Arms and Armour
Glossary of Terms

P

Padding, helmet: Prior to the 14th century an arming cap seems to have provided the padding needed to line a helmet shell, but after this the padding seems to have been incorporated into the helmet itself. The bascinet on the Churburg #13 harness shows a rare example of an intact helmet lining-the pieces are sewn in linen and stuffed with the same, drawn together at the top of the helmet and the while sac affixed to the inside of the helmet, perhaps with some kind of glue or interior laces. In addition to linen, tow, grass or even sea sponge might have been used.

Modern helmets are often padded in the same manner, except that instead of linen or tow, closed-cell foam is used, sometimes alone (ack!) and sometimes sewn into a lining (much better).

Pair of Plates: (See Cote of Plates)

Painting (armour): From the 13th century onward, painting seems to be a common method of protecting armour from the elements. Very common during the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries, less so after that, although the black-and-silver armour style of the 16th century used painted black surfaces contrasted with polished metal surfaces to achieve striking effects.

Painting (shields): Shields were almost always painted to bear the device or a symbol for the combatant. Usually a heraldic charge, during pas d'armes and round tables in particular shields were sometimes painted with a theme appropriate for the occasion, such as an angel or a saint. See also Chronique: The Journal of Chivalry #8.

Pauldron: The larger defense of the shoulder where one or more large plates extended the defense of the shoulder to include the underarm and part of the chest and back. First used in an inventory C. 1397, there are no other references prior to 1450, though modern students apply the term to any shoulder defense where the coverage extends beyond the arm-hole of the cuirass. Almost always made in iron, and very rarely adorned except for the fluting in some later German examples. Developed at the very end of the 14th century, the style became fully "international" during the 15th century, following Italian or Milanese and Gothic styles and methods of construction. During the period, it seems that spaulder, pauldron and rerebrace

Pavaise: A large rectangular or oval shield, usually as tall as a man, carried by infantry and archers to defend themselves from opposing missile weapons. Frequently used in sieges. The largest pavaises had props in the back to keep them upright. The finest examples I have seen are in the Tower of London. Used mainly in the 15th century.

Pearlite: A mixture of ferrite and cementite forming distinct layers or bands in slowly cooled carbon steels.

Pell: A post used for practising swordwork. A poem from the 15th century proves use at least from the high middle ages; targets may well have been painted or affixed to the pell to improve timing and accuracy. See Chronique: The Journal of Chivalry #6.

Pien: To secure a rivet into place by hammering. A mushroom of the rivet material is formed and the materials to be joined trapped in between the rivet head and the mushroom. A round face is used to make the shape, and sometimes if a soft material is to be secured to a hard one (such as a leather strap to a piece of armour) then a rough washer might be cut and placed under the mushroom side of the rivet.

Pignose: The modern name to describe a pointed bascinet visor, popular during the second and third quarter of the 14th century. The proper name is the hunskull.

Pike: The long spear, with a small steel head. Up to 20 feet in length, they were popular with the Scots, Swiss and Flemings during the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries. The use of compacted pikemen was a powerful counter to cavalry, but was usually checked with arrows or missile fire.

Planishing: The final hammer work done on a piece. Anywhere from 1000-10000 hammer strokes are required to provide a smooth, even layer of faceted hammer marks ready for sanding and polishing. Additionally, if the piece is not to be heat-treated, then a complete planishing lends a good hammer-hardening to the piece, helping it to resist deforming under the stress of combat. See also Chronique: The Journal of Chivalry #6.

Plaque belt: A military belt formed from interlocking metal plates or featuring metal plates riveted to a leather base. Common in the funerary brasses, very few real examples remain. They were generally formed from cast bronze, brass or latten, usually thick enough to give some value to the casting. Modern armourers have begun to make plaque belts for consumption by the tournament societies.

Plate: A general term for iron defenses fashioned from sheet iron or steel. "Plate" defenses were during the Middle Ages first introduced during the late 13th century, first as reinforcing for mail defenses and later as defenses on their own. During the 15th century full 'plate' armour had evolved from 'cap a pied', from head to toe, weighing approximately 50 lbs--enough to protect the knight but light enough to allow quick movement on the battlefield. Note that the pack carried by a modern infantryman weighs approximately the same as a suit of medieval armour.

