Hand and Forearm Protection

Hand and Forearm Protection

This article's completion rating is 1 out of 5. Article planned for future work. No real progress to date.

This article's completion rating is 1 out of 5. Article planned for future work. No real progress to date.

Leather gloves and gauntlets

See Gloves & Mittens

Mail attached to leather gloves

A leather glove or mitten with a section of mail attached to give greater protection.

Discussion
There is no evidence that this was ever done. It is unlikely that warriors of the Viking age would have used this kind of protection.

Splinted forearm protection

Strips of iron attached to a leather or cloth layer worn around the forearms to cover the areas not protected by a mail shirt. Also known as ‘vambraces’.
Art
--
Literature
--
Archaeology

• Sweden, found in a C7th Valsgarde grave .

Discussion
Also used by the Byzantine Army and probably adopted by members of the Varangian Guard.

Plate

Separate plates of metal worn on the arms, legs and body.

Discussion
Metal plate armour does not seem to have been used in post-Roman Britain and was not a part of North-West European tradition. It is first mentioned in English texts from the C13th .

References

Cameron, Esther A. (2000) Sheaths and Scabbards in England AD400-1100. British Archaeological Reports: BAR 301 *

D’Amato, Raffaele (2012) The Varangian Guard 988–1453. Osprey: Men-at-Arms 459 *

Heath, Ian (1979) Byzantine Armies 886-1118. Osprey: Men-at-Arms 89 *

Stephenson, I. P. (2007) The Late Anglo-Saxon Army. Tempus. *