aventail
Sign in to savethumb|upright|Camail with triangle ventail (mail flap) on a bascinet (ca. 1360) at the [[German Historical Museum.]] An aventail () or camail () is armour consisting of a flexible curtain of mail attached to the lower part of a helmet that extends protection to cover at least the back and sides of the neck. Parts of the face, throat, and shoulders could also be covered, with spaces to allow for vision. Some featured a ventail (a mail flap next to the mouth), which could be laced or hooked up to cover the lower face, or left loose to facilitate breathing and speech.
Article
6 sectionsContents
- European history
- Early and High Middle Ages
- Later Middle Ages
- References
- Bibliography
- External links
thumb|upright|Camail with triangle ventail (mail flap) on a bascinet (ca. 1360) at the [[German Historical Museum.]] An aventail () or camail () is armour consisting of a flexible curtain of mail attached to the lower part of a helmet that extends protection to cover at least the back and sides of the neck. Parts of the face, throat, and shoulders could also be covered, with spaces to allow for vision. Some featured a ventail (a mail flap next to the mouth), which could be laced or hooked up to cover the lower face, or left loose to facilitate breathing and speech.
== European history == === Early and High Middle Ages === Aventails of chain mail started appearing on Northern European helmets as early as the 6th century, as seen on several Vendel Era helmets, most notably the Valsgärde 8 helmet (580–630 AD) from Uppsala, Sweden, but also the well preserved Coppergate Helmet (ca. 750–800 AD) from York, England. These early appearances varied greatly in configuration, the Valsgärde 8 helmet featuring an aventail which enclosed the entire lower face, throat and neck, versus the Coppergate Helmet, which combines hanging cheek guards with an aventail for the neck (a configuration likely also used on the similar 7th century Anglo-Saxon Pioneer Helmet).