How to make lamellar armor with your own hands. A.F. Medvedev: On the history of plate armor in Russia What was the armor in Ancient Russia

15.03.2020

white armor- armor produced in Europe from the end of the XIV to the beginning of the XV century. After the revival of the art of making cuirasses, they were replaced by plate-brigantine armor. Later evolved into Milanese and Castaing Brutus. It was called white to distinguish it from coracine. Later, armor that was not covered with paint and not blued began to be called this. It had less flexibility and degree of freedom, but greater reliability than the large-plate brigantine. Used with the Grand Bascinet helmet and plate gauntlets. A characteristic feature was a plate skirt without thigh guards. Not to be confused with legguards. Note. author.

Castaing brut- armor produced in the north of Europe from the beginning to the middle of the 15th century. The forerunner of Gothic armor. Used with Grand Bascinet helmet and plate gloves. Characteristic features were an angular silhouette and a very long skirt.

Milanese armor- armor produced in central and southern Europe from the beginning of the 15th to the middle of the 16th. The concept of the armor was based on simplicity, reliability and protection. It was often used together with an armet type helmet, additional protection in the form of a rondel, bouvier, shoulder pads, browband, and so on. Plate gauntlets and sabatons were an obligatory element of the armor. The characteristic features of the armor were smooth, rounded shapes, the presence of a large number of belts fastening armor and an enlarged left elbow pad.

Gothic armor- armor produced in the north of Europe from the middle of the 15th to the beginning of the 16th century. It was distinguished by great flexibility and freedom of movement provided to the owner of the armor. These properties of the armor were achieved by reducing the level of reliability and protection. As a rule, it had strong corrugation and corrugation, which made it possible to increase strength and reduce the weight of armor. Often used in conjunction with a sallet-type helmet, bouvier, steel gloves and semi-gloves. Characteristic features of the armor were angles and sharp lines, minimal additional protection. Often no additional booking was used at all. The armor set also included chain mail to protect the joints and exposed areas of the body.

Maximilian armor- armor produced in the north of Europe since the beginning of the 16th century. Designed by German gunsmiths inspired by the work of Italian craftsmen. Combines Italian rounded with German angular style. The mixture of styles made it possible to create an armor that has an external resemblance to the Milanese armor, but has not lost the characteristic features of the Gothic. The armor was more durable than the Milanese, but had a lesser degree of freedom and flexibility than the Gothic. A distinctive feature of the Maximilian armor, in addition to corrugation and corrugation, were stiffening ribs created by bending the edges of steel plates outward and wrapping them into the narrowest possible tube. It was used with helmets such as armet and burgignot, gauntlets with separate thumb protection. A characteristic feature of the armor was the increased elements of standard protection, which allowed those who wished to refuse additional armor. For example, changing the size of the shoulder pad, in the direction of increasing the chest plate, made it possible to abandon the rondel.

Brigantine- armor made of steel plates made on a leather or fabric basis with plates overlapping each other's edges, produced in Europe from the 13th to the 17th centuries. When using a brigantine with plate protection of the limbs, plate-brigantine armor was obtained. There was also chain mail brigantine, tire brigantine and full brigantine armor. There were three main types of brigantines. Classic brigantine It was used mainly from the 13th to the middle of the 14th century. After it began to be used mainly by militias and mercenaries. Made from small plates. Often produced in a dimensionless (baggy) version. The edges of the brigantine were connected by straps on the back and shoulders. The back was protected by side wings. Could have had a chain skirt. Large plate brigantine(koratsina) was used by knights from the beginning of the XIV to the beginning of the XV century. Made exactly to fit. Coracina had a detachable breastplate and separate plates protecting the back. Fastened with straps on the chest and shoulders. She also had a laminar skirt design. Sometimes the back segments of the skirt were missing for greater seating comfort. Later copies of the coracina consisted of two chest plates, two plates protecting the stomach, four side and two dorsal plates. With the advent of the cuirass, the coracine disappeared due to its high cost. Brigantine with plastron been used since the middle of the 14th century. It was made by riveting a forged breastplate (plastron) to the classic brigantine. Fastened with straps at the back.

Bakhterets- ring-plate armor produced in the Middle East from the 14th to the 17th centuries. Subsequently, its production spread throughout the East, Central Asia and Eastern Europe. It is made of vertically overlapped chain mail, horizontally arranged steel plates. The overlap of the plates was at least double. It can be a vest, jacket or robe. Can be fastened with straps on the sides or on the chest. Provides very good protection and complete freedom of movement. It consists of several hundred (up to one and a half thousand) small plates.

