Besagews, also spelled besagues, are a type of
rondel designed to protect the armpits, as part of a harness of
plate armour
Plate armour is a historical type of personal body armour made from bronze, iron, or steel plates, culminating in the iconic suit of armour entirely encasing the wearer. Full plate steel armour developed in Europe during the Late Middle Ages, es ...
. The armpits are the location of the
axillary arteries, and protecting them was therefore vital. Armour without besagues might employ larger shoulder defenses, such as winged
pauldron
A pauldron (sometimes spelled pouldron or powldron) is a component of plate armor that evolved from spaulders in the 15th century. As with spaulders, pauldrons cover the shoulder area. Pauldrons tend to be larger than spaulders, covering the a ...
s, or simply leave the
mail
The mail or post is a system for physically transporting postcards, letter (message), letters, and parcel (package), parcels. A postal service can be private or public, though many governments place restrictions on private systems. Since the mid ...
beneath exposed.
References
* Edge, David and Paddock, John (1988). ''Arms & Armor of the Medieval Knight'', New York: Crescent Books.
Western plate armour
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