The Armour Archive

Egfroth

If you're interested in Irish rather than Scottish, here's a couple of pictures from Irish Mediaeval Figure Sculpture 1200-1600 by John Hunt (Irish University Press, 1974) The barbute on the right, if correctly dated, is similar to helmets used elsewhere at about the same time. The armour on the lef...

Egfroth

Please guys, get it right. Mumak means one giant elephant, mumakil means more than one.

Egfroth

A friend of mine does "Irish Viking" and has done a lot of research on the shield bosses, which are apparently quite tiny compared with those of other areas, necessitatiing a different way of holding the shield, as you can't get your hand inside.

Egfroth

Check m under "Late 12th century Arms and Armour" and "Early 13th century Arms and Armour". That's about as specific as it comes. Quite a lot of information there. I have to say, though, the latest representations I know of showing hauberks with other than full-length sleeves are 1195-1200 - though ...

Egfroth

Well, we'll see how they turn out with the leather on them. Trouble is, it takes so much time and effort just to see if an idea works - with the possibility that at the end of it, it'll be consigned to the waste basket. I've wanted to make these things for some time, to see if they would be worthwhi...

Egfroth

Oh, I know. Cheap, quick and nasty. But who'll see them under the leather?

Egfroth

Not sure I should be bragging about this. I swore I'd never use the P-word. I wanted some gauntlets to protect my hands for Hastings 2006, but people in 1066 didn't wear any hand protection (at least as far as the evidence shows). I couldn't wear plate gaunts. I didn't want to wear mail ones - they'...

Egfroth

You could also go with a 9th century Carolingian persona. They had scale armour and period art of a Frankish cavlaryman that I have seen undeniably show scale. The artist even included the flute down the centre of the scale in two seperate illos. Certainly looks like it, if you look at the example ...

Egfroth

Such high praise!

Egfroth

That's cool! IC COM TO THAEM THAET HIE HAEBBEN LIF AND HAEBBEN GENOG Is Genog "enough," or "abundance?" I don't have a dictionary, but I'm going off the German cognate "genug." John Jehan de Pelham, esquire and servant of Sir Vitus www.mron.org The quote is from the Gospel of St John, Chapter 10, v...

Egfroth

My buckle and buckle plate have come back from the foundry . . .

Once I commit myself to a belt colour, I'll attach the fittings. Quite happy with the result . . .

Egfroth

"Ne aweriath nat mid thin heafod"

is probably a really bad translation of that into OE. But my state of ignorance is suuch that it's the best I can do.

Egfroth

Hmmm, this is a difficult one. I don't know anyone on this forum who knows much about this field. You're going to have to do your own research on this one, unfortunately. What I would suggest is that you first start getting hold of books on mediaeval Indian art. The period you are interested in is w...

Egfroth

I'm very wary of people with "hopeful" eyesight. If these are the seals described, I certainly cannot see any chequy pattern on the surcoat, though there may be a pattern on the saddle cloth in the picture where he holds a sword. I also can't see any chequy pattern on the banner, and no pattern at A...

Egfroth

Egfroth Would you mind sharing the length of your bands? The spangens I make always look to short when I am done. Yours has the taller look that I like. Halv Well, of course the bands have to be tailored to the individual helmet, but with a browband 71cm (28") circumference, the bands are approx 24...

Egfroth

Poor little Neets.... Running around with no feet.... I don't think it is worth $198.00 a gallon; However if you ever need any Neets that need clubbing be sure to call me.

No problem. My dictionary says neats are cattle or oxen . . .

Egfroth

Well, the word "Just" is Latin in origin, and probably wasn't used at the time, except perhaps by the learned in the context of "justice". The letter "J" can be substituted for with an "I" I heard somewhere the "F" word is 17th century Dutch in origin, but I don't have any firm evidence. Maybe we co...

