Page 235 - Canadian Dominion Directory 1871 - Partie 1-fusionné

armour covering the thighs, known this tirne the visor had become
as bracae and cdigae to protect his established.
A century lakr the warrior was
legs, instead of the early greaves.
These latter were of thick fabric completely clolhed in steel with al1
the added extras such as stop ribs,
and cross gartered over the top.
Passing to the Saxon era Lve find haute pieces, and though mail srill
tlie introduction of mail, which at existed it was only used to protect
the time was more or less univer- parts of the body which plate could
sally adopted. The Saxon warrior not cover or wliere gaps were likely
also carried a round shieId and used to appear.
The 16th century sl~ows armour
a tight fitting metal skull cap.
The Normans of the 1 Ith cenlury at its peak when the armourers of
relied almost entirely on mail with Italy and Germany led the field to
the long mail hauberk whicb hung be copied later in Henry VIII's
down to their knees and muaers Greenwich workshop. This was the
and mittens which covered the arms great Maximilian age.
From this time onward body pro-
and hands. This was rcinforced with
the pectoral covering the chest and tection was forced to comply with
the coif which fitted the neck, ears the increasing eficacy of small arms
and over the head, either under or and armour was thickened to with-
stand the musket ball. Eventually
over the helmet.
The helmet was originally of con- this cornpetition reacl-ied a stage of
ical shape and was worn over the absurdity and the soldiers refused
coif but later became flat-topped to to use armour.
be worn under the coif.
This deciine was gradua1 as a
In 1066 the Normans carried the cuirass and a helmet wcre used for
unwieldy kite-shaped shield which, some time as a partial protection
by the beginning of the 13th cen- but eventually it was al1 discarded.
In the 20117 century the only
Lury, had been shortened, widened
armour rernaining is io the form of
and curved to fit the body.
This form of armour was used in a steel helmet worn in bai-tle by
lhe early crusades with the addition îighting services and units of the
civil defence and in various forms of
of the surcoat.
By the end of the 13th century bullet prooE waistcoat, which appear
the niai1 coif was discarded in favour from time to time.
of a more comprehensive steel hel-
met and a few years later certain Double Axe - A double headed
elements of plate were added to the form of battle axe used occasionally
mail, namely sabatons, schynbalds by tlie Romans.
and poleyns to cover the feet, legs
and knees. Bracers and couters for Double Prog - Introduced circa
the am, plated gauatlets for the 1740 was used to carry both sword
hand and the aventail, which joined and bayonet.
Elle helmet, to cover the neck. At
the same time the shield was made Double Knot Decoration - A parti-
considerably smaller. cular rnethod of decorating armour
By the begiming of the 15th cen- during the 16th century. First origi-
tury we find the more solid pIate nated in Milan it was copied by
introduced in tlie form of breast and English armourers.
back plates, plates for the lower
abdomen and also the lower leg. By DueUing - Prior to the introduction