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Arms and Armor History - 14th Century AD


Arbalest - Arbalest is a much larger version of the medieval crossbow used in Europe during the medieval times. Compared with previous medieval crossbows, arbalest had the bow made of steel allowing it to achieve greater tensile strength which translated to greater force of the crossbow. The bow of the arbalest was pulled by the windlass mechanism and the strongest ones could achieve up to 5000lbs of force while being accurate up to 900 yards. Often, these weapons were considered inhumane as an inexperienced crossbowman could kill a knight from afar who spent years on training.
Aventaille - Aventaille is the front piece of a helmet or chainmail coif that is movable. The aventaille replaced the nasal from 11th century and preceded the visor that was used in 14th century.
Baldric - Baldric is a collar or a belt that is worn over a shoulder and that was used to carry a sword or other weapon. Sometimes baldrics could be worn just as an ornament for ceremonial purposes. Baldrics offer great support for the weapons carried and offered easy access to them.
Bascinet Helm - The Bascinet type helmets were used in early 14th Century. The bascinet was a replacement of the great helm. The bascinet featured a smaller and lighter head-piece, which was somewhat globular in form, but was raised a little above the head, and terminated above in a point. The bascinet, while always conforming to the general characteristics of its proper type, admitted many modifications in its form and contour. As it decidedly differed from the great helm, in being only a true head-piece without descending over the head and resting on the shoulders, notwithstanding the circumstance that it was often made in such a prolonged shape at the back and sides as to cover the neck of the wearer, the bascinet was considered to be incomplete without having appended to it and depending from it, a chainmail defense for the neck and shoulders, called camail. This is the lower part of a chainmail coif, a hood or a tippet of chainmail, which was fixed to the bascinet, and hung gracefully over the shoulders, covering the upper part of the body armor, but leaving the face bare. The defensive action of the bascinet was compelled by the further addition of an efficient protection for the face, which was accomplished by means of a piece that would completely close-in the open front of the bascinet itself. This piece, called mesail, or mursail (from the kind of resemblance it necessarily bore to the muzzle of an animal), but more generally known in England as the ventaile or visor, was mounted for both better sight and breathing, and was adjusted in such manner that it could be altogether removed, at the pleasure of the wearer; and, as a matter of course, this visor was not lowered and secured in front of the face except when the combat was imminent. In England the bascinet helmet was constantly worn with camail, but without any ventaile; and in this case the great helm was retained and in action was worn over the bascinet and was resting on shoulders. In England the camailed bascinet helmet ceased to be worn at the beginning of the 15th century, but the bascinet itself continued in use, having, in place of the camail a gorget of steel plate, encircling and protecting the throat.
Bezanted Armor - Bezanted armor is a type of leather or cloth armor that featured round metal plates sewed or riveted into it for increased protection. The name of this body armor is derived from medieval gold coins called bezants, which looked similar to the metal plates used on the armor.
Bill - The bill is a type of polearm that was used by Vikings and Anglo-Saxons and in the Medieval Times between 14th and 16th century. The bill consisted of a hooked chopping blade that was mounted atop of a wooden shaft. The end of the cutting blade was curved at the very top to form a hook. The bill combined the stopping power of a spear and the power of an axe. The bill was perfect tool to fell either the horse or its rider by taking a swing. The weapon could also achieve the same by hooking bill against a chink in the plate armor. This type of polearm was a national weapon in England but it was used elsewhere as well, especially in Italy. The bill is similar in function, size and somewhat appearance to the halberd. The only difference was the hooked blade.
Camail - The Camail is a guard of mail for the neck and shoulders that was worn fastened to the bascinet helmet during the 14th century. The camail covered the sides of the head, neck and shoulders. The camail sometimes had a triangular piece of mail that could be attached by one end to the forehead part of the bascinet helmet this way covering the face except the eyes. The camail was sometimes attached the the back plate of the armor by a strap that was bolted to the back plate.
Chamfron - Chamfron (alternative spelling: champron, chamfrein, chanfron) was an armor plate designed to protect the horses’ face. Often chamfron featured hinged cheek plates. This type of armor originated in ancient Greece but later was abandoned. It came back to use in 12th century and was used until 17th century.
Cuisses - Cuisses was a part of medieval plate armor designed to protect the thighs. A knight wearing chain mail hauberk, tassets or cuirass could have his thighs protected from blows from above, however, if the blow came from below, his upper legs could become a target. Cuisses were designed to protect against such blows. Earlier cuisses could be made in similar way to brigandine (leather armor with steel plates) but later in the medieval period they were entirely made of plate armor.
