When did besagews first appear?

[Padrig]

That's it , I was just wondering about their use. With what type of harness from wich period are they appropriate?

Pat



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[Konstantin the Red]

First quarter of the fifteenth century, for sure. Perhaps even as early as the first decade.

Early white-harness on through all of the fifteenth century, especially from German armories -- German armours always seemed to put more emphasis on arm mobility than the pauldroned Italian armours.

[This message has been edited by Konstantin the Red (edited 12-11-2002).]

[Padrig]

Konstantin,

I thought it was much earlier than that. I saw in the book Arms and Armour, p.63 the rubbing of a monumental brass of Sir William Fitzralph where he appears to be wearing besagews and they date it from the early 14th century.

Pat

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[Munz]

They appear in the Sir Hugh Hastings brass dated 1347, but I know I've seen them in earlier brasses but I don't have them handy for reference.

They were probably pointed right to the hauberk.

[Erik Schmidt]

The earliest I can date them to is about 1320, English.
THey seem to have been somewhat popular, especially in England, at around 1320 to 1350, but then fell out of favour until sometime in the 15th century (as Kostantin said).

Erik