Chainmail

Curated by Sarah Embry (Image 11)

Chainmail is a “form of body armour worn by European knights and other military men throughout most of the medieval period” (Britannica, 1998) made out of interconnected iron or steel rings. The development of chainmail began around the 4th century BCE with the Celts and was later refined by the Romans. As the armor improved, more coverage was provided. Eventually plate armor would become more popular with chainmail protecting exposed areas, making a combination of plate and chainmail best.

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The first major impact that chainmail made in Medieval Europe was granting protection in battle

The small, tight knit rings wouldn't be easily separated and would keep the wearer safe from attacks. When worn as a main source of protection, chainmail requires an underlayer which would protect against the impact of a strike. Chainmail could also be layered with plate armor to protect exposed areas.

Its faults were that it would have been less effective towards heavy blows and the rings could be pried apart.

The second impact is that chainmail was more flexible than plate armor.

This allows for more movement while in combat which is very important in battle. Mobility "creates advantages in freedom of maneuver and speed of action" (Haight, David B) Chainmail allowed soldiers to move quickly and quietly across the battlefield and to avoid unexpected attacks.

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If you would like to learn more, here are some interesting links with more useful information on chainmail.

This link talks about things such as early chainmail, details on where the earliest form of chainmail has been found, and the etymology of the word.

The "About Chain Maille" section of this website is very helpful. It explains the difference between the words chainmail, chain mail, and chain maille along with the various types of chainmail and chainmail today.

This link includes a historical example of chainmail along with its measurements and weight. It has other interesting information as well.

This last link also discusses the difference between the spellings. It talks about the benefits of chainmail and one "drawback"

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