#Midieval chivalry code full

#Midieval chivalry code full

Riding a horse at full gallop and cutting at a pell or wooden post with one's sword was another common training technique.

Another device was a suspended ring which had to be removed using the tip of the lance. A rider had to hit the shield and keep riding on to avoid being hit in the back by the weight as it swung around. There were specific devices for training such as the quintain - a rotating arm with a shield at one end and a weight at the other. To use these weapons effectively and get used to wearing a load of metal armour, it was a good idea for a knight to put in a bit of practice before meeting the challenge of actual warfare. Some knights operated as independent mercenaries &, for the more adventurous & pious, there was always the opportunity presented by the Crusades.

Better protection was offered by a two-piece coat of chain mail (one for the front and the other hung behind the saddle), a padded helmet, a plate head covering, or an armour plate of metal or boiled leather to protect the chest. The simplest option was a cloth caparison which might also enclose the animal's head and ears and which was another handy canvas for armorial display. The all-important horses that made knights the equivalent of modern tanks on the medieval battlefield also had particular protection. There was even a fashion for three-dimensional figures mounted on the crest which represented anything from stag horns to dragons. Punched ventilation holes could provide decorative patterns, many were painted, and plumes of exotic birds could be added to the top. Hiding the face, a helmet could be personalised to identify who was inside. First simple conical helmets were worn, then a nose guard or mask was added, and, by the 13th century, the fully enclosed helmet was used with further design tweaks such as a protruding snout for better ventilation or conical top to deflect blows better. The head was protected by a helmet or helm as they were often called.