Page 217 - Dictionary of Heraldry and Related Subjects

ARMOUR AND ARMS
A study of armour and arms is one of the subjects closely related to
Heraldry. It is not long after comrnencing to learn about Heraldry that one
begins to be fascinated by the different shapes of shield. by the introduction
of the surcoat and the reasons for jt and the various ways in which the
Knights of the Middle Ages displayed their armorial bearings for al1 to
see.
Immediately there is an interest aroused in the mind of the student with
regard to the peculiar shaped pieces of metal with which the earIy fighters
clad themselves to go into battle. How they could move at all, let alone
fight their enemies, with so much iromongery around them.
This Dictionary of Armour and Arms has been allied to a similar work
on Heraldry to provide a natural outlct for this interest and to give the
student of Heraldry an easy means of egress to the meaning of many of the
terms which he may find jn books on Heraldry.
1 have included a short reference with regard to al1 the various pieces
of amour and the arms of tbe period which the student nlay find referred
to. In fact 1 have gone further, as 1 have made the work as comprehensive
as possible though I have only given in general terms the descriptions of the
various items and their uses together with the approximate dates when the
various items were used.
Much of my information has been obtained frorn or verifed in ' Armour
and Blade ' by Ellacott, ' Arms and Weapons ' by Martin and the ' Diction-
ary of Chivalry ' by Uden al1 three of which are most interesting and
valuable references and to which 1 give grateful acknowledgement.