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opuslola
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Topic: Unusual medieval armor Posted: 08-May-2011 at 22:22 |
OK, we can date him to about 1510 CE.
The internet has this to say;
"Eyeglasses for Nearsightedness
Eyeglasses for distance vision appeared sometime in the early 1400's. In his letter to Piero di Cosimo de' Medici of Florence dated August 25, 1451, Ardouino da Baesse of Ferra mentions that he received four pairs of spectacles, and that three of these were for "distance vision."
It has also been reported that Pope Leo X (1475-1521), who was very nearsighted, wore eyeglasses with concave lenses for hunting and claimed they enabled him to see better than his companions."
So, if we assume that the strange things about the eyes of the helmet were for distant vision, it is OK, but there still exists the problem that we have, it seems, no other extant example, at least that I know of, of any one else wearing glasses to see at a distance.
It seems highly unlikely that he would need to wear "reading glasses" whilst jousting.
So thanks, your picture has well enlightened me.
Regards,
Ron
Edited by opuslola - 08-May-2011 at 22:28
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TheAlaniDragonRising
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Posted: 10-May-2011 at 08:06 |
Originally posted by Nick1986
This thread is dedicated to the weirdest suits of armor of the period. Check out this kooky jousting helmet worn by the young Henry VIII and now preserved at the Tower of London
(My apologies to the mods if such a topic already exists. If it does, please merge this post in with the others) |
I can see how the helmet could make an opponent laugh so much that they might be incapable of defending themselves. However, another set of his armour was surely made to intimidate the opposition.
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What a handsome figure of a dragon. No wonder I fall madly in love with the Alani Dragon now, the avatar, it's a gorgeous dragon picture.
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Nick1986
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Posted: 10-May-2011 at 10:27 |
Absolutely. Note the exaggerated chest (intended to make Henry appear larger) and oversized codpiece to demonstrate his virility
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medenaywe
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Posted: 10-May-2011 at 10:33 |
more would be repair tolls container!With lubricator.
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opuslola
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Posted: 10-May-2011 at 17:13 |
Yes, I see it, without a "hard-on" this man would be incapable of fighting! LOL
But, I would bet that a good bang upon that large suspended "cock", would make it retract very quickly! LOL
Perhaps these men were the prototypes of the batteries sold by Sears and Roebuck, for many years, they were called "die-hards!" chuckle
And if these great Knights were able to duplicate the "sex-act" upon the battle field, I would guess that "sparks would fly?"
Regards,
Edited by opuslola - 10-May-2011 at 17:18
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Nick1986
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Posted: 10-May-2011 at 19:56 |
Don't be silly Ron. Cockfighting was done in a special pit like this one (or the village churchyard)
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TheAlaniDragonRising
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Posted: 11-May-2011 at 12:32 |
I've had a little look into the spectacles idea and I found this:
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PADDYBOY
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Posted: 12-May-2011 at 05:29 |
Originally posted by opuslola
Nick, some really good points above. However I really doubt that the average "knight" was much smaller than the average man today, that is about five feet eight/nine inches tall. Perhaps those so called "small" samples we see today are really "samples?"
Regards,
Ron |
Got any sources to support these doubts of yours ? It seems to me that there is plenty of evidence to back up the views that people were smaller in the past than they are today.
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opuslola
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Posted: 12-May-2011 at 17:55 |
Here is a great study concerning the heighth of people.
http://howtogettaller.org/the-height-difference
My answer is; "It depends!"
Many years ago, I read somewhere, that the average heighth of a Cro-Magnon male, was well over six feet. I think it was actually written 6'3"?
Whether this information is correct today, I know not.
Regards,
Edited by opuslola - 12-May-2011 at 17:59
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opuslola
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Posted: 12-May-2011 at 18:14 |
Regarding fully armoured knights.
While it might well seem that certain features were exagerrated, perhaps one should consider that in those times, wars were scheduled to occur during the mild to colder times of the year. Why, you might well ask? Well just place youself in one of these metal containers and stand in the Sun on a day where the temperture was above 80 F. It was much easier to control being warm inside one of these tanks, than it was to keep cool. Urination would also present some problem, unless that "codpiece" was there for a reason, maybe to make it easy to pee?
And, the expanded chest, etc., was necessary because these knights had to be padded both as extra protection (padding) from blows, etc., but from contact with the metal itself. During cold weather, to have a part of your body in contact with very cold steel, etc., what like placing a "heat-sink" in a computer or other electrical device, or a radiator in an engine. Contact with it would drain the body's heat, and fast, but on very warm sunny days, it would merely make the wearer hotter.
