A
ARMING CAP. A cloth cap normally quilted which was worn under a coif or a helm.
ARROW. A missile weapon consisting of a wooden shaft with a pointed head which is fired from a bow.
AVENTAIL. Neck protection which hangs down from the helm to the shoulders, usually consisting of leather or mail.
AXE. A blade attached to a shaft at right angles used in a striking motion.

B
BOW. A stringed projectile weapon used to throw arrows. Consisting of a flexible shaft with the two ends attach to each other by a string.

BYRNIE. An early English term for mail body armour.

C
COIF. Mailed head defence which was worn by itself or under a helm, dating from the 10th Century.
CROSSBOW. A stringed projectile weapon consisting of a bow mounted cross-wise on a wooden shaft called a tiller. Used to fire missiles called bolts.
CROSS GUARD. The part of the hilt set crosswise to the blade and the grip.
CUIR-BOUILLI. Leather that has been hardened by boiling in a liquid such as a oil or water.

D
DAGGER. A edged weapon consisting of a short pointed blade and handle.

E

F
FULLER. The groove running along some of the length of the blade of an edged weapon, designed to lighten it and make it more elastic.

G
GAMBESON. A defensive garment made of quilted cloth stuffed with waste material. Originally worn under the hauberk as padding. It was often the sole defensive armour for infantry.
GAUNTLETS. Hand armour, which were made of leather, leather covered with mail or scale or made completely of plate alone.
GREAVES. Defensive armour for the lower legs.

H
HAUBERK. In the 11th to the 13th Centuries a long tunic made of mail rings was used as body armour. The mail extended from the neck to the knees and was worn over a gambeson. The sleeves at first came down to the elbows but later they were extended down to the wrists and finally the mail reached over the hands to form mittens.
HELM. Head armour which came in a variety of materials and designs.
HILT. The whole of the grip and the guard of a bladed weapon.
HORN. A horn is the apex of a blade such as on an axe or other polearm.

I

J
JAVELIN. A light spear sometimes used as a throwing weapon.

K

L
LAMELLAR. Armour made from interlaced pieces of leather, horn or steel, usually the pieces overlapped upwards.

M
MACE. A hand weapon consisting of a haft with a head which came in a variety of shapes.
MAIL. Armour made from interconnected iron rings, usually riveted (wound wire) or solid (punched) and some abutted in the East.

N
NASAL. A bar of iron attached to the front of a helm and extending down over the face in line with the nose which provided facial protection.

O

P
POLEARM. A short or long hafted weapon with an edge weapon attached to the head of the shaft.
POMMEL. The end of the grip in swords and daggers, used to give a better hold or to balance the weapon.

Q
QUARTER STAFF. A length of wood about 2 metres long (about the head height of the user), round in section. Used for both attack and defence, and as a practice weapon instead of similar polearms. The quarter staff was used two handed.

R

S
SCALE. Armour made from interlaced pieces of leather, horn or steel attached to a backing material, usually the pieces overlapped downwards.
SCRAMASAX. A large knife with a blade having a straight back, a single cutting edge and a point of varying shape. The size varied from 30 - 40 cm to 85 - 100cm in length.
SHIELD. A piece of defensive armour which came in a variety of sizes and shapes. Usually carried on the left hand side of the body and used to deflect or absorb missiles or blows from opponent's weapons.
SLING. A throwing weapon consisting of a strap of leather or fabric at the centre of which is a pouch for holding projectiles.
SPEAR. A staff weapon mainly used for thrusting.
STAFF SLING. A hafted throwing weapon consisting of a sling attached to the end of a wooded haft.
SWORD. A edged hand weapon with a long blade used for either cutting or thrusting or both.

T

U

V
VAMBRACES. Defensive armour for the lower arm.

W

X

Y

Z

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Links

 A Bibliography of Archery
A Glossary of Archery
 Armamentarivm- The book of Roman arms and armour
Armour, Chainmail and Whatever else that'll protect you
Arrow Fletching
Byzantine Lamellar Armour
How a Man Shall be Armyd
Longbows (self), crossbows and other supplies (Turbows)
Mail Shirt from Kungslena
Manning Imperial Online, Arms and Armour
MEDIEVAL ARMOUR
 Medieval Weapons and Armour - Pictures of some of the period weapons and armour in a private collection.
Russian Arms and Armour
 The Arador Armour Library - Construction, pictures, glossary of terms, references.
 The arsenal in Graz, Austria
The Chest Harness Known as the 'Varangian Bra'
The Gjermundbu Mail Shirt (The only extant Viking Mail Shirt)
 The Norman Bib Reconstructed
 Therion's medieval arms and armor page
The Solenarion, the Byzantine Arrow Guide
The Spear Butt
The Spear Butt, An Addenda
Weapons, how to make and then use them
William of Staffords Arms & Armour Index

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This page was last update on the 4th June 2004

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