[Bill Grandy]

I was wondering how common the mail coif, or any type of mail hood, was used by the late 14th century and into the 15th. In the 14th century we start seeing the mail aventail attached to the bascinet. By the 15th century, it seems that the mail standard was much more common for protection the neck, with the helmet protecting the rest of the head. Is there much evidence showing a coif or hood being used by this point?

[Mark Hanna]

I think poorer troops are still wearing them under kettle helmets. Also you read refrences to wire caps and there are some surviving ones up through the Landsknecht period. They can be seen in period artwork, especially in the crucifiction on the poor and ignorant soldiers attacking Christ. Also it would apear the Irish and Gallowglass troops wore mail hoods under thiew bascinets.

Mark

[Lafayette C Curtis]

Any pictures of those coifs, then?

(I'm not doubting the information--just curious about how they look.)