Egfroth

Yes. The original stuff was of course made of wrought iron. Spring steel just holds together better when butted. But I plan eventually to make/buy a proper rivetted byrnie; too many of my friends already have them for me to be able to get away with butted indefinitely. Regarding the completion of th...

Egfroth

Adam, I really did Laugh Out Loud at your reply. Nice one, mate. Vanguard - sorry to disappoint you, but I'm going to be gilding the browband, the nasal and the frame, so it'll all be gold finish. Unfortunately the look has to take second billing to historical accuracy. Does look pretty, though, doe...

Egfroth

I'm pretty proud of myself. I made a decorative embossed copper "cover" for the browband for my helmet for Hastings 2006. I've just figured out and put into practice a way to gently curve the cover without kinking it. The thing is made of very thin copper, and I've embossed it with a biblical quote ...

Egfroth

Unfortunately it's butted, but doesn't look as bad as some of the butted stuff around the place. the rings are 8mm ID and made of 1.6mm (1/16") dia wire. It's spring steel wire, so it can be relatively light without sacrificing strength. I've had this byrnie since 1987, and I wore it to Hastings 200...

Egfroth

Browband embossing complete, and the band curved ready to put in place. The plates are off being polished, and need to be rivetted in place, and the strap and buckle added before I can put the browband on.

Then gild the band and the nasal, and off to Hastings!

Egfroth

Perhaps it's the same one I mentioned above, in the Royal Museum of Scotland? VERY fine scale, but Roman in origin.

Egfroth

Wyrm, what exactly is the cross to be used for? This may affect the appropriateness of the inscription.

Egfroth

The terms are often used too freely to describe the same thing. Is that really a problem? IMHO it just adds to the richness of the language. I'm sure the same mix happened in the Middle Ages. I do know that "helm" and "helmet" have a Germanic origin, whereas "cap" comes from Latin (caput=head - fro...

Egfroth

There has certainly been Roman scale armour found in the UK. I saw some of it in the Royal Museum of Scotland, in Edinburgh, and a scale aventail, with the scales stapled together, has been found (not sure where). See m Not quite 900-1250 AD, though. You sure you don't want to go Byzantine? Come to ...

Egfroth

So, what kind of mail was it? Rivetted? Wire thickness? etc etc

Egfroth

I'm afraid that's true. England and scale and 900-1250 just don't mix.

Of course, you could always be a Byzantine kataphrakt . . .

Egfroth

OK. A few 14th century pics of seaborne fights. Can't really say whether or not Scottish "pirates" would have had this gear, but it's a start. m m (looking at the armour, this looks far more like the C14th than the 15th. Maybe as late as the early 15th, but that's it). Good rendition of the make-up ...

Egfroth

You might also be up against the nineteenth (and twentieth, for that matter) convention of calling ANY armour "mail" (which is where you get "plate mail", "scale mail", "chain maile" and other horrors).

Egfroth

In the original Saxon, it say's, "Don't say your kinsmen are poopy trews". That's Old English to you; (at least by the 11th century, the name "Saxons" described people who lived in Germany). And "trews" come from Scotland. Us Englisc call them braccas (which is where the name breeches/britches come...

Egfroth

OK, so here's the latest progress pic of the helmet. Still only loosely bolted together, and hasn't yet got the embossed browband, but looking good.

Egfroth

Well, the surcoat in the photo certainly doesn't seem to hang well. If you can't find a better pattern, I'd suggest you get a whole lot of cheap fabric (either calico or even old sheets or whatever from a charity shop) and by trial and error, cut and change, till you have a surcoat that hangs like t...

Egfroth

Mmmm, dessert!

PS: What does Number 3 mean?

Egfroth

Well, today I soaked my nice new shoes and wore them for several hours over two pairs of thick socks - they were a little tight. Seems to have handled it, and they still look just as good.

But why did one shoe take several hours longer to dry out than the other? It's wierd . . .

Pl*stic Gauntlets (gasp!)

F.I.G.J.A.M.*

Re: Helm/Helmet/Cap- what, where & when?