In medieval times, life was not easy, clothing played an important role in the flesh to preserve life. Simple clothing made of flimsy fabric was common, leather was considered a rarity, but armor was worn only by wealthy gentlemen.
Henry VIII's Armet, known as the "Horned Shell". Innsbruck, Austria, 1511
There are several versions regarding the appearance of the first armor. Some believe it all started with robes made of forged metal. Others believe that wood protection should also be considered, in which case we need to remember the truly distant ancestors with stones and sticks. But most people think that armor came from those difficult times when men were knights and women languished in anticipation of them.
Another strange shell-mask, from Augsburg, Germany, 1515.
A separate article should be devoted to the variety of shapes and styles of medieval armor:
Either armor or nothing
The first armor was very simple: rough metal plates designed to protect the knight inside from spears and swords. But gradually the weapons became more and more complicated, and the blacksmiths had to take this into account and make the armor more and more durable, light and flexible, until they had the maximum degree of protection.
One of the most brilliant innovations was the improvement of chain mail. According to rumors, it was first created by the Celts many centuries ago. It was a long process that took a very long time until gunsmiths took on it and took the idea to new heights. This idea is not entirely logical: instead of making armor from strong plates and very reliable metal, why not make it from several thousand carefully connected rings? It turned out great: light and durable, chain mail allowed its owner to be mobile and was often a key factor in how he left the battlefield: on a horse or on a stretcher. When plate armor was added to chain mail, the result was stunning: the armor of the Middle Ages appeared.
Medieval arms race
Now it is difficult to imagine that for a long time the knight on horseback was a truly terrible weapon of that era: arriving at the scene of battle on a war horse, often also dressed in armor, he was as terrible as he was invincible. Nothing could stop such knights when, with a sword and spear, they could easily attack almost anyone.
Here is an imaginary knight, reminiscent of heroic and victorious times (drawn by the delightful illustrator John Howe):
Bizarre Monsters
Combat became more and more “ritualistic,” leading to the jousting tournaments we all know and love from movies and books. Armor became less useful in practice and gradually became more of an indicator of high social level and well-being. Only the rich or nobles could afford armor, however only a truly rich or very wealthy baron, duke, prince or king could afford fantastic armor of the highest quality.
Did this make them especially beautiful? After a while, the armor began to look more like dinner wear than battle gear: impeccable metal work, precious metals, ornate coats of arms and regalia... All of this, while looking amazing, was useless during battle.
Just look at the armor belonging to Henry VIII: isn't it a masterpiece of art of the time? The armor was designed and made, like most all armor of the time, to fit the wearer. In Henry's case, however, his costume looked more noble than fearsome. Who can remember the royal armor? Looking at a set of such armor, the question arises: were they invented for fighting or for showing off? But honestly, we can't blame Henry for his choice: his armor was never really designed for war.
England comes up with ideas
What is certain is that the suit of armor was a terrifying weapon of the day. But all days come to an end, and in the case of classic armor, their end was simply worse than ever.
1415, northern France: on one side - the French; on the other - the British. Although their numbers are a matter of debate, it is generally believed that the French outnumbered the English by a ratio of about 10 to 1. For the English, under Henry (5th, forefather of the aforementioned 8th), this was not at all pleasant. Most likely, they will be, to use a military term, "killed." But then something happened that not only determined the outcome of the war, but also changed Europe forever, as well as dooming armor as a primary weapon.
The French did not know what hit them. Well, in fact, they knew, and that made their defeat even more terrible: after all, it was them, the "cream" of the equipment of the French infantry, marching to an obvious victory, their chain mail and plates sparkling in the sun, their monstrous metal armor and the best protection in the world...
Arrows began to fall on them, fired from Henry's secret weapon: the English (Welsh, to be precise) longbow. A few volleys - and the French were defeated by an enemy they could not even get close to, their precious armor turned out to be pincushions, and their army was trampled into dirty ground.
Clothes say a lot about a person. And for a very long time, armor was the most universal garment of that time, suitable for almost all occasions. But times are changing. In our case, this was greatly helped by several people with a few bows and arrows.
World War I armor
Brewster's armor, 1917-1918:
Experimental machine gunner helmet, 1918:
If the level of protection provided by a helmet does not seem sufficient, you can try climbing inside a mobile protection equipped with four wheels (a real mobile coffin):
Some of the British "face protection systems" looked downright stupid. The Belgian samples also did not shine with grace:
And finally, the original 1917 pilot suits with face protection, which look an awful lot like the Star Wars pilot outfits:
