When they talk about the Middle Ages, the first thing they remember is the knights. In world history, no other era has such a vivid attribute and symbol. Only the pirates of the New Time can compete with the knights in popularity. Unfortunately, the true image of the knight has been rather distorted by romantic literature, as well as by modern mass culture.
Fact times: not hard at all
Contrary to popular misconceptions, knightly armor is not heavy at all. Romantic literature and modern cinema have perverted the reality of full plate armor quite strongly. At its peak (when the armor became really complete and contained a large number of protective elements), the armor weighed 20-25, less often 30 kilograms. This is less than the weight of modern firefighting equipment and the full combat gear of an infantryman.
The armor is not that heavy and very mobile.
The weight of the armor was evenly distributed over the body, moreover, the suspension system helped to reduce the load on the shoulders and back. Nor should you think that plate armor hampered movement. The plate structure and movable rivets helped the fighter move in much the same way as without armor. Moreover, most knights, even in tournament armor, will calmly climb onto the saddle without anyone's help.
Note: although there were still “ladders” in the saddle at tournaments. In the end, suddenly, there is a war, and you are tired!
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Fact two: features of the battle
Unfortunately, modern historians and designers do not know how exactly the cavalry battle took place in war conditions. It is quite obvious that the main stake was made on the first "entry" into the enemy formation using spears. However, the details of exactly how this happened are still unclear.
By the way, such wooden swords really fought at later tournaments.
At the same time, other interesting details are known from written sources. When the spears broke, and the battle formations mixed, the knights switched to swords. Unlike a spear, there was almost no chance of piercing armor with a sword. There was no talk of any "fencing" here. The knights simply beat each other with blades, like metal sticks. In addition, the knights quite often tried to go from behind in order to grab the “colleague” by the helmet and pull it from the saddle under the horse.
Fact three: hooks and shields
The sword is an important and symbolic thing, covered with a halo of romanticism. Nevertheless, the main weapon of the knight was still a spear. Until Europe was finally captured by firearms, heavy knights with lances were the most terrible weapon. The cavalry strike was unstoppable. A spear strike at a speed of 30-40 km / h pierced any armor. However, he also often injured the knights themselves.
Swing-out lance hook.
That is why special hooks-stops began to appear on plate armor, on which spears were laid before an attack. The hook, chest plate, and warhorse were transformed into a single attack system.
By the way, another interesting feature is that knightly shields have been constantly decreasing from century to century. The more perfect the armor became, the smaller the shields were made.
Fact four: pages are (not) needed
Even the poorest knight had a squire. The main task of an intelligent squire was to take care of his master's equipment. An intelligent squire is a third of a knight's success in battle. The page oiled chain mail, checked armor and weapons, looked after clothes. He also helped the knight dress before a tournament or fight.
You can dress yourself, in fact.
However, practice shows that you can dress in combat armor on your own, without the help of a person from the outside. However, it takes longer, and most importantly, tiresome. Still, even 20 kilograms on the shoulders is 20 kilograms on the shoulders.
Fact five: a tournament is not a sport
Knightly tournaments became a sport only towards the end of the Middle Ages. It was originally something of a teaching. The main skill of a knight is the ability to stay in the saddle. Unfortunately, horseback riding and cycling are not the same thing. This skill "atrophies" very quickly.
The tournament is great training.
Therefore, representatives of the military aristocracy fought regularly. If there was no war, they organized tournaments.
In the first tournaments, the knights did not fight one on one at all, but fought all at once. Such fights consisted of two stages - an equestrian clash with spears and close combat with swords in the saddle. At first, even tournament equipment did not exist. Of course, the injury rate at this time was especially high.
Fact six: climbing is very difficult
Many people know from childhood that a knight who has fallen out of the saddle cannot get up on his own. And indeed it is. However, the knight cannot rise, not at all because it is hard for him because of the armor, but because falling from a horse is another adventure.
It is quite painful and very dangerous.
In addition, a spear strike is very heavy even on tournament armor. Very often the knights received something like a shell shock. Unfortunately, tournaments have always been very dangerous. Much more dangerous than modern American football and boxing combined.
Fact seven: who is the war, and who is the mother
The knights were nowhere near as noble as classical romantic literature shows them. You need to understand that according to their morals, they were presented to the military aristocracy of any state, they were very stern people, accustomed to risk their lives from an early age. At the same time, they did not perceive the war as a misfortune. This was an absolutely normal part of their life, moreover, the only purpose of the knights as a class of society.
Such is the business.
And the most important thing was that the war always allowed you to make good money! Robbery and looting were almost never condemned in feudal society.
Fact eight: an intimate question
There is a popular misconception about how knights went to the toilet. There is an opinion that medieval fighters simply did everything right in their armor.
The codpiece defended knightly honor and dignity, but to pee had to endure.
This is a bold theory, however, how everything really happened, we, unfortunately, do not know. Considering that in addition to armor, the knight was also wearing clothes, it is unlikely that he "walked by himself." Most likely, knights, like modern pilots, tried to visit the toilet before and after important moments. It is quite obvious that in battle, when fear, rage and adrenaline clouded the mind, the desire to pee is the last thing that worried a person.
Fact nine: expensive and rich
Do not believe those who say that the knights did not wear beautiful armor in battle. Of course, when a knight went to war, his helmet was not decorated with a tournament figure, and the horse was not covered with a heraldic blanket. However, each knight still tried to decorate his equipment to the best of his financial capabilities. After all, luxury is not only beautiful, it (as strange as it may sound) can save your life. A well-decorated battle armor is the best evidence that a person in it is very rich, which means that it makes sense to try not to kill him in battle, but to take him alive. The practice of hostages and ransoms in the Middle Ages was absolutely normal.
In the Middle Ages, ceremonial armor did not exist.
In addition, the knights often did not feel any hatred towards each other, because they were all representatives of the same class. In fact, one corporation, whose companies periodically clashed and sorted out relations.