Yushman- ring-plate armor produced in the Middle East from the 14th to the 17th centuries. Differs from Bakhterets in larger plates and less overlap between them. It can be a vest, jacket or robe. Can be fastened with straps on the sides or on the chest. Provides less protection than bakhterets and less freedom of movement. Consists of about a hundred large plates.

Kolontar- ring-plate armor produced in the Middle East from the 13th to the 17th centuries. It is made of steel plates woven together without overlap. Sleeves covered with plates does not have. The column is made on a chain mail basis. It can be a vest or jacket with chain mail sleeves and a hem. Fastened with straps on the sides. Provides good protection and freedom of movement.

Lamellar armor- a group of armor produced from the 11th to the 14th centuries in the east of Europe, the Middle East and Asia, from steel plates woven together with wire or a leather cord. First, horizontal stripes are typed, and then they are fastened together with partial overlap. Armor can be a vest, jacket or robe. Can be fastened with straps on the sides or on the chest. Provides good protection and freedom of movement. Was superseded by laminar armor. Lamellar armor is often confused with ring-plate armor. Note. author.

laminar armor- a group of armor, the first samples of which were made in the Roman Empire. Later they were produced from the 12th to the 15th centuries in the east of Europe, the Middle East and Asia, from steel strips woven together with wire or leather cord. The production technology is the same with lamellar armor. First, strips of the required length were forged, and then they were fastened together. Subsequently, the plates began to be riveted to leather straps running inside the armor. The armor is a vest to which additional elements are attached. Can be fastened with straps on the sides or on the chest. Provides good protection and freedom of movement. Due to the greater rigidity, reliability of fastening the plates and the lower manufacturing cost, the laminar armor replaced the lamellar one, but individual moving elements (shoulder pads, elbow pads, etc.) of the lamellar structure continued to be encountered. Laminar armor was supplanted by ring-plate armor.

Ringed armor- a group of armor produced from the 5th century BC to the 19th century in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, from interwoven steel rings. Weaving rings can be divided into "4in1" - single, "6in1" - one and a half, "8in1" - double. Armor can be a vest, jacket, overalls or robe. The ring net can be a separate means of protection used in combination with others. For example, barmitsa. The armor can be fastened with straps on the sides, chest or back. Provides good protection and freedom of movement. Mandatory use only with underarmor.

underarmor- the simplest armor-clothes (quilted jacket, vest, dressing gown, etc.) having an internal padding of cotton, hemp or linen. The type of armor under which it was worn determined the size and thickness of the underarmor.

Helmets

Round helmet- The open helmet has been produced since ancient Greece. It was made of leather and metal, or entirely of metal. He could have a nosepiece, mask, earmuffs, butt pad, aventail in various combinations. In Europe it evolved into a chapel, a bascinet and a pot helmet.

Mail Hood- head protection produced in Europe since the 5th century. Can be used on its own or with a helmet.

Pot helmet- a closed helmet produced in Europe since the beginning of the 13th century. Cylindrical or pot-shaped in shape. A later modification had a pointed top and was called a sugar head. Tournament modification - toad head. The helmet had two slits on the front. Ventilation holes could be drilled below. The helmet was worn over a chain mail hood and a thick hat (scull cap). It rested on the shoulders of the wearer, which, together with the hat, protected from concussion when hit on the head. He had poor visibility and could not be rigidly fixed relative to his head. After a spear strike, it was often removed from the head. From the end of the 14th century, it was used only in tournaments.

Capelina (chapel)- a group of helmets produced in Europe from the beginning of the XIII to the XVII century. It had a cylindrical or spheroconical shape. He replaced the round helmet as a head protection for infantrymen and cavalrymen. It was distinguished by wide brim, partially covering the shoulders. There was no face protection. Could have had a barmitsa. The chapel was attached to the head with a chin strap. Later modifications looked like a salad.

Bascinet- an open helmet produced in Europe from the beginning of the 13th to the 16th century. Could be used on its own and as head protection for knights instead of the mail hood worn under the pot helmet. Face protection was limited to a nasal and aventail. The bascinet was attached to the head with a chin strap. Later modifications had a very wide detachable nosepiece. In the 14th century, the nose guard evolved into a cone-shaped dog muzzle extended forward. The visor was attached in two ways. In the first method, the visor was attached to the frontal part of the bascinet with one hinge and a belt behind the back of the helmet. This method allowed to recline or unfasten the visor. In this case, it could be completely removed and not interfere with putting on a pot helmet. The second way was traditional. The visor was attached to the temporal parts of the helmet. The helmet later evolved into the grand bascinet.

