Medieval Arms and Armour

A number of times discussions have arisen on the LOCS Mailing List concerning the types of armour and weaponry normally used by combatants at various points during the Medieval Period.

To help resolve some of the misunderstandings and difficulties I am putting together some web pages designed to illustrate what the average Knight might be wearing in the Medieval period. The illustrations are generally from memorial brasses as these, together with manuscripts, are the only surviving illustrations. Very little actual armour survives before the late 14th century making it hard to show 'real' pieces.

The equipment of the less well armed fighting men, the sergeants and infantry, is listed in less detail as much less data is available.

I have restricted myself to commenting upon Western Europe, avoiding the peripheral nations (Scandanavia, Spain, Byzantium, Islam) that their forces came into contact with, as Chivalry and Sorcery is primarily a FRPG designed around Medieval Western Europe from the 11th to the 14th centuries.

Most of my material concerns English forces and weaponry and readerrs should note that England could be behind the times with its troops in old fashioned armour in comparison to French, German and Italian forces.

The Age of Mail

11th Century up to 1066AD
12th Century 1066AD - 1180AD
13th Century 1180AD - 1275AD

Introduction of Plate Armour

Late 13th Century 1275AD - 1325AD

Early Plate Armour

Mid 14th Century 1325AD - 1360AD
Late 14th Century 1360AD - 1410AD

Full Plate Armour

15th Century 1410AD - 1500AD

While I have attempted to cover the material as thoroughly as I can I would recommend that interested readers do their own research. Besides the on-line bookstore at Amazon.com I find that the UK's Blackwell's Bookstore is very useful for material. The US Barnes and Noble chain of bookstores reprints a lot of older historical material and offers it at very reasonable prices. I recently obtained several books for $10 each or less that I used in preparing these pages. I can recommend the following volumes as being very useful (prices in US dollars less taxes).

Bibiliography

Medieval Warfare Source Book Vol 1, Warfare in Western Christendom by David Nicolle (unfortunately now out of print), $35
Medieval Warfare Source Book Vol 2, Beyond Western Christendom by David Nicolle, $35
European Arms and Armour, C.H. Ashdown (B&N reprint) $10
The Medieval Soldier, A.V.B. Norman (B&N reprint) $10
Archaeology of Weapons, Ewart Oakeshott (B&N reprint) $10?
European Armour, Claude Blair $?
various Osprey books - Medieval European Armies, Scottish and Welsh Wars, Armies of the Crusades, Italian Medieval Armies, Armies of Crecy and Poiteirs, Armies of Agincourt, Armies of Medieval Burgundy

Last updated on 1 Sep 1998, at 20:14 ADT.