GAUNTLETS (spelled also gantlets). A defensively armored glove. Before the 14th century already the sleeves of the chain mail hauberk had become extended over the hand, and, through an opening in the palm side, the hand could be extracted, leaving the hand free and the glove part hanging like a pouch. By the beginning of the 14th century gauntlets were in use (rarely) made up of scales of leather, metal or horn on the upper surface. About 1330 the separate armored gauntlet was in frequent use as an integral piece of armor.
Steel plates were now being fastened to the leather glove; they belong to the "splint" armor period. By 1335 the wrists were armed with splints. While the digits were jointed circlets of metal, a series of wider transverse plates covered the main portion of the back of the hand. By 1337 the back of the hand, from knuckles to well up the wrist, was protected by a single broad plate formed to the parts. Inside this was a leather glove whose fingers and thumb piece on the upper side had protec tion of overlapping plates; a style that gave satisfaction, apparently, for about a hundred years. An offensive addition to some gauntlets was made about this time, by producing sharp points or knobs on the knuckles; they were termed "gads" or "gadlyngs." Historical in cidents are recorded of most effective, stunning blows being given with these formidable offen sives. The defective open space between the single broad plate protecting both wrist and knuckles seems to have been eradicated about 1400 by rivetting the glove to the plate. By the 15th century the knuckle part was made of a separate plate articulated by rivets to the wrist-piece. By about 1433 this broad-plate gauntlet had fallen into disuse, being displaced by the steel "miton" with a "cuff" pointed on its arm end. The "miton" then was a gauntlet having the digits armed by one piece of metal — the fingers no longer separated.
Single Gauntlets.— There were several kinds of gauntlets made to wear singly. One was the "close° or utourneying° gauntlet (some times erroneously termed "forbidden" gaunt let). This had the furthest finger-plate ex tended so as to reach and overlap the inside of the wrist-piece, when folded over. The proceeding was, after grasping the sword, to "close" this long finger-piece around the hilt and fasten it with a turning pin working in a hole in the plate. The quillons (see Swears) of the sword or tourney club thus prevented the weapon from being forced backward through the hand and the pommel prevented it from being pulled out. Another single gauntlet was the "manifer° or a heavy metal hand defense for holding the horse's bridle. The "barriers'" gauntlet, as the name implies, was to protect the hand from being crushed in combat when knights tilted with barriers be tween them. In the 17th century we come acrossgauntlets reverting to the separate armed fingers; the "elbow" gauntlet of this century had a "cuff" that extended the whole length of the forearm. A specially constructed gauntlet was used for seizing the opponent's sword. Among the sports of the nobles of those days was bird hunting with falcons or hawks, and the "falconer" had his specially devised gauntlet for holding and releasing the bird of prey. The throwing down of the knight's gauntlet was a "gage ° or challenge to combat.
Bibliography.— Cosson, Baron de, 'On Gauntlets' (in Archa'ological Journal, London 1884) ; Dillon, Viscount, 'Single Gauntlets' (in Archaeological Journal, London See also bibliographies under titles CHAIN ARMOR; PLATE ARMOR.