Page 218 - Canadian Dominion Directory 1871 - Partie 1-fusionné
P. 218

this  respect  can  have  been  of  very
                                                                 little  use  as  they  were  made  of
                                                                material  far  too  flimsy  to  yrovide
                                                                adequate protection. They may have
                                              A
                                                                been  purely  decorative  because  in-
                                                                variably they  were painted  with  the
                                                                armorial  bearings of  the wearer.
                               Aaispiess  - This  was  a  colloquial
                               name  for  the  thrusting-lance which
                               shouId  not  in  any way  be  confused  Aketon  - A  knee  length  shirt-like
                               with either lhe mounted  man's  lance  garment stiffened with vertical quilt-
                               or  the  soldieris  pike,  though  fre-  ing.  The  sleeves  varied  between
                               quently it could  resemble  and  even  short  and  wide  and  long and  tight
                               be mistaken for the plançon  à picot.  and  there was  an upsranding  collar.
                               It  was designed  entirely  as  a  strik-  It  was  used  principally  by  foor
                               ing weapon,  particularly  for thrust-  soldiers  as  a  form  of  non-metallic
                               jng  and in  order to protect  the hand  defence  but  later  many  mounted
                               it was  fitted  with  a  guard-ronde1 at  men  used  it  as  a  lining  for  the
                               the  socket.  It  had  a  much  shorler  hauberk.
                               shaft  than  the man  at arms'  lance.
                               The  adoption  of  the  aalspiess coin-  AN-round Cuisses - A type of  plate
                               cided  with  the  knightly  practice  at  armour  designed  to  enclose  the
                                                                 thighs  completely. They were  intro-
                               the time of  fighting on foot.
                                                                duced early in the 16th century par-
                                                                 ticularly  for  the protection  of  those
                                                                 fighting on foot.
                                                                 Almain  Rivets  - A  type  of  light
                                                                 armour,  first  used  in  Germany,
                                                                which  consisted  of  plates sliding on
                                                                 rivets set  in  slides to ensure greater
                                                                 flexibility.  Almain  is  derived  from
                                                                 the early name for Germany. Even-
                                                                 tuatly tbis type of  armour was made
                                                                 in  other countries  and  records show
                                                                 that  Henry  VIII  sent  to Milan  for
                                                                 five  thousand  suits  of  Almain
                                                                 Rivets.
                                                                 Angon  - A  type  of  spear  almost
                                                                 exactly  similar  to  the  Roman
                                            Ailette              ' pilurn ' which  was  developed  by
                                                                 the early Frankish tribesrnen. It was
                               Aiiettes - A  curious accessory used  used  to  hamper  their  apponents'
                               by  the  Nobility  between  the  years  rnovements  and  was  in  use  about
                               1270 and  1350. They consisted of  a  A.D. 450.
                               pair  of  small  vertical  plates  either
                               oblong or square which were secured  Archer - The origin of  the archer is
                               to stand up  on  the shoulders.  They  obscure  but  they  appear  to  have
                               nay  have  been  designed  as  addi-  been  first  used  by  the  eariy  Egyp-
                               tional  protection  for the neck but in  tians.  For many years  only  a  short
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