One day Legs are very angry
We talked with the Head:
Why are we under your authority like this, That for a whole century we must obey you alone;
Day, night, autumn, spring, You just thought of it, if you please run, drag
There, here, wherever you lead;
And besides, wrapped in stockings, Treads and boots, You destroy us, like reference slaves …
("Head and Legs", a fable by Denis Davydov, 1803)
Something we have not addressed to the topic of medieval weapons and armor for a long time. And, as one of the VO visitors recently blamed me for this, this is a serious omission. We need, they say, a balance between themes. I agree, but finding an interesting topic is not so easy. Much has already been covered. Helmets, and of different types … CONSIDERED! Anatomical cuirasses - CONSIDERED! The era of chain mail and mixed chain-plate armor, as well as "white armor" and their decoration - all this was. But what was not? It turns out that there was practically nothing about the armor that protects the legs. That is, it was, of course, how not to be. But only in conjunction with other armor, and not in the form of one material, in which this topic would be considered "from and to". Well, well - that means it's time for legs!
Well, we will start with the epigraph of Denis Davydov, a fable that greatly spoiled his future career and it is clear why. Indeed, it was remarked very correctly. The head is the head of everything! And warriors already in ancient times protected her more legs. For example, the Egyptians generally fought barefoot, by the way, in the same way as the heavily armed and armed Assyrians. Here the horsemen of the latter and the kings wore boots. For example, King Ashurbanipal on the relief, where he is depicted hunting lions, wears boots on his feet, and they resemble American lace-up boots during the First World War, but that's all!
Relief from the palace of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal in Nimrud. British museum.
Mycenaean warrior. (Fig. Giuseppe Rava)
In the early period of their history, the Greeks of the times of the Cretan-Mycenaean culture (although they could hardly be called Greeks, but let them be Greeks and Greeks, it is so customary!) Wore leggings that covered their legs from the foot to the knees. At the dawn of their history, the Spartans wore the same leggings, fingertips that covered the toes of the feet with toes, as well as cylindrical legguards that resembled wide bracelets. That is, with the exception of narrow strips of leather, these "armor" covered the entire leg to the waist, where the upper part of the thighs was covered with a "skirt" - zoma, with metal plates. But then they abandoned armor altogether and went into battle in only helmets and with large shields, 90 cm in diameter, winning not so much due to equipment as by skill and tactics.
Athenian hoplite, 4th century BC (Figurine in 1/16 scale by "MiniArt" company)
The device of the shield with an apron. (Hand from a figure in 1/16 scale by "MiniArt" company)
The arrangement of the Greek hoplite leggings on the MiniArt figurines is completely correct.
True, the Athenians used a protective apron on their shields, which protected the legs, or rather the thighs, from arrows. Because the legs of the Athenian hoplites were traditionally protected again by anatomically shaped leggings. They didn't even have straps on the back! They simply pushed their edges apart and put them on the leg, where they held due to the precise fit! Convenient, to be sure.
The Scythians used to sport leather legguards covered with scales. (Fig. Angus McBride)
By the way, Alexander the Great, judging by the images that have come down to us, also fought “barefoot”. Here, for example, how he is presented dressed in armor by the American reenactor Matt Poitras.
On the Roman columns - Trajan and Marcus Aurelius, all Roman soldiers are bare-legged, well, perhaps in trousers like tight-fitting breeches. "Brakka" - so they were called and from this word and went our "trousers".
Roman legionary of the 3rd century AD (Fig. Angus McBride) In this picture, he is already in long pants, but his legs, as before, are not protected by armor.
Roman tribune of the era of the empire. (Reconstruction by Matt Poitras)
In the era of the death of Rome and the "dark ages" that followed this period, the soldiers were not up to their feet. There are pants, and okay. Since all the armor was mainly worn on themselves, and the horsemen, who did not know the stirrups, tried to fight on foot, and on horseback only reached the place of battle. In any case, the miniature with the warriors of the era of Charlemagne from the "Golden Psalter" does not have armor on the legs of the riders.
