Knights and Castles

Europe.

Worn by knights on their sabatons (armoured shoes), spurs were used to control the direction of the horse during riding. Spurs were a sign of knighthood and they were presented to men when they became knights, as he had “won his spurs”.

America.

Armour was heavy and difficult to put on so knights would have needed help, usually from a squire. On the bottom left of the engraving are tools. These would have been used to adjust the armour, as these suits were bespokely made to fit the wearer perfectly. On the right, you can see a young boy holding the knight's helmet in readiness.

England

This portrait of Robert Radcliffe is a propaganda piece to show his status and military prowess. The white armour, jewelled sword hanger and paned trunks are a clear indication of this, as well as his incredible wealth. The plume of ostrich feathers on the helmet symbolise bravery and valour, attributes typically associated with a ‘knight’ at this time. It is believed Robert wore this armour in a tournament to impress Queen Elizabeth I.

Germany.

Tilt armour was made to withstand the enormous physical impact of a joust. The aim of jousting was to break your lance on your opponent while charging at each other on horseback at great speed. The large sheet of armour over the left arm and shoulder is called a grandguard and would protect the wearer from the force of the blow and any splinters or shrapnel. This sport was a true spectacle of knightly attributes of chivalry and was a favoured form of entertainment for the upper classes in medieval Europe.

Italy.

This armour is believed to have belonged to King Henri II of France. The lion motifs and striking gold pattern make this armour a wearable status and wealth symbol, rather than a suit of protection in battle. It has been worn by many prominent men in portraits, such as the Charles II, which emphasises its artistic and wealth invoking standing.

England.

Some children began their training to become a knight at the age of seven, and were called ‘pages’. Pages were taught key skills by tutors that would help them to become knights, including; combat skills, horse riding, reading, writing and how to play musical instruments. Swords like this one were vital for bringing up the next generation of knights.

England.

Arming swords were one handed weapons that featured a cross guard to protect the user's hand. The crossguard on this sword is decorated with two dragon-like creatures. The bottom part of the sword is called a pommel, which could be used to attack enemies with. A sword like this would have been used in combination with a shield called a ‘buckler’.

Germany

Two handed swords allowed the user to strike with more strength than one handed swords, because of the added force from the extra hand and weight of the weapon. They also tend to be longer, giving the user more reach. However, this means the user cannot hold a shield to defend themselves, nor can it be used whilst on horseback. Knights would need to train with different weapons for the different battle or tournament scenarios they may face, very much in the same way that modern day athletes train for competition.

Germany.

Maces were strong enough to cause blunt force injury without breaking armour, but the heads of some maces were shaped to allow greater penetration on plate armour. Maces came in a wide variety of sizes, those used by cavalry tended to be longer, there are even examples of two handed maces. They could also be highly decorated.

England.

This jousting lance is believed to have belonged to one of King Henry VIII’s brother in law, friend and jousting companion Chalres Brandon, Duke of Suffolk. It is 4.3 metres long and weighs 8.87 kg, making it much heavier than other lances from the same time. To use this lance, Brandon must have been an exceptionally skilled jouster. The decoration of the lance adds to the spectacle of the sport for the spectator and shows off the users wealth.

England.

This is perhaps one of the most brutal weapons a knight could use. It is three weapons in one, with an axe and a hammer at one end, and a spear at the other. This weapon has been beautifully decorated with an ornate pattern, showing the wealth of the owner. The decoration also highlights the skill and artistry that went into producing weapons of this quality.

Germany.

Horses, as well as knights were protected by armour. This German Gothic armour is one of three surviving Gothic bardings (horse armour)in the world. Not only would this armour protect the horse, it is showing the wealth of the rider due to the level of decoration.

Flanders.

This armour was commissioned between 1505 and 1510 by Holy Roman Emperor, Maximilian I and was given as a diplomatic gift to King Henry VIII. This barding (horse armour) is beautifully decorated with an array of patterns, including pomegranates, the symbol of the House of Aragon to which Maximilian and Katherine, Queen of England, belonged.

Germany.

Embossed to appear monstrous, this piece of horse armour would sit just above the tail. Imagery of monsters and dragons were common on horse armour. Not only did this decoration add to the imagery and pageantry of the knight riding the horse, creating creatures in armour also speaks to the wealth and power of the rider.

Bohemia.

This European pavaise features a painting of St George slaying a dragon. St George was not just the patron saint of England, but of many other countries and seen as a symbol of protection. A pavise was used by crossbow soldiers in the middle ages to protect themselves whilst reloading their crossbow.

England.

This suit of armour was made for 24 year old King Henry VIII. As armour was made to measure, it shows us an athletic body, which is very different to the larger Henry of the later years of his rule. The armour is fully engraved with imagery, including images of St George slaying a dragon. The armour was made in the Greenwich armouries, set up by Henry VIII.

Britain.

The Tower of London is one of the most famous castles in the world. Construction of the original Tower began in 1070’s after the Norman conquest of England, and is now known as the’White Tower’. Additions and changes to the Tower have continued through history until modern day. Castles were built by the Normans to act as fortifications and to consolidate their power, a tradition that continued for hundreds of years. As well as a castle, the Tower of London has been used as; a prison, a royal residence, an armoury, the Royal Menagerie (housing lions, bears and other animals) and now a tourist attraction!

Britain.

This print shows a fully-fledged re-enactment of a medieval tournament in the 19th century that was watched by over 5,000 people. It took place in Wormsley in Oxfordshire on the 6th August, 1840.

France.

This illustration shows a joust between squires Jean Chalons (English) and Loys de Beul (French). It comes from a manuscript containing an account of the tournament at Tours in 1446. Amongst the crowd was King Charles VII of France, who can be seen in the royal box, wearing his crown. Tournaments were sports events for the rich and powerful, popular with medieval kings and lords.

New York.

As seen in this engraving, pageantry and image was very important to knights especially when in tournaments. Ensuring that they had fabulous looking armour, clothing, tents, horses, clothing, etc. was just as important as military skill. Very much like the top football players of today, being at the height of fashion mattered.