Heat exaustion and the lack of water on the battle field, were probably immense problems, especially if the area was hot or merely warm. Walking around in one's own personal sauna, is not something to think kindly about, unless you need to loose a lot of weight very fast.
Today, the invention of "cool suits" would solve a lot of the problems encountered at times by these walking tanks of the past.
Thus in battle scenes preserved upon the walls of certain temples in Egypt, most every fighter wears only a short kilt, etc.! Only "dead" men went into battle on very warm days wearing full armour.
And, as well it serves to me, as a point concerning the use of Chariots in the supposed Trojan war. That is, it seems the fully armoured knights were taken to the front in said conveyances, attended to by squires, and armourers, etc., and placed near the fron lines. Then, when they were almost in dispare due to water loss, and heat, they would call for their aids, mount the chariot/wagon and be removed from the field of battle. It is very similar to having to re-fuel a modern tank. It does no one much good if it runs out of fuel and thus effectiveness.
The eventual placement of these knights upon armoured war horses, made this much easier, unless the knight was "un-horsed!", then he would usually be a much easier target, since it might not be easy to get out from under a downed horse without aid. Or even to stand up after surviving the fall. Small thin knive blades could be easily slipped inside the layers of metal that made up the joints, etc. Even a few well placed cuts, whould lead the knight to slowly bleed to death as well as possibly sever the tendons to his arms and legs, much less his neck.
Certainly a knight in such a postion would be vainly trying to protect his face, and visor, which would for sure lead to death if removed.
Regards,
Edited by opuslola - 12-May-2011 at 18:27
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PADDYBOY
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Posted: 12-May-2011 at 18:27 |
I'm afraid I can't access your link, Ron. But I think it has something to do with Dutch people, at one time, being the shortest people in Europe, to becoming the tallest, due to a good healthy diet.
And that's the point. People today have a much healthier diet than people of Medieval times had and are therefore taller/larger.
I'm not sure, but I think it was a skeleton of Homo Erectus (incomplete) that was found/estimated to be 6' 3" ? Tho Scarborough man (early Briton) was certainly well over 6' tall.
It's the squalor of urban life and a poor diet that diminished the natural height of Humans and explains why in certain times of our past, our ancestors were either taller or shorter than we are today.....On average....
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opuslola
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Posted: 12-May-2011 at 22:36 |
Paddy..., did you read my above post? I was probably revising it when you posted above?
If I were to bet, I would guess you hale from Irish roots?
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PADDYBOY
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Posted: 13-May-2011 at 02:53 |
Originally posted by opuslola
If I were to bet, I would guess you hale from Irish roots? ![](smileys/smiley3.gif) |
Sorry Ron, but I think I must be missing something here ? What has my Nationality got to do with my opinion that the height/size of the average knight was smaller than the average man of today ? ![Confused Confused](smileys/smiley5.gif)
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Centrix Vigilis
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Posted: 13-May-2011 at 03:00 |
You folks might like this site.
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S. T. Friedman
Pilger's law: 'If it's been officially denied, then it's probably true'
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Kanas_Krumesis
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Posted: 13-May-2011 at 13:54 |
Some example of strange medieval helmet
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opuslola
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Posted: 13-May-2011 at 17:14 |
Wow! Just how great is that?
As the monster/Governator said in the movie?
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opuslola
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Posted: 13-May-2011 at 17:16 |
Paper armour, is much like the armour that street people use to stand the cold in the winter. layers and layers, etc.!
Regards,
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Nick1986
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Posted: 13-May-2011 at 21:49 |
Originally posted by Kanas_Krumesis
Some example of strange medieval helmet
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It's another piece of Maximilian armor, but a lot more ornate than the typical example. Judging by the eye slits, two-piece visor and comb, this was intended for combat as well as for show
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Nick1986
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Posted: 14-May-2011 at 20:38 |
Originally posted by opuslola
Paper armour, is much like the armour that street people use to stand the cold in the winter. layers and layers, etc.!
Regards, |
The ancient Greeks did use stiffened linen armor which was similar. It was lightweight and provided decent protection from the slashing kopis sword but was little use against stabbing weapons which could easily penetrate the joints or in between the shoulder pads (hence the spearman's use of a large wood and bullhide shield)
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Nick1986
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Posted: 23-May-2011 at 19:03 |
Or what about Samurai dog armor? This suit was fully functional but it was more likely used for parades
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