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Written by Mephiston
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Sunday, 03 October 2010 07:35
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Sources
Viking armour finds are scarce, but lamellae are known from Birka (Sweden), as well as half a dozen or so fragments (which may have been neck rather than body protection). The Birka lamellae are much the same as central Asian ones. This type of armour was common in eastern Europe, Russia and Byzantium, and there are Carolingian depictions.
Lamellar is an arrangement of small metal plates thonged, laced or occasionally wired together into horizontal belts. These were thonged together in turn. Generally, each lower band hung outside the one above.
Unlike Scale, backing material was not needed, but at least some of the thonging was exposed.
Brigandine (metal plates riveted or sewn between layers of fabric or thin leather) developed after the Viking period.
Availability of Plates
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Lamellae based on Birka and Visby plates (both in Sweden)
Lamellae (right) are based on armour #25, grave #2 from the battle of Visby (Gotland 1361), this was after the Viking period, but the armour was probably obsolete and had certainly been crudely modified by then. The double width plates that were likely belt end pieces in the original configuration are not currently available.
It has proved difficult to obtain details of the lamellar armour from Birka (left). Because of this, copies of a 'standard' plate are modified to make them compatible with the Visby plates. Other plates from Birka include shorter versions, very much shorter versions assumed to be neck protection, and scales that resemble the shoulder extensions from Visby armour #24.
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Type:
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Size (mm):
| Description: |
| 1 |
70 x 22
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Standard Visby piece. There were left and right forms of the originals with 7 (rather than 8) holes.
Horizontal spacing is 14 mm ± 1½ mm, vertical spacing is 54 mm. |
| 1 A |
70 x 22
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Blanks as <1> but without holes. These can be modified and holes bored where required. Used, for example, as end pieces on the shoulder straps. |
| 1 B 65 |
65 x 22
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Shorter version of <1>, used for shaped strips around the hips or shoulders. These were not found as part of Visby #25, but similar shaped pieces are known from other finds. |
| 1 B 60 |
60 x 22
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Shorter version of <1>. |
| 1 B 55 |
55 x 22
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Shorter version of <1>. |
| 1 B 50 |
50 x 22
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Shorter version of <1>. |
| 2 |
70 x 28
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Centre piece from Visby, used at the centre of some horizontal strips. |
| 3 |
45 x 22
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Curved along both long edges, used on the narrowest ends of shaped strips or around the neck. Not from Visby #25, but compatible with the other pieces. |
| 8 |
97 x 22
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Standard Birka piece. The original had one of the pair of holes at the end horizontal rather than vertical. This would have allowed the belts to slide over one another slightly easier.
Horizontal spacing is 14 mm ± 1½ mm, vertical spacing is 81 mm. |
| 8 A |
97 x 22
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Birka piece with an additional central 13 th hole. Loose thonging from this hole to the uppermost holes of layer below allows greater flexibility. |
| 8 B 92 |
92 x 22
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Shorter version of <8>, used to shape strips around the hips or shoulders. Although the exact lengths are approximate, these are based upon similar pieces from Birka, some of which had a 13 th hole. |
| 8 B 86 |
86 x 22
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Shorter version of <8>. |
| 8 B 81 |
81 x 22
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Shorter version of <8>. |
| 8 B 75 |
75 x 22
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Shorter version of <8>. |
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Thonging of 13 hole Birka plates
12 Hole plates should be thonged much like the Visby 8 hole ones.
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How to Make the Armour (Visby)
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1 - Dishing: Hammer a shallow groove into the back of each piece (a 300 g, cross-peen hammer working onto a groove in a hardwood block is ideal). This raises a ridge on the front (lighter grey in the diagram at the top) which makes it much less likely to bend.
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| 2 - Blacking (optional): Either blueing with heat or chemicals, oil blacking or both. Alternatively apply Tin or Gold. |
3 - Preparing leather: Oil or wax all leather before assembly.
Between 50 and 80 m of thonging will be required. Use leather (flat 6 - 10 mm wide is best, 3 mm square works well but 2 mm round will not last), silk or hemp cord. Cut thong ends diagonally (or whatever) so that they may be pushed through holes. Leather can be dipped into leather oil, cord can be soaked in warm or drawn through solid wax. |
Diagram of a shoulder belt
Leather is shown as dark grey with holes marked.
Width depends upon the thickness of the leather; typically 100 - 110 mm.
Length is arbitrary; typically 15 - 20 lamellae.
Thonging omits the terminal pair of holes.
