The Perth Medieval Fayre: Making Chain Mail

The Perth Medieval Fayre: Making Chain Mail

Apparel, armament, armour, battle, body armour, byrnie, chain, chain mail, chain-mail, chainmail, chin-guard, coif, crossbow, defensive armament, garment, glove, handcrafted, handmade armour, hood, knight, longbow, mail, mail armour, mail shirt, metal rings, metalwork, medieval armour, medieval craft, mitons, Perth, Perth Medieval Fayre, plate armour, protective clothing, re-creation, recreation, riveting, soldier, WA, WAMA, warfare, weaponry, weapon, weapons, Western Australia, WA, Western Australian Medieval Alliance

A photograph of chain mail being hand-crafted according to the traditional medieval method at the Perth Medieval Fayre. Chain mail is made by interlocking a number of metal rings to form small sections. Each ring is linked through four others and then the end is riveted. Additional links are then inserted to join the sections together and create a meshed material. The mail can be shaped into patterns – for example gloves, shirts, hoods and chin-guards – by increasing or decreasing the number of metal rings in a row when the sections are created. Chain mail was used extensively in the middle ages to fashion protective garments that were worn as body armour by medieval knights and soldiers. It was gradually superseded by plate armour in the fourteenth century, possibly as a result of the increasing use of high-powered weapons such as crossbows and longbows (See Kelly DeVries, Medieval Military Technology, Peterborough, Broadview Press, 1992, p.75).

The Perth Medieval Fayre is organised by the Western Australian Medieval Alliance (WAMA). In 2011 it was held at Supreme Court Gardens on 19 March. Enthusiasts and vendors showcased a range of medieval arts and crafts, from dancing, calligraphy and lace-making to demonstrations of the techniques, weaponry and apparel of medieval combat.

McEwan, Joanne

19 March 2011

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Digital Photograph

Digital Photograph