CHAIN ARMOR. Called also mail armor, chain mail, or even mail. The term coat-of-mail (taken from the French cotte de mailles) is often, by extension, used to cover the entire (panoply) chain armor — camail, hauberk, chausses, etc. The earliest body de fenses started with the Eastern jazerans (jackets protected with bronze scales or plates), dating back to very early historic times. The regular chain armor was pre ceded by body defenses of leather or quilted cloth . having metal rings sewn or other wise fastened to them, the better to pro tect against blows or cuts. Doubtless chain armor was introduced to Europe from the East, where it was in use in very early times and where it is in use, in places, to this very day. Unfortunately, pieces of chain armor dating, authoritively, earlier than the 14th century are almost unknown. The thinness of the link necessitated by the weightiness of such armor and the very large metal surface exposed to the atmosphere caused rust to an nihilate it rapidly unless steadily cared for. The Norsemen (Vikings) used chain armor, as fragments found in their graves testify. Trajan's Column (a.n. 114) shows Roman chain armor (lorica catenata) in use similar to that of the 13th century. The hastati (spear men of the first line soldiers of the Roman Republic) appear to have worn armless chain armor reaching to the hips, the second line men (principes) also wore chain armor, while the third line (triarii) wore a breast plate.
The use of chain armor died out after the fall of the Roman Empire, to be revived by the 11th century, commencing with the hau berk (body armor). By the 12th century the entire mall armor was in use, consisting of head-covering, body armor, leg and foot de fense, all in mail. The so-called Bayeux Tap estry depicts the Norman warriors of William the Conqueror (1066) wearing a hauberk in combination with a coif of mail (head defense) over which is worn a conical nasal helmet. (See HELMETS). The hauberk (coat of mail) of the 11th century had short, roomy sleeves, and below was split front and rear to allow easier motion and permit the knight to ride astride his horse. It reached, when standing, somewhat below the knees. The tunic (a short linen shirt worn beneath the mail) appears to have become lengthy by the end of the 12th century, reaching to the feet. The tunic dis
appeared early in the 13th century, being dis placed by the gambeson (called, also, gambeis, wambais and haketon), which was quilted. This was worn sometimes by foot soldiers and knights as the sole body defense, or was worn beneath the hauberk to break the impact of blows on the chain armor. The gambeson was long enough to reach the knees and usually shows up (in old illustrations) for a few inches beyond the shorter hauberk. The com plete hauberk (or great hauberk) was the privilege of the knight. The cost of a full coat of mail in the early days of that armor was very great, as each ring had to be wrought. Wire drawing was not invented till 1306, by Rudolf of Nuremberg; which discovery re duced the expense of making mail enormously. It brought the shortened hauberk, called hau bergeon, into the general possession of the men of the line. Over the hauberk was worn the surcoat, or jupon, sometimes also termed gam beson when it was gambised (quilted).
These surcoats were of rich, costly textile and soon became a background on which to depict the wearer's cognizance or device of recognition, so as to be known to other com batants. The surcoat was slit, usually, to per mit riding astride the horse. It was sleeveless till the second half of the 13th century, when arm coverings were added. At this period the surcoat reached nearly to the heels. Knights of the 12th century wore mail leg armor (chausses), haul de chausses covering the entire leg, or bas de chausses from the knee down. This leg armor became a kind of armored stocking reaching down over the entire foot by the end of the 13th century. But the common soldier, on account of the great cost of a full suit of mail, wore a swathed leather leg covering, and no coif of mail over the head. In the United States mail sleeves were added to the hauberk. Over the surcoat the sword was belted to the left side. Worn over the coif (or head mail) was either a bassinet or casque. (See HELMETS). The nasal helmet had disappeared by 1140. The close fitting helm (bassinet) followed, and, for battle a heaume (pot-helm) placed over it became the popular method. First these heatunes, or great helms, were flat-topped, then some were slightly rounded on top. The conical loaf° helmet followed (1300).