Warriors "Golden Psalter" (Library of the Monastery of Saint-Galen)
The next historical source is the famous Bayeux carpet. In fact, this, of course, is not a carpet at all, but embroidery 48/53 cm wide and 68, 38 m long. It can be clearly seen in his images that the warriors of Harold and William (William the Conqueror) are dressed in chain mail with a slit in the front. They have windings on their legs, and only William and the Earl of Eustace have chain mail covers in the form of stripes of chain mail. Even Bishop Odo does not have such "armor". That is, it is obvious that the riders did not see much benefit from covering their legs then. In turn, this allows us to talk about battle tactics. Nearby, the enemy soldiers, of course, would have hit the riders in the most unprotected parts of the body, that is … in the legs! Which would cause the legs to be "booked". But since we do not observe anything like this, we can conclude that the horsemen fought with the same infantry … at a distance. Which is shown on the "carpet". That is, they threw spears at her! And only then, the upset infantrymen were cut with swords by the horsemen. Moreover, they chopped them when for some reason it was not up to their feet … However, all this is well shown on scenes from embroidery, and very naturalistic ones. No one hits opponents on the legs. Doesn't even try!
A scene with Bayesian embroidery.
And then the process of developing the protection of the knee and lower leg begins, that is … in the battles, they finally began to “get it. First of all, the number of the simplest type of protection increased: a chain mail strip that covered the shin to the knee and was fastened with strings on the back of the calf. This is already the era of the first crusades, when this type of protection became widespread. Then there were chain-mail "knee-highs" (up to the knees) and chain-mail stockings for the whole leg. In 1195, such armor consisted of leather stockings, on which, again, such a chain-mail strip was laced in front, but already on the entire leg, from the foot to the upper part of the thigh.
The Knights Templar 1195 (Fig. Vine Reynolds)
Knight 1210 (Fig. Graham Turner) of England, such protection for the legs was widely used in the XIII century.
Hospitaller 1230 (Fig. Vine Reynolds)
Judging by the miniatures, the leg up to the knee could also be protected by a leather pad, which was also tied with laces on the calves, but only instead of chain mail, metal plaques (circles) were riveted onto it, one to one. This form of protection, apparently, was used less often than chain mail "armor". However, by 1250, chain-mail "stockings" had become just stockings, that is, to tighten the leg from foot to thigh. They were put on over linen shosse stockings, on which leather stockings were put on, after which chain mail was already put on them (all this was tied to a belt!). But the most fashionable people also wore stockings made of bright fabric, for example, silk, over their chain mail stockings, so that the chain mail under them was not visible!
At the same time, especially in Italy and in the Crusader states in the East, they began to strengthen the protection of the leg to the knee by imposing embossed leather plates from the so-called "boiled leather" on the chain mail. "Boot leather" boiled in oil!
Knight Outremer 1285 (Fig. Christa Hook)
Apparently, the knees began to suffer in the battles. Since, in addition to chain mail shosses, they began to wear quilted tubular knee pads with forged convex umbols.
But further - and this is the most interesting, it was the legs that were the first to receive full plate cover, that is, "anatomical armor", the shape of which exactly followed the contours of the body. Even on the hands, plates "half-cylinders" and "discs" were also used, lacing at the elbows, but the legs were covered with armor already during the Albigensian Wars and then the Hundred Years War, which is confirmed by the famous effigy of Count Tankavel from Carcassonne and the "Black Prince" Canterbury.
Effigia of Count Trancavel from the Castle of Carcassonne. The signature under it says that it belongs to the XIII century. and this is correct, because when there were the Albigensian Wars. But pay attention to the legs. Plate shin covers are no different from those worn a century later. That is, this is how early the leg armor appeared!
Effigia of the "Black Prince" in Canterbury.