Grand Bascinet- a closed helmet produced in Europe since the middle of the XIV century. Unlike the bascinet, it had an occipital plate covering the lower part of the neck and a non-removable visor. The bouvigère that appeared (on the chin) made up a single set of protection with the helmet, covered the chin, throat, collarbones and was attached to the helmet and cuirass on pins. The grand bascinet leaned on his shoulders and made it impossible to turn his head. It was attached to the dorsal and, through the bouvier, to the chest part of the cuirass. In protective properties, the grand bascinet was slightly inferior to the pot helmet, but due to its versatility, it forced it out of the battlefield and pressed it out in tournaments. Evolved into armet.

Armet- a closed helmet produced in central and southern Europe from the beginning of the 15th to the end of the 16th century. Unlike the grand bascinet, it had a bouvier that was integral with the rest of the helmet. The bouvigère consisted of two opening front halves. In the closed position, they were fixed with a pin on the chin. Later, the bouvigère became one and joined the temporal places of the helmet, which allowed it to be thrown back like a visor. In this version, the lower part of the bouvier was fastened with a belt with a rondel to the back of the helmet. Almost always, the armet leaned on the shoulders and did not allow turning the head. The helmet could have an aventail and not be attached to the cuirass.

Salad- a group of helmets produced in the north of Europe from the end of the 14th to the middle of the 16th century. They originate from the bascinet and are helmets of various shapes, united by the presence of a long, located at an acute angle to the neck, butt pad and, not always, however, a longitudinal stiffening rib. Most salads do not have lower face protection. The upper part is protected by a fixed plate with a narrow eye slit or a short visor. This requires the use of a bouvier. A set of armor, consisting of Gothic armor, sallet without lower jaw protection and bouvier, were very popular in the German states. The sallet allows you to turn and tilt your head in any direction, and the butt pad and bouvier form a good protection for the neck and lower face. Salad did not interfere with the flow of air at all. The combat helmet, as it was called in Germany, was not used in tournaments. In battle, after a spear strike, the sallet moved to the back of the head and completely opened its eyes. In the middle of the 15th century, the development of blacksmithing made it possible to equip the sallet with two visors. The upper one covered the face from the eyebrows to the tip of the nose, the lower one from the nose to the throat. In the 16th century, lettuce evolved into bourguignot. The German World War II helmet and the modern cyclist's helmet are direct descendants of the Salad. I like German gunsmiths, and if you remember what happened then in this region, you understand that they could not make ceremonial and tournament armor. Note. author.

barbute- (Venetian sallet) open helmet, produced in the south of Europe from the 15th to the middle of the 16th century. It was a creatively redesigned version of the helmet popular in ancient times. The combat helmet covered the entire head to the shoulders, except for the Y-shaped or T-shaped cutout in the front. Did not interfere with vision, breathing and head movement. Could be equipped with a aventail.

Bourguignot- a closed helmet produced in Europe since the middle of the 16th century. It was a mixture of lettuce and barbut with elements of armet. It was characterized by a round body, tightly fitting the skull, adjacent to the back of the head and trapezius muscles of the back by the back of the head. Provided good visibility, head mobility and normal air flow. Barbut allowed the bouvier to be completely abandoned. Within half a century, in connection with the development of military art, the bourguignot became an open helmet. The visor evolved into a visor, the stiffening rib became a crest, the side parts of the helmet (cheek pads and earpieces) began to be hinged.

Lesser known examples have been presented in Asia from Iran to Mongolia, including Central Asia. Laminar armor made from animal skins is also traditionally made and worn in the arctic regions of what is now Siberia, Alaska and Canada.

In the laminar age and lamellar armor 16 was replaced by galvanized mail in the Middle East and Central Asia, remaining mainly in Mongolia. However laminar armor did briefly appear in one form or another in Europe during the 16th to 17th centuries with the main feature that distinguishes it from other forms of laminar armor being the metal strips secured with sliding rivets. This was known as anima and was invented in Italy. Notable examples include the Earl of Pembroke Armor and the armor worn by the Polish Hussars. The method was also used for the armor of the neck, upper limbs, and thighs, as shown in Almain's rivet and zischagge.

