elders. Guilt or innocence was often determined by ordeals of fire, by oath-taking, or by fighting. Being outlawed from the tribe was considered one of the most severe punishments. These barbarian tribes farmed and raised livestock. Some were excellent metalworkers. Their minstrels composed eloquent poems about glorious events and the heroes of their people. The men were fierce warriors who considered courage and loyalty the highest virtues. Their way of life included constant raiding and warfare. Each tribe had a chief or king who was chosen because he was a great warrior. This chief was expected to lead his men in warfare and protect them during their quarrels. He was also expected to be generous to his followers, giving them booty, gold, weapons, and gifts from raids and conquests. And he was expected to wine and dine them in his hall. The warriors, in turn, gave the chief their loyalty to death. If their chieftain was killed in battle, their duty was to avenge his death or die in the attempt. Men who were the best fighters became part of an inner circle of the chief's chosen companions. Fighting was the most important thing in their lives. They fought for fame and glory as well as for riches. They believed that brave deeds on the battlefield would earn them a warrior's paradise. Minstrels sang in praise of warriors who chose to die in battle rather than retreat. Centuries later, the medieval knight would evolve from these traditions. The barbarian warriors, who were the forerunners of medieval knights, fought with spears, axes, and knives. A sword was the most prized possession of a warrior. Some swords were given names and handed down from father to son. The blades were double-edged, with a groove called a fuller running down the center. Some people have thought that this groove was to allow blood to flow off the blade; the real purpose was to reduce the KNIGHTS AND KNIGHTHOOD Sword weight of the sword and make it more flexible to handle. The tips of the blades were rounded rather than pointed, since swords at that time were used more as cutting weapons than as thrusting weapons. The hand grip was normally made of wood bound with leather. The quillons, the crosspieces that prevented the warrior's hand from sliding onto the blade, were short and straight. And the finishing knob, or pommel, was round or dome-shaped. Most warriors wore the best protective clothing they had. Usu- ally this was a leather or woolen tunic. Chiefs sometimes wore a mail shirt made of interlinked iron rings or a shirt of overlap- ping metal scales laced together. The earliest accounts of King Arthur describe him in this kind of armor. Helmets were cone-shaped. Some were beaten into shape from a single piece of iron, but most were formed by a framework of Fuller Pommel Quillons KNIGHTS AND KNIGHTHOOD iron bands filled in with segments of horn, iron, or bronze. Usu- ally a nasal, a metal piece to protect the nose, was riveted to the front edge. Cheek and neck guards might also be attached. Some helmets were decorated with jewels and elaborate designs. From early on, armor and weapons were more than equipment for fighting. Warriors wanted finely made and richly decorated weap- ons and armor to show how powerful, wealthy, and important they were. The major piece of defensive equipment was a round shield. It was usually made of wood covered with leather, and had a large surface which could be used to turn aside a blow from the attacker's weapon. The warrior grasped his shield by an iron bar fastened to the back.