But this is already the classic of 1410! (Fig. Graham Turner)
Armor of 1450 (Fig. Graham Turner) It depicts on the left in detail the whole "cuis", or legguard, which was also complemented by a leather element with holes for attaching his armor to the doublet. The kneecap, equipped according to Italian traditions with a large side wing, was complemented by a "lame", or metal strips at the top and bottom, which allowed the leg to bend without danger of opening some part of the body for impact. "Mane" - a greave, or grease, - was connected with straps, to which it was fastened with rivets, from the inside. These details were fastened, first of all, with hooks and straps, which were tightened on the back of the leg.
Greenwich Plate Armor 1580 (Fig. Graham Turner) On the right is a device of "Cewis" armor belonging to Sir Henry Lee.
Polish hussar of the same year. (Fig. Vine Reynolds)
The thigh was protected only from the front and it is clear why. Saving metal and getting to it was difficult. The infantrymen also mainly had a knee pad with a descent to the lower leg and with a plate slightly above the knee and that's it.
Armor "demi-lance" ("half-penny") Sir James Skudamore 1590 (Fig. Graham Turner) As you can see, below the knees of the armor is missing at all!
That is, it all started from the head, passed to the torso and as a result with the head, that is, with the helmet on it and the cuirass on the body, it all ended. True, the same cuirassiers were distinguished by high boots made of durable leather with protruding knee pads. But this is all that New time could offer to the new armored horsemen!
A samurai of 1185 wearing the characteristic early suneate leggings without knee pads. (Fig. Angus McBride)
In the East, it was customary to protect the legs with chain mail weaving with laps on the knees, which were additionally "armored" with a metal umbon. In Japan, until the 12th century, leggings were not used at all. Mid-calf boots made of sturdy leather were in vogue there. In the middle of the 12th century, the first samples of suneate leggings made of metal plates, usually three-winged, appeared, and for the foot a special, "samurai" shoe was invented - kutsu shoes made of hard leather, trimmed on top with bearskin (or boar, if someone is poorer). Kahyan windings were worn under the leggings so that they did not rub the skin. The leggings were covered with black varnish (it doesn't matter if they were made of leather or metal!) And painted with gold. The knee was not yet protected, which for the rider was a great omission on the part of the gunsmiths.
Armor about-eroi of the XVIII century. with characteristic tsutsu-suneate with very large knee pads. (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)
It was corrected, however, only in the 16th century, when tate-oge knee pads (from the word "tate" - shield) were attached to the upper edge of the suneate. On some suneate, called bishamon suneate (in honor of the god of war Bishamon), the knee was protected by an extension of the middle plate, which protrudes far upwards and was called kakuzuri. By this time, fur shoes had already been abandoned, and woven waraji sandals and even wooden geta sandals began to be worn.
Another reconstruction of the armor of the Edo period, XVII century. (Tokyo National Museum)
Note that there were many varieties of suneate. So, already in the 15th century, such varieties appeared as tsutsu-suneate from three large plates, usually on hinges, and sino-suneate - from narrow plates on a fabric or chain mail base. In addition, metal plates begin to be sewn on the trousers to protect the hips from which the kusazuri - separate segments of the "skirt" of the carapace and the plate of the hip-guard - haidate - fell from the samurai sitting on horseback. By the way, the knee pads were thick, with cotton wool, and the front was most often sheathed with hexagonal metal plates of kikko. Kusari-suneate had chain weave as a protective one, but they did not protect well from impact and were not as popular as the lamellar ones.
Haidate Legguards. (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)
In the era of "new armor", only etchu-suneate appeared - the same shinosuneate, but without a cloth lining. It was believed that they should be worn in the rain or if you often have to cross rivers, because only strings could get wet on them. Kogake boots appeared made of durable leather and with soles of the same leather or even metal plates. They did not have a heel and on it they were fixed with strings. Ashigaru infantrymen could wear kahyan windings and even insert bamboo strips into them. But it was considered an impermissible luxury to give them what kind of armor for the legs.