Visby shoulder belt
Birka Plates (not to same scale)
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4 - Making the shoulder belts: This is the most fiddly part of assembling an entire vest. Because they support most of the weight, there is considerable strain at the ends. For this reason it is a good idea to reinforce it with a piece of leather that lies underneath these belts. This is shown above.
Cut the leather and mark out then punch the holes.
Thong the central row of holes, but not the end pairs. Use of pieces <1 A> at each end could be considered.
Thong ends should be passed back under the spirals inside the armour (see the lowest thongs below right).
The leather folds around the long edges (but, see 5).
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5 - Extending the shoulders (optional): There are several ways of extending the shoulders.
A half-moon extension using 2 each of pieces <1 B 65>, <1 B 60>, <1 B 55>, <1 B 50> and <3> is shown below.
Additional unreinforced belts could be attached more loosely.
In either case, the reinforcing leather is the same. It folds around to the outside of the shoulder belt, but lies underneath the extension. The leather edging shown on the outside of the shoulder extension is a separate strip. |
6 - Fixing the shoulders onto the neck: This uses the 2 highest thongs from horizontal belts at the front and back of the neck (see below). This is also very fiddly.
Subsequent belts need not be reinforced, but it is a good idea to protect the outside edges by folding strips of leather around them. These should be prepared first (see 7). |
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Completed shoulder
(with half-moon extension)
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Inside completed shoulders
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Inside completed shoulders
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7 - Leather edging (optional): Prepare these before assembly.
These are just strips with pairs of holes.
Those running parallel to the belts are 20 - 25 mm wide, with pairs of holes every 14 mm.
Those running across the ends of the belts should be ~ 35 mm wide, with a more complicated pattern of double pairs of holes that is easy enough to work out (see below).
Use separate strips and overlap the corners.
One can also edge each band before assembly, which makes quieter but stiffer armour.
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Diagram of edging
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8 - Assembling horizontal strips: Link a row of pieces together using the pairs of holes on the long edges (see above). Most thonging is inside the armour. Starting in the centre of each strip avoids pulling as much thonging through. This thong should be fairly taut, but not so much that the strip curls. Leather will stretch most, silk least.
There are more complicated thonging patterns than that shown at the top.
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| 9 - Linking the strips together: Use the pairs of holes at the ends to thong adjacent strips together. This should be fairly slack to allow them to move over one another in the manner of segmented armour. Lower strips are outside (see below). |
| 10 - Buckles or toggles (optional): These are held on by passing the thonging through leather strips on the outside of the lamellae (see above). |
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11 - Other possibilities (optional): Shaped strips can be added on the bottom edge, shoulders or neck.
A complete unshaped strip should never extend below the hip as it restricts leg movement.
One can also make thigh and arm protection, either integral or as separate pieces of armour.
Some possibilities are shown below.
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Some possibilities
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Example
This armour was 3 years old at the time.
It weights 5-6 kg.
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| Each shoulder belt: 17 of pieces <1>. |
| Each shoulder half-moon extension: 2 each of pieces <1 B 65>, <1 B 60>, <1 B 55>, <1 B 50> and <3>, and 5 of <1>. |
Front chest piece: 3 horizontal belts, each of 1 centre piece <2> with 11 of <1> on each side.
Of these, the outer 6 pieces connect to the shoulder belts. |
Back piece: 3 horizontal belts, each of 23 of pieces <1>.
Of these, the outer 6 pieces connect to the shoulder belts. |
The main body: Closes under the left arm with 5 buckles (the straps pull forwards).
5 horizontal belts, each of 1 centre piece <2> with 16 of <1> to the left (of which 11 overlap the chest and 5 extend under the left arm), and 50 of <1> to the right (of which 11 overlap the chest, and 11 extend under the right arm, 23 overlap the back and 5 extend under the left arm). |
| Half-moon groin piece: 2 each of pieces <1 B 65>, <1 B 60>, <1 B 55>, <1 B 50> and <3>, 4 of <1> and 1 centre piece <2>. |
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Type:
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Number used:
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| 1 |
513
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| 1 B |
-
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| 1 B 65 |
6
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| 1 B 60 |
6
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| 1 B 55 |
6
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| 1 B 50 |
6
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| 2 |
9
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| 3 |
6
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| Total: |
552
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| 12 - Oiling: It is essential to oil the armour if leather has been used. It will probably stretch in use, and may require repair from time to time. |
| Birka armour: Use much the same technique, but with slightly fewer horizontal belts as the individual lamellae are longer. |
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Left
From the Psalter of Basil II (Byzantium)
Right
Bronze buckles suitable for armour.
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