chainmail

A 17th-century chainmail hauberk from El Bayadh, Algeria Mail (sometimes spelled maille and, since the 18th century, colloquially referred to as chain mail, chainmail, or chain-mail) is a type of armour consisting of small metal rings linked together in a pattern to form a mesh. It was widely used in European militaries from the 3rd century BC to the 16th century AD, while in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East it remained in military use until as late as the 18th century. Chain mail is still in use in industries such as butchery and as protection against the powerful bites of creatures such as sharks. A coat of this armour is often called a hauberk or sometimes a byrnie.

History