Polearm: The general term for a group of pole-mounted weapons usually featuring a cutting or slashing weapon on one end. The halberd, guisarm, bill, bec-de-corbin, and poleaxe are all specific kinds of polearms, rising in popularity during the 15th century and into the 16th amongst the infantry.

Poleaxe, pollaxe, polaxe: "A knightly staff weapon, its head being an axehead, usually balanced by a hammerhead, and surmounted by a steel spike. The shaft was protected by steel checks and the hand by a steel rondel. Used from the fifteenth century for foot combats and for war. The component 'pole' in the name refers not to the staff, but to the Old English word 'head.'"-David Edge and John Miles Paddock, Arms and Armour of the Medieval Knight.

Poleyn: The period name for what is known in modern SCA verbiage as the "knee cop," the defense of the knee. During the early 14th century, rondels were laced to the mail to improve the defense of the leg and add to the defense offered by a mail chausse. By 1320 these rondels had been replaced by a fully-encompassing "gutter" around the knee itself, laced into place or attached to a leather or gamboised or splinted cuisse at the top and the same construction of greave to the bottom. By 1350 the poleyn was articulated with lames; a heart-shaped wing was then extended from the poleyn itself to provide more protection for the back of the knee. After this point the poleyn decreased steadily in size, providing for a better platform for the articulation of the joint. This wing expanded and, with minor variations, remained reasonably constant in shape (though larger) throughout the 15th century. 14th century poleyns were generally articulated with no more than three lames, one on top and one or two between the demi-greave and poleyn itself. See also leg harness.

Polish, finish appropriate for the 14th century: We have only a few examples of how armour was finished during this period. Generally, it appears as a satin brushed finish, something you might achieve with thousand-grit sandpaper. Other sources speak of highly polished armour, "that glints in the sun." Still other armour was painted. The reason for this polish is that it resists rust, and that it imparts a glory to the pieces rarely seen in the modern world. It evokes the image of the "knight in shining armour," connecting the combatant with the romantic history that feeds tournament reenactments.

To achieve this finish now, a belt sander with a 2" x 72" belt is the best thing I have seen, followed with a polishing wheel of 80 grit to a high stainless polish.

Polish, maintaining (modern): We have found that the absolutely best thing is a microcrystalline wax, sold to museums and to furniture restorers as Renaissance Wax. Happich Simichrome is useful for removing light rust and cleaning the metal prior to the waxing (motorcycle shops often have it). Keep all pieces separated in their own bags (pillowcases work well), since scratching wears pieces more definitely than does moisture. Lastly, polish from time to time bringing the polish back up to a high gloss using a buffing wheel and greaseless compound.

Polish, maintaining (period): Most period armour was maintained by squires or grooms who would go over the surfaces with a brush. More extensive work was probably done at a guildhall, where waterwheels could be used and coated with fine sand to act as sandpaper. Similar wheels covered in leather and painted with various compounds could easily polish armour in the same way that we can do now, but at a much slower pace. Mail was often placed into drums and dragged or turned, tumbling it with sand and vinegar to remove the rust. I can find no authentic references to the use of wax or oil in the care of pieces.

Pommel: The end of a sword's hilt, a counterweight, frequently in the shape of an almond, 'wheel' or faceted element. Normally pommels were made from iron, left plain or adorned with washed gold, silver, enamels, or precious stones. Sometimes they were made from latten, and in a few instances they were even made from semi-precious stones. The pommel is an important element in the balance of a *sword, providing the right amount of counterweight to allow the blade to move easily in the wielder's hand.

Pook: A modern technical armouring term and inside joke. Seriously, it is a descriptive term that tries to evoke a picture of pulling metal out in a particular way or pressing it inwards. I have found this term used by many armourers around the USA, armourers who have little contact with one another but who have found this term flexible and useful.

Pourpoint: literally "for points," an arming garment worn under or as an aketon in order to lace on the other armour bits. See also Chronique: The Journal of Chivalry #2.