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A hauberk or byrnie is a 
The ''hauberk'' stored in the Prague Cathedral, dating from the 12th century, is one of the earliest surviving examples from Central Europe and was supposedly owned by
shirt
A shirt is a cloth garment for the upper body (from the neck to the waist).
Originally an undergarment worn exclusively by men, it has become, in American English, a catch-all term for a broad variety of upper-body garments and undergarments. I ...
of mail
The mail or post is a system for physically transporting postcards, letters, and parcels. A postal service can be private or public, though many governments place restrictions on private systems. Since the mid-19th century, national postal sys ...
. The term is usually used to describe a shirt reaching at least to mid-thigh and including sleeves. Haubergeon ("little hauberk") generally refers to the quilted undergarment used with a hauberk, but the terms are sometimes used interchangeably.
History
The short-hemmed, short-sleeved ''hauberk'' may have originated from the medieval Islamic world, although its European form is a descendant of the Carolingian ''byrnie''. The word ''hauberk'' is derived from theOld Frankish
Frankish ( reconstructed endonym: *), also known as Old Franconian or Old Frankish, was the West Germanic language spoken by the Franks from the 5th to 9th century.
After the Salian Franks settled in Roman Gaul, its speakers in Picard ...
word ''halsberg'' (c. 1300), which originally described a small piece of mail that protects (''"bergen"'', literally "to give protection, to save, to rescue") the throat and the neck (the ''"Hals"'').
The Bayeux Tapestry illustrates Norman soldiers wearing a knee-length version of the ''hauberk'', with three-quarter length sleeves and a split from hem to crotch. Such armor was quite expensive—both in materials (iron wire) and time/skill required to manufacture it—so common foot soldiers rarely were so equipped. By the mid-12th century, hauberks had expanded to include longer sleeves and more protection for the legs.
The ''hauberk'' stored in the Prague Cathedral, dating from the 12th century, is one of the earliest surviving examples from Central Europe and was supposedly owned by Saint Wenceslaus
Wenceslaus I ( cs, Václav ; c. 907 – 28 September 935 or 929), Wenceslas I or ''Václav the Good'' was the Duke ('' kníže'') of Bohemia from 921 until his death, probably in 935. According to the legend, he was assassinated by his younger ...
. In Europe, use of mail ''hauberks'' continued up through the 14th century, when plate armor began to supplant it. Some knights continued to wear chain hauberks, however, underneath plate armor. In parts of Central Asia, it continued to be used longer.
In the Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
'' Nehemiah 4:16
, and one of the pieces of armor supplied by King Uzziah to his soldiers.
2 Chronicles 26:14
1 Samuel 17:5
.
''A Hauberk'' was typically constructed from interlocking loops of metal to form a
File:Kolczuga Jana Kazimierza.JPG, Polish hauberk
File:Chain mail coat, Sudanese.jpg, Sudanese hauberk
File:Cotte de mailles.jpg, European hauberk
File:Kusari katabira 11.JPG, Japanese hauberk
File:Eastern riveted armor.JPG, Indian mail and plate hauberk
The Arador Armour Library
{{Commons category-inline Celtic warfare Medieval armour Body armor de:Kettenhemd
'' Nehemiah 4:16
, and one of the pieces of armor supplied by King Uzziah to his soldiers.
2 Chronicles 26:14
Goliath
Goliath ( ) ''Goləyāṯ''; ar, جُليات ''Ǧulyāt'' (Christian term) or (Quranic term). is a character in the Book of Samuel, described as a Philistine giant defeated by the young David in single combat. The story signified King Saul ...
was also armed with a "coat of mail", weighing five thousand shekels (55 kg), as he confronted David
David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
1 Samuel 17:5
.
Construction
''A Hauberk'' was typically constructed from interlocking loops of metal to form a mail
The mail or post is a system for physically transporting postcards, letters, and parcels. A postal service can be private or public, though many governments place restrictions on private systems. Since the mid-19th century, national postal sys ...
shirt. The sleeves sometimes only went to the elbow, but often were full arm length, with some covering the hands with a supple glove leather face on the palm of the hand, or even full mail gloves. It was usually thigh or knee length, with a split in the front and back to the groin so the wearer could ride a horse. It sometimes incorporated a hood, or coif
A coif () is a close fitting cap worn by both men and women that covers the top, back, and sides of the head.
History
Coifs date from the 10th century, but fell out of popularity with men in the 14th century."A New Look for Women." Arts and H ...
. Per historian Kelly DeVries "the hauberk was probably worn over, but not attached to, a heavy, quilted undergarment, the haubergeon."
While lighter than plate armor
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, e ...
, a hauberk could be quite heavy. The author of the ''Gesta Guillemi of William of Poitiers'' praises William the Conqueror's strength by mentioning that "he carried on his own shoulders both his own hauberk and that of one of his own followers, William fitz Osbern, renowned for his bodily strength and courage, whom he had relieved of this iron burden."
Gallery
See also
*Mail and plate armour
Mail and plate armour (plated mail, plated chainmail, splinted mail/chainmail) is a type of mail with embedded plates. Armour of this type has been used in the Middle East, North Africa, Ottoman Empire, Japan, China, Korea, Vietnam, Central ...
– a type of mail with embedded plates
References
External links
The Arador Armour Library
{{Commons category-inline Celtic warfare Medieval armour Body armor de:Kettenhemd