Gauntlets - Gauntlets are simply gloves covered with articulated plate armor that allows the wearer to comfortably wield weapons and at the same time provide protection to the hands. Knights hands were very vulnerable in close combat situations. Gauntlets came in various styles ranging from mitten-like gloves to highly articulated gloves that were every single finger of the glove was covered in plate armor. With the introduction of firearms, gauntlets lost its value to the wearer. Knights used their gauntlets to issue challenges to their enemy or other knights by dropping one of their gauntlets to the ground (“throw down the gauntlet”). The other knight would pick up the gauntlet to accept the challenge.
Goedendag - Goedendag (also known as godendac, godendart, godendard or pinned staff) was a melee weapon used by the Flanders during the medieval times. This club-like weapon consisted of a wooden staff that was about five feet in length. At the wider top portion of the weapon, there was a long metal spike inserted. It is said that the spike atop the weapon was used first to stop enemy from charging and after the enemy was stopped it was used as a regular club.
Jazerant Armor - Jazerant (also called: Jazeran or Jazerine) was a type of scale armor that was made of scales or plates made of metal, leather or horn attached to a backing material of cloth or leather. Jazerant shouldn’t be confused with brigandine or jack of plate as these types of armor had the protective and reinforcing plates sewn in between layers of leather or cloth. Jazerant type armor had their scales exposed outside the backing material. This type of scale armor was used in many parts of the world. In Europe, it was very popular during the 14th century.
Kidney Dagger - Kidney Dagger originated in Northern Europe at the end of 14th century. The dagger featured heavy blade with a wooden handle with a carved guard that was reminiscent of kidneys. The dagger was in use until 17th century.
Lochaber Axe - Lochaber Axe was a war axe mounted on a long wooden shaft. This type of weapon came to use in the 14th century in Scotland. The name, Lochaber, is taken from the area in the Scottish Highlands, Lochaber, where it was used by the highlanders. This type of axe was employed against cavalry. The head of the axe was similar to scythe. It was long and thin and mounted on a shaft on two collars. The upper portion of the axe’s head featured a sharply curved hook that was used to dismount cavalry from their horses. The spike at the tip of the blade could be used for thrusting and the edge of the blade could be used to deliver powerful blows. Lochaber axe was the favorite weapon of the Scots in the 16th century.
Military Fork - The military fork type of weapons were mainly used in Europe. At first they were used by peasants but later they were adopted for military use. Military forks varied a lot. Some of them featured a single, double or triple prong. Some of the prongs widened into cutting blades. Others featured hook on the back. Some of them were similar to halberds at the base but featured single or double prongs. Military forks were used by peasants until the end of 18th century.
Morning Star - The Morning Star also called a Holy Water Sprinkle is a shafted weapon with an enlarged head made of wood or iron that is studded with spikes. This type of mace was very common among peasantry for many centuries throughout the European continent. The morning star was also used in Asia but it was not as popular as in Europe.
Pauldron - Pauldron (alternative spelling: powldron or pouldron) was a piece of medieval plate armor that evolved from shoulder protecting spaulders. Pauldrons were usually larger than spaulders and protected not only the arm itself but also the armpit and also imminent area of chest and back. Pauldrons consisted of round plate that covered the top of the shoulder and smaller metal plates that overlapped protecting the upper shoulder. Pauldrons designed for tournament combat were often asymmetrical to facilitate an opening for a lance rest.
Pig Face Bascinet - A hounskull, called in Germany a hundsgugel, was a form of steel helmet worn in Europe in the Middle Ages, almost invariably by knights and other mounted men-at-arms, from the middle of the 14th century until approximately 1420. It offered extensive protection for the wearer's face at the cost of some visibility, but its distinctive visor could be raised or lowered at will. The visor swung up to uncover the wearer's face when he was not in combat, to grant him better visibility and unrestricted ventilation. This was accomplished in one of two ways. The most common form of visor in Central Europe was held on by a single hinge fastened to the center of the top of the visor, called a Klappviser. The other version had two pivot bolts on either side of the visor attaching it to the bascinet at the temples, and this was the most common form found in Southern, Western and Northwestern Europe.
The wearer peered through two vision slots when the visor was lowered. The vision slots were either relatively flush with the visor, as was the custom in Western Europe, or elevated on mounts on the visor, as was commonly the case in Central Europe. The English term "hounskull" is considered by some historians to have been a derivation of the German term for the helmet, hundsgugel, meaning "hound's hood. The Victorian historians who described the helmet often referred to it as a "pig-faced" helmet, although that term was not used in the Medieval period.
Poleynes - Poleynes were form of plate armor designed to protect the knees. Poleynes were made of plate armor and they were mounted on the chain mail chausses with leather straps. They were first in use in the 14th century.
Rondel - Rondel was a round piece of metal designed for protection of vulnerable points such as armpits. The rondel usually hanged form a breastplate. Rondels were also placed on the back of an armet, which was a type of a medieval helmet. The purpose was probably to protect the straps in the back of the helmet. Rondels were also found on elbows and also on chamforns protecting the sides of a horse's head.

History of Arms and Armor | Arms and Armor Origin Timeline

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