Ancient Laminar Armor

Medieval laminar armor

Japanese laminar armor

Laminar shells were made in Japan in the early 4th century. tanko(laminar), worn by foot soldiers and Keiko(plate) worn by riders were both types of pre-samurai early Japanese armor built from iron plates connected by leather straps.

Kiritsuke iyozane DO (laminar shell) built with horizontal rows (stripes) of armor plates laced together in a way that mimics the scales (kozane) of plate armor.

Initially, for many centuries, laminar armor was the only less expensive variant of plate armor. Laminar is simply made from horizontal strips of armor pierced like the strips of plate armor, but without the extra-lacing and notches that mimic the strips of plate armor. And as in plate armor, these laces can sometimes be cut during combat; The laces are also worn out when the armor has been worn for a long time without being repaired.

Later, early 15th century construction laminar armor changed considerably; instead of lacing being used, strips of new laminar armor were riveted to wide straps (as in the Lorica segmentata). As a result, laminar armor became more reliable than plate armor: concealed straps could not be cut without armor impregnation, that Brad straps did not require constant mending, and the straps were stiffer and more durable than the thinner lacing that had been used previously. Laminar armor eventually became more popular than plate armour, and almost completely replaced plate armor by the end of the 15th century.

Pure plate armor has become very rare; however, various combinations of laminar and plate armor were very popular. This was because even though laminar armor was much more reliable than lamellar armor, laminar armor was not flexible enough, while laminar armor was very flexible. Laminar cuirass can be worn with lamellar pauldrons and tassets (worn with separate bracers, greaves and helmet). More rarely was the opposite combination of lamellar armor worn with laminar pauldrons and tassets. Both could optionally be worn with a laminar or laminar cod piece and a loin-guard, or even with mirror-reinforced plate.

In the late 15th century, when laminar armor became much more popular than lamellar ones, both types of armor began to be replaced by lamellar mail. Initially, electroplated mail was made only as greaves, but soon by the early 16th century electroplated mail was used in both pauldrons and greaves, as they could better envelop the body and completely replace laminar and lamellar pauldrons and tassets. Thus, the typical laminar armor of this period was only the laminar cuirass, which could be worn over a brigantine with sleeves complemented by metalized mail greaves. (Helmet, bracers and greaves are not mentioned here as they were common in this region). The sleeves of the brigantine worked as pauldrons, and if the mail was long enough his knees could work as tassets. Another variant was wearing a laminar shell without a brigantine, but with metalized mail pauldrons and greaves. Both varieties of laminar armor could be reinforced with a mirror plate (even though laminar armor would have been sufficient protection against steel weapons, a metal mirror was worn as protection against the "evil eye"). Finally, by the end of the laminar age and lamellar armor 16 had virtually disappeared in the Middle East and Central Asian regions.

Mongolian laminar armor

Laminar armor of the indigenous peoples of the Bering Strait

The armor of the Chukchi and the Siberian Yupik had a very similar design, according to various sources, the Chukchi armor can have only one huge shoulder pads extending to the waist, used as a shield, and look more like a wing or both "wings". Both Chukchi and Yup'ik armor may have lamellar or laminar designs whereas other areas were lamellar and laminar armor tended to have different designs and were made from different materials. Similar plate armor with "wing" shoulder pads was used by the Koryak people.

Classical plate armor was made of hard materials (originally natural materials such as bone, tusk, whalebone and even wood, like arrowheads, were originally bone or stone) and in the form of a short carapace or even consisted only of

Laminar armor (from lat. laminae - layer) - the general name of the armor from solid transverse strips movably connected to each other.
The best-known examples of laminar armor are the Roman lorica segmentata and some of the later varieties of samurai armor. In addition to the segmentata lorica, full laminar protection of the limbs was also known in ancient Rome, but it was practically not used in the army, being used mainly for gladiators, who were usually protected in this way only with one arm (in some cases also one leg) with an unprotected body.
Laminar armor was widespread in the East until the 16th century, until it was supplanted by ring-plate armor. Laminar armor was widely used by Mongolian warriors in the 12th-14th centuries, the most common type of Mongolian armor - khuyag - often had a laminar structure. In terms of cut, the Mongolian laminar shell was no different from the lamellar shell, however, it was heavier and more uncomfortable than the lamellar shell.

