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A hauberk or byrnie is a shirt of 
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. 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
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 the Old Frankish 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. 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
Goliath was also armed with a "coat of mail", weighing five thousand shekels (55 kg), as he confronted
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 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. 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, ...
, 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 – a type of mail with embedded platesReferences
External links
The Arador Armour Library
{{Commons category-inline Celtic warfare Medieval armour Body armor de:Kettenhemd