10-18-2011, 07:01 PM
You have to remember though that in Germanic societies, like earlier Celtic societies, possession of equipment was a mark of status (as it had effectively been in Roman armies of the middle Republic, where troop classes were determined by how much equipment men could afford). Added to that, the evidence would suggest that German society was 'iron poor' with little native iron production and few smiths (the magical tale of Welland the Smith is probably a good indication of how strange the art of metalworking was to most Germans), meaning that much of the armour and weapons which did later find its way into Germanic hands would have been either in the form of expensive imports (and we know that there was a healthy arms trade by the third century AD) or taken from the bodies of fallen enemies (here we might recall a few very old tales where young men who had killed enemies then went to the fathers of those same enemies to request the swords and spears of the fallen men, as was their right under custom).
It is also worth remembering that during the migration period the armies were generally warbands, rather than huge armies. There were composed of the men at the top end of society for whom being a warrior was their primary identity. The peasants would not have been considered for anything more than trying to defend their own homes at most as they would have neither the training or the status to demand it. Warbands would probably mainly have fought on foot, although some may have continued to mix light cavalry with infantry as had happened in earlier times. This practice may have existed amongst the Franks, as they seem to have been the first to return to fighting on horseback.
Anyway, to the Germanic mind of the later Empire, migration period and early middle ages, armour and metal weapons were almost certainly seen as symbols of status. They were prized possessions and entitlement to bear them was inextricably linked to status and prowess in war (and here it in instructive to read through Beowulf to gain an understanding of society and this time and the need for almost constant warfare. Mail, without an industry, as had clearly existed in Roman times, to produce it was very costly and would for a long time have been the preserve of kings and other great men. Most other warriors would have trusted in their years of training in the art of combat to protect them.
However, as has already been stated above, mail can last just about forever and so it would inevitably have gradually become more common. By the tenth century it seems to have been common throughout the entire landowning (ie warrior) class and by the mid eleventh it appears to have been standard equipment for most warriors. Levied peasants, where used (and this would only be in extreme situations anyway) would naturally possess no equipment.
By the thirteenth century small amounts of plate were being added to mail and by the mid fourteenth century, the 'coat of plates' had been developed to protect the chest. Mail seems to have continued to constitute the bulk of armour though. It was not until well into the fifteenth century that plate armour of the Gothic and Milanese types that most people picture were developed and to begin with these would only gradually have replaced armours which wee still predominantly composed of mail. Even the new suits of plate still employed large amounts of mail to protect the groin, under the arms and on the insides of the legs and arms. This however was at the time when feudal systems had completely broken down and it was common for great men to have their own small private armies. These would be largely composed of foot soldiers from the yeomanry and upper peasant classes, who would not have been able to afford to equip themselves. However, the brigandine, which became common around this time for foot soldiers was fairly cheap and quite easy to produce, composed as it was of rows of small iron plates which any village blacksmith could produce easily, riveted into a padded jacket (or 'jack' as it was commonly known). Brigandine could be produced quickly and cheaply, unlike mail. Some foot soldiers were also equipped with cheap breastplates, sometimes worn over mail.
So mail did not disappear suddenly in the middle ages. Instead, it was always restricted to the landowning classes and as new forms of armour were developed it played an increasingly smaller role in those armours, until it disappeared completely (from the West at any rate) some time in the mid sixteenth century, by which time warfare was dominated by pikes and handguns. The lower classes probably never wore mail and when semi-profession soldiers did begin to appear they were generally equipped with a cheaper option in any case.
"specifically tailored to a knight who learned to move in it like it was his own skin."
I wonder, have you ever worn fifteenth or sixteenth century plate armour? It is hardly like a second skin and still requires substantial padding underneath. It was also made by professional armourers in centres which specialised in their craft, like Milan and presumably exported to agents who acted as dealers. Wealthy men ordered it but it is unlikely that anyone but kings and dukes would have had it made for their own size and shape. The other magnates and wealthier knights who bought it would have had their squires adjust it to fit them by tying or buckling the points to fit them, rather than the armour being specially made for their shape.
Sorry for this OT excursion.
Crispvs
It is also worth remembering that during the migration period the armies were generally warbands, rather than huge armies. There were composed of the men at the top end of society for whom being a warrior was their primary identity. The peasants would not have been considered for anything more than trying to defend their own homes at most as they would have neither the training or the status to demand it. Warbands would probably mainly have fought on foot, although some may have continued to mix light cavalry with infantry as had happened in earlier times. This practice may have existed amongst the Franks, as they seem to have been the first to return to fighting on horseback.
Anyway, to the Germanic mind of the later Empire, migration period and early middle ages, armour and metal weapons were almost certainly seen as symbols of status. They were prized possessions and entitlement to bear them was inextricably linked to status and prowess in war (and here it in instructive to read through Beowulf to gain an understanding of society and this time and the need for almost constant warfare. Mail, without an industry, as had clearly existed in Roman times, to produce it was very costly and would for a long time have been the preserve of kings and other great men. Most other warriors would have trusted in their years of training in the art of combat to protect them.
However, as has already been stated above, mail can last just about forever and so it would inevitably have gradually become more common. By the tenth century it seems to have been common throughout the entire landowning (ie warrior) class and by the mid eleventh it appears to have been standard equipment for most warriors. Levied peasants, where used (and this would only be in extreme situations anyway) would naturally possess no equipment.
By the thirteenth century small amounts of plate were being added to mail and by the mid fourteenth century, the 'coat of plates' had been developed to protect the chest. Mail seems to have continued to constitute the bulk of armour though. It was not until well into the fifteenth century that plate armour of the Gothic and Milanese types that most people picture were developed and to begin with these would only gradually have replaced armours which wee still predominantly composed of mail. Even the new suits of plate still employed large amounts of mail to protect the groin, under the arms and on the insides of the legs and arms. This however was at the time when feudal systems had completely broken down and it was common for great men to have their own small private armies. These would be largely composed of foot soldiers from the yeomanry and upper peasant classes, who would not have been able to afford to equip themselves. However, the brigandine, which became common around this time for foot soldiers was fairly cheap and quite easy to produce, composed as it was of rows of small iron plates which any village blacksmith could produce easily, riveted into a padded jacket (or 'jack' as it was commonly known). Brigandine could be produced quickly and cheaply, unlike mail. Some foot soldiers were also equipped with cheap breastplates, sometimes worn over mail.
So mail did not disappear suddenly in the middle ages. Instead, it was always restricted to the landowning classes and as new forms of armour were developed it played an increasingly smaller role in those armours, until it disappeared completely (from the West at any rate) some time in the mid sixteenth century, by which time warfare was dominated by pikes and handguns. The lower classes probably never wore mail and when semi-profession soldiers did begin to appear they were generally equipped with a cheaper option in any case.
"specifically tailored to a knight who learned to move in it like it was his own skin."
I wonder, have you ever worn fifteenth or sixteenth century plate armour? It is hardly like a second skin and still requires substantial padding underneath. It was also made by professional armourers in centres which specialised in their craft, like Milan and presumably exported to agents who acted as dealers. Wealthy men ordered it but it is unlikely that anyone but kings and dukes would have had it made for their own size and shape. The other magnates and wealthier knights who bought it would have had their squires adjust it to fit them by tying or buckling the points to fit them, rather than the armour being specially made for their shape.
Sorry for this OT excursion.
Crispvs
Who is called \'\'Paul\'\' by no-one other than his wife, parents and brothers. :!: <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_exclaim.gif" alt=":!:" title="Exclamation" />:!:
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.romanarmy.net">www.romanarmy.net
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.romanarmy.net">www.romanarmy.net
