Are armoured codpieces just for fashion, or do they actually work as protection? They don't seem very common, so I wonder if they weren't very useful.

What sort of groin protection was employed, throughout the ages?

Contrary to popular belief (and as I'm sure you know) codpieces did not actually contain what they appeared to, and as such are a purely decorative fashion accessory, and therefore codpieces on armour (or brayettes) were only around as long as codpieces were in fashion in clothing (as fashions in armour reflected fashions in clothing at this time - 16thC). Prior to the adoption of brayettes, the most common protection was a skirt of mail.

As to how effective it was, well, I guess it's the old argument of mail vs plate. But effectiveness isn't just about protection, you also have to go into the indelicate question of how did one perform one's bodily functions when dressed for battle, and the mail skirt was definately more convenient for that, which may be why the brayette fell out of use. I also suspect a strong reason was that wearing a brayette on horseback would not have been possible.......!

Julian

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Ah, so a brayette is what they used. Thank you for explaining that.

May I also add, on the subject of codpieces, I have many years of 16thC swordsmanship under my belt (so to speak), but whenever I am confronted by a codpiece-clad opponent I find it a real struggle to stop myself from launching my rapier at it! I know, its an ungentlemanly compulsion, and I have fought the impulse successfully up til now, but it's just so tempting a target........(after all, if you didn't want it to get hit, then don't bring it to everyone's attention!).

I wonder if they resisted the urge back in the day.....

Julian

Oops, should've looked more thoroughly before opening a thread.


So in short, armoured codpieces are basically more decorative brayettes.

I'm ever so pleased I'm not the only one who feels tempted to poke my opponent in the cods with my rapier...... ;)

Julian

everything that is old is new again:

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NIJ Level IIIA, or just stab-proof? :D

one thing i have realized is that the armored codpiece can be considered to be, in a way, the male equivalent of the cuirasses seen on female warriors in fantasy works. which even if they are normal, fully encompassing cuirasses are often have breast shaped hammered out in the same way the ancient greeks often shaped the breast and backplate to resemble an idealised musculature.

overall i would argue the armored codpiece can largely be a negative thing for similar reasons as why the 'boob plate' can be a bad idea as well.

in theory, having something stick out prominently means that downward strokes etc might catch it and not deflect away harmlessly. it might also become a target more often, it might cause the hit to deflect in an otherwise undesirable direction
(although that last consequence of an armoured codpiece may very well be a good thing since it means if they aim for the codpiece they arnt aiming for your head face and upper body which is always a good thing)

although as the muscled cuirasses of ancient greece showed, sometimes its just as much about showing off and saying 'hey look at how manly i am" or 'hey guys/ ladies, look, im more well endowed than you are" not to mention that such embellishments require more work to be put into the armour, thus to have such pieces of kit shows that you have wealth enough to maintain them.

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amazon chariots in RTW note that while the rest of their gear is fairly normal ( although probably inaccurate in terms of a portrayel of classical/ hellenistic hoplites ) normal, notice how the breastplates have model breasts dished out as well