Armour - Historical (always under construction)
Knights of the Northern Realm has a focus on armour from the Transitional Period of the 14th century. This was the key stage in the evolution of the Crusader style armour which had mail and very limited plate armour to the full plate harness of the 15th century (i.e Gothic, Milanese). To assist those interested in Living History this page provides photos, illustrations and text to detail historical 14th century harness.
The Catholic Church had a vital role in the day to day life of European knights. Through the church’s sponsorship of artisans valuable references survived in altars, stained glass windows, and stone work.
Pistoia Cathedral altar 1376, Bargello Palace in Florence
Stained glass provides a fine example of two dimensional armour images.
Christ Church Cathedral 1320, Tewkesbury Abbey mid 1300s
Illuminations within books can provide an often fantastical view of history. Works commissioned would show their current armour style instead of the contemporary armour. For example, they would show Roman soldiers from the time of Christ wearing 14th century armour. They are a valuable source to look at variations of armour that did not survive the ravages of time and changes in design.
Menesse Codex 1340, Chronicles HM 1034
Guy de Warwik, 2nd half of 14th century; Book of Hours, Use of Sarum ('The Taymouth Hours')
Romance of Alexander 1338-44
Chroniques de France ou de St. Denis 1380
Histoire Romaine 1380-1390
unknown manuscript
Codex Membrans Chronicles of France 1388
Jean Froissart's Chronicles
Some of the best surviving examples of 14th century armour are taken from tomb effigies and incised tombs. Note that in the earlier decades of the period the vast majority of armour is mail rather than plate. The first pieces of plate armour developed were the great or barrel helm, elbow cops and polyens for the knee. Historical note: Ailettes were for the display of heraldry and not for defense.
Left to Right: John de Northwood 1319, William Fitzralph 1323, Sir John d'Abernon II 1327, John de Botiler 1335, Ralph Stafford 1340, Lord St. Amand Almeric de St. Amand 1340, Edward III 1340
Left to Right: Sir Hugh Hastings 1347, Sir Miles Stapleton 1364, John de Mereworth 1366, Ralph de Knevyton 1370, Sir Robert Bardolf 1395, Sir John Bettesthorne 1398
Effigies are the second best reference after surviving pieces of armour. They can provide a good 3-dimensional view of a knight’s harness. These statues can provide insight into the placement of buckles, contour of armour pieces and how accessories were attached.
Left to Right: Sir Hugh Despenser 1349, Peter de Grandisson 1358, Reginald Cobham 1361, Prince Edward of Woodstock 1376
The most vital reference in historical armour reproduction and study are surviving pieces.
Many pieces did not survive as they were often recycled in later generations into more modern armour, cooking ware or other goods.
Body armour ranged from mail to scale, padded cloth to plate.
Coat of plates chest pieces, unknown harness (missing spaulders & finger lames), Churburg harness (missing spaulders, finger lames & greaves), Ulrich IV. von Matsch harness from Milan c. 1361 - 1366 (missing mail, spaulders, finger lames, and leg defenses)
Bascinet helmets were popular through the period. Barrel or great helms survived through the period moving from the classic flat topped style to a round helm. Bascinets often featured a pointed Houndskull visor or rounded Globose style. Klapvisors were also common during the era.
Left to Right: Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, Ulrich IV. von Matsch from Austria 1350-1375, Prince Edward of Woodstock’s great helm, Klapvisor from Kunstsammlungen der Veste Coburg, Brant van Campen 1368
Left to Right: Klapvisor from Historisches Museum in Dresden, Houndskull, bascinet of the Count of Arco in Lombardy 1385, Hounskull with aventail
Gauntlets in the 14th century ranged from mail mittens to mail with finger stocks and from segmented plate to hourglass styles.
Left to Right: boy’s gauntlet, Sir Edward Blackett, Vogts of Matsch,Bargello, Prince Edward of Woodstock, and Sir Thomas Arderne
Left to Right: spaulder, rerebrace, elbow cop with wing, and vambrace; Charles VI's lower vambrace and elbow cop 1380
Left to Right: cuisses, polyens and demi greaves from Churburg 1365; Charles VI's cuisse, poleyn and greave 1380
Foot protection ranged from mail chaisses to scale and splint to plate armour.
Left to Right: Prince Edward of Woodstock 1376, Charles VI 1380
Attempts were made to link each image to the location of the collection or the original website of the photo.
