Full suits of mail were utilized by the Normans. Chain mail is pictured on the Bayeux Tapestry. While harder, thicker metal may sound more protective, the variation of metal used suggests that different styles worked for different situations.

Chain mail performance could vary depending on whether the metal links were harder or softer and thicker or thinner. Mail in this pattern provided both protection and maneuverability. The most common linkage pattern was the 4-1 pattern. Linkage type, material, weave density, and ring thickness all played a part in protecting knights well. The effectiveness of chain mail depended on a few factors. Richard Mortel from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Notice the mail neck protection attached to the helmet on the right. A shirt of mail and smaller pieces on display. Some medieval helmets featured hooks for attaching chain mail pieces at the neck (shown in photo below). Hoods of mail protected the head underneath a helmet. Shirts of mail were called hauberks, and could vary in size and length depending on the wearer. The earliest chain mail essentially formed a tunic, and protected the vital organs of the torso.Īrmorers improved upon this design and created better-fitting mail shirts that could protect the arms. Walters Art Museum, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Mail shirts were called hauberks and protected a knight’s torso. The earliest European chain mail dates to the 9th century. Mail could be made with only a few simple tools like pliers and a hammer. These were hammered flat and interlocked into a protective chain pattern. Medieval armorers created chain mail by drawing out and coiling small strips of iron into rings. It was referred to as “ring mail” during this period. Prior to the invention of plate armor, early medieval knights relied on chain mail as their main form of protection. Information about Renaissance-period armor can be found here. These centuries span the early to late Middle Ages, when the role of the knight in society was at its peak. We will utilize these forms of evidence to discuss the evolution of a medieval knight’s armor from the 9th to 15th centuries. During the Middle Ages, the tombs of royalty and nobility (including knights) were oftentimes ornately carved to resemble the likeness of the person who passed.ĭetails of armor construction and components can be gleaned from examining these tombs carefully. Tombs also provide key information about medieval knight armor. Knight’s Effigy tomb slab, Kildalton Church by Rob Farrow, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons The tomb’s of knights, such as this one at Kildalton Church, shows armor styles and components. This historical and archeological evidence includes physical pieces of armor, illustrations of knights, and written records. We know about the evolution of armor in the Middle Ages thanks to records left behind. Vinkhuijzen, Hendrik Jacobus, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commonsīut what about knights from earlier centuries in the Middle Ages? What sort of protective items did they rely on in battle? Plate armor may have gained immense popularity by the 1300s, but prior to its invention, knights utilized other types of protection.

A stereotypical medieval knight with full plate armor. Knights of the late Middle Ages protected themselves with sophisticated and protective plate armor. This picture of a medieval knight is not far from the truth. When most of us think of a knight, we picture a brave soldier on horseback wearing shining plate armor and a full helmet. Guide to Medieval Knight Armor & Helmet Typesįew historical figures are as popular as the medieval knight.

Medieval helmets