Related concepts

Ringed armor - armor woven from iron rings, a metal network to protect against cold weapons. She wore (depending on the variety) various names: chain mail, shell, baydana, yacerin. Different types of chain mail were used - from a chain mail shirt that covered only the torso and shoulders to full hauberks (hauberk) that covered the body completely, from head to toe.

Name history

The “lamellar” armor got its name due to a peculiar design consisting of many metal plates (Latin lamella - “plate”, “scale”). These steel elements are interconnected with a cord. Lamellar armor in each state had its own distinctive features. But the principle of connecting the plates with a cord was common to the device of all ancient armor.

Bronze armor

In Palestine, Egypt and Mesopotamia, bronze was used to make lamellas. This metal is widely used in the east and in the center of Asia. Here, warriors were equipped with lamellar armor until the nineteenth century.

What was the armor in ancient Russia?

Until the middle of the twentieth century, among scientists who studied ancient Russian weapons, there was an opinion that our ancestors used only chain mail. This statement remained unchanged for a long time, despite the fact that lamellar armor was depicted on frescoes, icons, stone carvings and miniatures. Plank armor was considered conditional, and any mention of it was ignored.

Archaeological work 1948-1958

After the end of the Great Patriotic War, Soviet archaeologists discovered over 500 burnt lamellar plates on the territory of Novgorod. The find gives grounds to assert that lamellar armor was also widely used by the ancient Russians.

Russia. Mongol invasion years

As a result of archaeological excavations on the territory of Gomel, scientists discovered the largest workshop for the manufacture of armor. It was burned by the Mongols in 1239. Under the rubble, archaeologists found swords, sabers and over twenty types of ready-made lamellar plates. In a separate room, defective flake products and blanks were found: they did not have holes and bends, and the edges of the plates contained burrs. The fact of finding a long awl, file, grinding and grinding wheels at first prompted scientists to think that it was here that lamellar armor was made, assembled and adjusted. Making armor, meanwhile, is only possible with a forge. But this equipment was not found either in the workshop or nearby. The researchers came to the conclusion that an ancient armory was discovered in Gomel, while the production process for the manufacture of armor was carried out elsewhere.

What is lamellar armor?

By connecting small metal plates with laces, the ribbons that make up the lamellar armor are assembled. The photo below shows the features of the combination of steel flakes in the product.

Assembly work should take place in such a way that each plate overlaps the adjacent one with one of its edges. After conducting studies of the reconstructed armor of different countries, scientists came to the conclusion that the plates that made up the lamellar armor of Byzantium did not overlap, but fit tightly to each other and were attached to the skin. The ribbons were tied together first horizontally and then vertically. Forging metal plates was a laborious task. The very process of assembling the armor was not particularly difficult.

Description

The weight of armor made of 1.5 mm thick plates ranged from 14 to 16 kg. Lamellar armor with overlaid plates surpassed chain mail in efficiency. The cuirass, created according to the lamellar pattern, is able to reliably protect against piercing weapons and arrows. The weight of this product does not exceed five kilograms. The impact force of the opponent's weapon is dissipated on the surface of the armor, without causing any harm to the warrior dressed in armor.

Mounting methods

In order to prevent damage to the armor, the plates in it were tied with two special cords so that their length on the back was negligible. If one cord broke, the steel elements in the armor were held by the second. This made it possible for the warrior, if necessary, to independently replace the damaged plates. This method of fastening was the main, but not the only one. Metal wire or rivets could also be used. Such structures were distinguished by high strength. The disadvantage of the second method is the low mobility of the armor.

At first, belts were used to connect steel plates. Over time, this practice was discontinued. This was due to the fact that with chopping blows of the sword, lamellar armor was often damaged. The armor, which used rivets and wire, was able to withstand the blows of various types of weapons.

The form

The components of the armor are rectangular steel products with paired holes evenly distributed over the entire surface. Some plates in it contain bulges. They are necessary in order to better reflect or weaken the blows of arrows, spears and other weapons.

Where is plate armor found?

When reproducing historical events of the Middle Ages in feature films, heroes often use lamellar armor. Skyrim is one of the popular computer games where a lot of attention is also paid to the topic of plate armor. According to the terms, these armors are worn by mercenaries, marauders and bandit leaders. According to the game, this heavy armor becomes available after passing the eighteenth level, when the hero needs a more serious level of protection. It is able to provide an improved steel plate armor, which in its characteristics significantly exceeds the usual set of steel.