[Craig Peters]

I have a few questions about military equipment seen in manuscripts.

What weapon is this one here?

http://manuscriptminiatures.com/4641/12673/

In this image, one figure on the far right seems to be wearing scale armour, but is the other layered armour scale or brigantine? Is the scale supposed to be exotic and non-European, or is there a possibility it could be worn, albeit rarely?

http://manuscriptminiatures.com/4268/14127/

The figure on the left seems to be wearing a coat-of-plates, but what is the piece at the upper part of his chest called? Is it still termed a breast plate? Can someone tell me more about it?

http://manuscriptminiatures.com/5188/16562/

Is there a name for the polearm below?

http://manuscriptminiatures.com/4100/12707/

[Jeffrey Faulk]

First picture: Possibly just something fanciful scribbled in to fill the space. Inspired by a hand-scythe perhaps? It says it's a 'breviary', a prayer book of some sort I believe, so it's not a historical text.

Second: I would say it's to make the fellow stand out. Note the little caption over his head which I presume indicates that he's a key figure in the scene. If he was just wearing mail like the others, he wouldn't stand out as much. Some effort at "antique" or "foreign" may be underway, but honestly cannot say. It does appear anachronistic, though, unless you want to get into the whole "did they have scale armour in the Middle Ages" debate again...

Third: No idea. Possibly an early breastplate, as you say.

Fourth: Simply a large two-handed mace of some kind. It's depicted sort of like a blade, but I would say it's probably just a mace. Given that the person wielding it has a beast's head, I doubt realism was particularly the intent of the artist.

Does that help?

[Chad Arnow]

[Jeffrey Faulk]

[Mark Griffin]

I've just been discussing the issues of using this kind of illustration to make hard and fast answers with regards to reconstructing objects on a UK forum, prompted by something being asked for from the Lutterell Psalter.

As I'd also been asked to produce an item from a 9th cent ms and my protestations to the client that it wasn't a spec I could work to and the artist had no idea what he was drawing were met with a little confusion I boiled t down to this-

Would you be happy asking me to make a dog kennel and typewriter based on this image:

[Bartek Strojek]

Well, as far as the last image, the whole animal head, as well as the topic, (about legendary destruction of Rome, it appears?)

http://medievalsourcesbibliography.org/sources.php?id=2146115107

suggest that we have to consider very stylized, mythological, or straight out derisive depiction. Which were strong trend in Medieval art.

Weapon certainly looks like maybe mace, or maybe glaive, made to look exotic and 'barbaric'.

[Jeffrey Faulk]

Yeah, I'm afraid there's a pretty long-standing debate about just how accurate/detailed/RELIABLE historical manuscript illustrations really are. Part of the big problem is that we don't necessarily have that many artifacts that can be matched up to manuscript images so we can critique for accuracy. Some things we have more of than others-- swords, for example, are pretty well research-able via manuscripts. However perishable things such as leather goods or wooden pieces or clothing are a little harder to pull off.

Sculpture tends to be more accurate than manuscripts, but in general you have to decide whether it's an accurate portrayal, "artistic impression", plausible/not plausible, and how much you want to err in either direction. It's a mess, and that's the last thing I'll say about it. I would rather just go with what other people more learned than me have concluded for the most part

[Mart Shearer]

Regarding the first weapon, I believe it can be compared with the one depicted in another marginal miniature from Bologna. Perhaps a war scythe, or some sort of ax?
http://manuscriptminiatures.com/3939/10795/
Another figure from the same originally referenced Morgan MS, M.373 fo 05v. I suspect these all show urban militia.


The second image comes from a 1317 French Life of St. Denis and the captioned figure in square-bottomed scale armor is the Governor Fescenninus Sisinnius who persecuted the saint. It is scale armor, but betrays considerable Byzantine influence. It seems likely that it has some basis in fact considering the scale gauntlets shown on the mail-clad soldier and the scale mantle on the fellow to the far right.

The third image is a depiction of the Martyrdom of Thomas Becket, and might be a French perception of English armor. It appears the breast is composed of two pieces joined by hinges.

I agree with others that the final miniature likely depicts a two-handed mace. The depiction is "The giant Estragot slays Savaris". The Moorish giant Estragot is described, as having a boar's head and a great mace.

c1450(c1400) Sultan Bab.(Gar 140) 349: Estragot..as a bore an hede hadde And a grete mace stronge as stele.

[Bartek Strojek]