'''Discussion'''<br>
It would appear that the typical 8th - 9th century mail shirt seems to end just below the belt line. Some of them appear as though they may be vandyked or side split – see below.<br>
{{Clear}}
[[File:T49 f.18v 1.png|150px|thumb|Vandyked mail shirt<br>T49 f.18v BL Cotton Cleopatra C VIII]]
<br>
{{Clear}}
[[File:Codex Aureus Epternacensis f.18v 1.png|150px|thumb|left|Side split mail shirt<br>Codex Aureus Epternacensis f.18v]]
==Side split mail shirt==
Mail shirts are usually shown unsplit. A few of the depictions from Western European manuscripts do however show side split mail shirts.
{{Clear}}
[[File:La Vie De Saint Aubin 1.png|150px|thumb|Long unsplit mail shirt<br>La Vie De Saint Aubin]]
==Long unsplit mail shirts from below groin to knee==
<br>
{{Clear}}
==Long front split mail shirt to knee==
--<br>
'''Discussion'''<br>
They appear common on such sources as the Bayeux Tapestry and continue to make appearances on numerous manuscripts from the 1060’s onwards although they nether totally replace the traditional unsplit mail shirt.<br>
{{Clear}}
[[File:Hildesheimer Cathedral.png|150px|thumb|left|Mail shirt with short front split<br>Hildesheimer Cathedral]]
===Short Split===
* 980AD Byzantine [NICOLLE 2005: p.51]
{{Clear}}
[[File:T86 Hexateuch1.png|150px|thumb|Mail shirt with Bayeux style front split<br>T86 Hexateuch]]
===Bayeux Style===
* Winchester carving 1050-1100AD [WILSON 1985]
'''Discussion'''<br>
The ‘mail shorts’ theory has been dismissed by Wilson [WILSON 1985], Grape [GRAPE 1994] and others.<br>
{{Clear}}
===Full Split===
* Bayeux Tapestry c.1076AD [WILSON 1985]
* R1 Dijon, Bibliotheque Municipale MS 14 fol.13, Bible of St. Etienne, 1109-1111AD – Picture of Goliath [SKODELL 2008]
<br>
== Mail shirt ring sizes==
'''Literature'''<br>
*Dublin (HALPIN 2008, p.179)
'''Discussion'''<br>
Most of the Viking Age finds seem to be in this size range. <br> <br>
===6 - 8mm riveted===
{| class="wikitable"
--
'''Discussion'''<br>
Although we have no finds of 100% riveted shirts from 800-????, it was felt that they are better than ‘butted mail’ and are thus included under optional.<br> <br>
===Riveted links over 8mm===
{| class="wikitable"
*Russia (D’AMATO 2012, p.34) some links measuring up to 25mm
'''Discussion'''<br>
It appears that Eastern mail shirts could have even larger rings with some from Russia measuring up to 25mm. (D’AMATO 2012, p.34)<br><br>
=== Butted links ===
--
*Gotland, Sweden, C9th-12th (TWEDDLE 1992, p.1185) Graves 14.7 & 8. This had two rows of copper alloy links at a possible vertical edge.
'''Discussion'''<br>
The Coppergate helmet possibly had either a double row of copper alloy links edging the aventail or alternatively they could have been talismans. Copper alloy talismans and edges are frequently found on medieval mail shirts (TWEDDLE 1992, p.1003).<br>
<br>
==Mail edged with leather==
==See Also==
<br>
==References==
* [*GRAPE 1994] GRAPE, Wolfgang. The Bayeux Tapestry. 1994