Ringmail

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ringmail, or according to purists, ring armour, is a form of body armour, closely related to scale armour. It consists of separate metal rings affixed to a foundation of leather or cloth. It is debated whether it was ever used in Medieval Europe. The word seems to have been coined during the nineteenth century, and subsequently popularized by inclusion in Role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons.

Ringmail can be considered a purely fantasy construction, and has not, as presented in Dungeons and Dragons, historically existed anywhere in the world. Almost all historically known armour consisting of rings has been maille. In the late 15th century in Europe a type of armour called an eyelet doublet was used. It can be classified as a type of ring armour. It was called "Schiessjoppe" in German.

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• picture of a "Schiessjoppe" with rings and linen, end of 15th, beginning of 16th century