7 Essential Parts Of A Medieval Armor

When talking about a medieval armor in its totality, we imagine a chainmail-encrusted soldier holding a sword. But a closer look will reveal many individual components of a medieval armor. In this list, we look at 7 parts that made up a typical medieval armor.

Arm Armor

Let’s start with the most vulnerable part of a medieval soldier’s body-the arm. The medieval arm armor was specifically designed to protect the arm, the elbow and forearm of the soldier.

Medieval soldiers wielded swords, so any injury to the arm would have meant certain death. That is why medieval armor was focused on protecting the arm. Most medieval arm armors were handmade from 16 gauge steel which could deflect forceful attacks from the rival’s sword.

The upper part of the medieval armor was around 6 inches in length to protect the arm, followed by leaf shaped elbow armor and a 7 inch long forearm armor. This three-piece construction was secured by leather straps and steel buckles to make sure the medieval armor remains tightly secured at one place no matter how factice the movement of the arm was.

Body Armor

The medieval body armor, also known as the cuirass, was a luxury not many medieval soldiers could afford. The body armor was mostly afforded to high ranking military personals, emperors and his coterie of friends during a battle.

The medieval body armor was made from 18 gauge steel and was first introduced in 5 BC Greek city states. Romans followed suit and the medieval armor became a symbol of prestige amongst Roman generals.

The one piece construction was designed to protect the full upper body from collarbone to the hip bone. The chest plate (front part) was connected to the back plate by a series of leather straps. This medieval armor also protected the shoulders.

Glove Gauntlet

Think about gloves back in the 1400s, and you will have steel or a leather gauntlet designed to protect a soldier’s fingers, wrist and lower part of the forearm during a battle. Needless to say, but a gauntlet made an indispensable part of medieval armor.

During the medieval era, hand to hand combat was common and so these medieval mittens were made to not only provide protection from scathing medieval swords but to also not constrict the hand movement of the medieval swordsmen.

The medieval armor was constructed with a rivet arrangement that allowed for finger mobility and a flaring cuff so that the wrist was free to move around. Sometimes this medieval armor was supplemented with leather straps to the medieval gauntlet securely to the hand.

Gorget Armor

Nobody likes to have their throats slit-not even the mighty medieval soldiers ready to die for their Emperor. The neck plate armor made for an essential part of medieval battle armor as it protected the area-from the neck all the way to the collarbone-of medieval soldiers.

Constructed from steel and forged to fit the neck perfectly, this medieval gorget armor one piece armor could take the most devastating blows on its neck plate without leaving a single dent on the medieval armor.

The neck plate was riveted giving the medieval armor a hinged appearance which allowed for flexibility in the neck movement. The medieval armor was secured to the body with the help of leather straps.

Leg Armor

There was no way medieval soldiers would leave their legs unprotected-even if that meant that they would have difficulty running wearing leg armor (or as we know, the soldiers never ran away but preferred dying in the battleground). This part of the medieval armor was an intricately constructed steel piece.

The 5 part medieval armor shielded that thigh, the knee joint and upper half of the leg. Two leaf-like attachments on the side of knee armor were carefully designed to make this medieval armor fully functional and moveable. All five pieces of the leg armor came together with hinged rivets.

Leg armor was a significant part of the medieval armor of Spanish and Greek soldiers. But if you have watched the Lord of the Rings trilogy ( who hasn’t?) you would notice the leg armor components flying off as soon as a soldier has been struck down. Fair to assume that coming off of a leg armor was the final nail in the coffin for a medieval soldier?

Medieval Helmet

Think of the Miss Universe but without the crown ceremony at the end. Ok the analogy may sound stupid when we are discussing noble but ruthless medieval warrior and their armor but it fits well when talking about a medieval helmet.

By the standards of medieval age- a medieval helmet was a crown jewel of medieval armor. The medieval helmet design varied to a great degree across various ancient armies, but its significance remained excel the same-as the most revered part of a soldier’s armor. Honor, dignity, fear, were the values concentrated in this part of the medieval armor.

Medieval helmet design is sometimes the only thing that distinguishes one army’s medieval armor from another. For Spartans, their fancy Greek Spartan helmet with horsehair plume stood out from thousands of kilometers to signal death to the enemy waiting to fight them.

Likewise, medieval armor of the crusaders consisted of a full face helmet with just an eye showing throwing a slit-in line with a stealthy aura of the wearer. By contrast, a foot soldier’s kettle hat style helmet was a practical part of medieval armor designed to protect the head from typical European longswords of the medieval era.

From soldiers of Troy to Anglicans, Saxons and Normans, the medieval helmet was a signature on their medieval armor. Complete with nasal and cheek guard, these medieval helmets and the hierarchy they would in the medieval army ranks, still baffles and intrigues medieval history nerds today

Medieval Shield

Talking about the great signalers in medieval armor, we end this list with a medieval shield. Medieval armor was many things to a soldier, but most of it, it signified his allegiance and subservience to a particular entity or group.

A medieval shield was a way to showcase that belonging. Out of all other parts of a medieval armor, a medieval shield displayed the insignia of the medieval army most vividly.

Be it a quadrant viking shield or a round steel shield of medieval soldiers, medieval armor remained incomplete without a soldier’s first line of defense against oncoming attacks. A bloodied shield was an ultimate mark of bravery for a medieval soldier-whether he returned home on two feet or in a casket.

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