medieval armor

Medieval armor is recognized today as a mere cosplay weapon or a type of costume on Halloween. A long time ago, it served as a protection for the warriors. 

Ancient warriors fought with swords as their primary fighting weapon. Every medieval warrior was equipped with a sword. 

However, a sword was not the only warrior’s essential. Medieval knights tended to wear armor to defend themselves against the bladed weapons. 

Swords could easily tear them apart, and to avoid that, they wore armor. Today, we have come up with a detailed guide to medieval armor. 

Take a look at what medieval armor is made of, what are its uses and types. But let’s begin with what this armor is!

What is Medieval Armor?

Medieval armor was the most valuable thing to a medieval knight. It was considered a necessity for a warrior fighting with a sword. 

medieval armor shield

Knights of the Middle Ages used a variety of weapons and things. One of those was the armor. It was a protection for them. 

Sword is a bladed weapon and can easily tear someone apart. To prevent deep wounds by a sword, warriors wore the armor. 

It could easily block the sword attack and allowed the warrior to survive. 

What is Medieval Armor Made of?

Medieval armor is generally made of metal. However, it was also made of steel at times. Generally, it consists of a few metal plates connected together. 

Medieval armor was mostly made of large metal plates sewn inside a leather coat or any other cloth. So, at most occasions, it was made of metal. 

However, as of late, armor is made of steel. Even in the past, there is evidence that the warriors wore steel armor. Anyways, metal is the most common material used for constructing armor. 

In the modern days, medieval armor are also made of foam and plastic, but these are mainly used as costumes and mere cosplay weapons. 

Types of Medieval Armor

Full Body Armor

The types of medieval armor usually differ as per their size and the area of body they cover. This is the most commonly used and the largest armor. 

This is a full body armor that covers the entire body. Since it covers the whole body, it protects the entire body as well. 

Fully body armor covers all parts of the body of the warrior. It covers the head, face, chest and all other areas to protect the warrior from the swords. 

Chainmail Armor

Chainmail armor is another commonly used armor and is known for the chain connected with it. It is generally not very large, and covers the upper part of the body of a warrior.

A number of metal rings were connected to make a chainmail armor. The metal rings connected to make a mesh and this was the chainmail armor. 

Medieval knights loved to wear this during wars. It was heavy and protected the warriors well against the swords. 

Gorget Armor

Gorget armor or simply gorget was another warrior’s uniform, specifically during wars. Today, it is actually considered a military uniform and is incorporated in most military uniforms. However, this one is made of brass. 

A real gorget armor was made of metal or steel at times. It served as a protector of the chest and neck of the medieval knights. That is why it is sometimes known as neck plate.

It was more commonly used by the soldiers in France. It served as a great protector for medieval warriors. 

Arm Armor

Since medieval armor differ as per their size, this is one of the smaller armor. As the name suggests, it is the armor worn around the arm. 

The medieval knights used to wear different armor on different occasions. At times, they wore arm armor to protect their arms against swords. 

One arm held the sword, and it was generally worn on the other arm. It is popularly used today for cosplay and costume purposes. 

Leg Armor

Leg armor is the armor worn around the legs. Medieval knights wore one leg armor at times, and sometimes two. 

The arm armor protected the arms, the full body armor protected the body, this armor protects the legs. 

It was crucial to protect the legs during wars because the opponents often targeted the legs to knock the warrior down. So, it just covers a leg. 


Medieval Helmets - Part of Warrior’s Armor

The ancient warriors used to wear a lot of accessories in order to keep them secure during wars. Several things were used for protection, such as medieval shields, medieval armor, and medieval helmets. The idea was to secure every part of the body from a sharp bladed sword. The head was the most vulnerable part of the body. A shot to the head could end his life quickly. Hence, it was crucial to ensure the safety of the head as well. So, the medieval knights used to wear helmets as well to protect their heads from swords. Therefore, the helmet was a part of a warrior’s arsenal and armor too. 

What is Medieval Armor Used for?

Ancient Uses - Protection

We hope you are well familiar with how medieval armor was used in the past. The ancient uses of this armor include protection of bodies during wars. 

There was no other purpose to wear the armor instead of protection during wars. The different types of armor suggest how important it was for the knights to keep their bodies covered and protected. 

Modern Uses

Cosplay

In the modern days, medieval armor is used mainly for cosplay. Cosplayers tend to have a few of those in their collections. They often need to dress up as medieval knights and play their roles. For this purpose, they have to wear armor to express themselves as real medieval knights. It serves their costume needs. They may wear both the medieval helmets and the armor to adopt the medieval knight appearance they are looking for! 

Halloween Costume

With Halloween coming up? What about dressing up as a medieval knight? Apart from cosplay and protection, medieval armor is used as a Halloween costume. Today, you can find armor made of plastic and foam as well. These are the ones used as Halloween costumes. These are safe and comfortable to wear for cosplay and costume purposes. So, if you want to gain more appreciation from your mates, wear any of the armor above and dress up as a real medieval knight. 


Conclusion

To conclude, we can say that medieval armor is generally made of metal plates. Steel is the other material used for constructing them. 

Though you may find foam and plastic armor, these are just for cosplay and costume purposes. A real medieval armor is always made of metal. 

So, if you want to look like a real medieval knight, get a metal armor and wear it!