Rabbit Trail: Knight's Dress
Estimated Time: 20 minutes
In this book we learn a lot about the dress of a knight. The author describes it in detail, but for those of us unfamiliar with the terminology we might not be able to picture it in our minds. Let's discuss some of the items a knight in the author's imagination would wear or have with him.
Morion
This helmet, described by the author, was not worn until later centuries, but the author adds it here to give the impression of pomp and circumstance.
Surviving examples of the elegant Morion helmet used from the middle 16th to early 17th centuries
The iconic morion, though popularly identified with early Spanish explorers and conquistadors, was not in use as early as the conquest of Mexico by Hernan Cortez or Francisco Pizarro's conquest of the Incas in South America.
Halberd
This weapon can be traced back to the 14th century, so it was also probably not used by the 6th century knights in this book.
Halberd | weapon
Halberd, weapon consisting of an ax blade balanced by a pick with an elongated pike head at the end of the staff. It was usually about 1.5 to 1.8 metres (5 to 6 feet) long. The halberd was an important weapon in middle Europe from the 14th through the 16th century.
Breastplate
These would have changed over the years as well.*-
Breastplate Armor
Breastplate armor was a common part of the late medieval armour in Europe. It evolved significantly over the course of the Middle Ages and took many different forms. Initially it took the form of a cuirass and was alternatively used as a part of the surcoat, often sewn into the surcoat garment of the knight.
Traditional 6th Century Knight
The first knight described in this article would be more in line with what a knight in the time-period of this book would look like.
The armor of knights
There are three main factors in the development of armor over the centuries. First is that of the metals and metal working skills available at the time. Second is the weapons that were available at the time. And third was money. Armor costs money and the more armor the more money.
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