Surcoat

	Email		Print
	Bookmark		Link

Surcoat

A surcoat was an outer garment commonly worn in the Middle Ages

Middle Ages

File:Karl 1 mit papst gelasius gregor1 sacramentar v karl d kahlen.jpgThe Middle Ages of European history are a period in history which lasted for roughly a millennium, commonly dated from the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century to the beginning of the Early Modern Period in the 16th century, marked by the division of Western Christi...
by both men and women. It can either refer to a coat worn over other garments or the outer garment of a person. The name derives from French

French language

French is a Romance language spoken around the world by around 80 million people as first language, by 190 million as second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired tongue, with significant speakers in 54 countries....
meaning "over the cotta", a long, wide coat reaching down to the feet without sleeves.

From about the 12th century, knight

Knight

File:Gothic armor 2.jpgKnight is the term for a social position originating in the Middle Ages. In the Commonwealth of Nations, knighthood is a non-heritable form of gentry....
s wore long and flowing surcoats over their armour

Armour

Armour or armor is protective covering used to prevent damage from being inflicted to an individual or a vehicle through use of direct contact weapons or projectiles, usually during combat....
, which were frequently emblazoned with the arms

ARMS

Arms or ARMS may refer to:*Arms, the upper limbs of the body* Weapons or armaments, as in small arms* Coat of arms* Amherst Regional Middle School...
of the wearer.

Discussion

Ask a question about 'Surcoat'

Start a new discussion about 'Surcoat'

Answer questions from other users

Full Discussion Forum

Encyclopedia

A surcoat was an outer garment commonly worn in the Middle Ages

Middle Ages

French language

Knight

Armour

ARMS

Arms or ARMS may refer to:*Arms, the upper limbs of the body* Weapons or armaments, as in small arms* Coat of arms* Amherst Regional Middle School...
of the wearer. They usually extended to about mid-calf, had slits in the bottom front and back, and were sleeved or sleeveless. Historians believe that surcoats were worn to protect mail from direct sun, which heated the mail and the soldier inside. The surcoat also serves in areas of poor weather to keep the rain and muck of battle away from the easily corroded maille-links. The surcoat displayed the "arms" of a knight

Knight

Coat of arms

A coat of arms, more properly called an armorial achievement, armorial bearings or often just arms for short, in European tradition, is a design belonging to a particular person and used by them in a wide variety of ways....
") which identified him, which, with the rise of the great helm

Great helm

The great helm or heaume, also called pot helm and barrel helm, of the High Middle Ages arose in the late twelfth century in the context of the crusades and remained in use until the fourteenth century....
in the late 12th century and early 13th century, became more and more crucial. Some historians even cite this as a reason behind the spread of heraldry

Heraldry

Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of devising, granting, and blazoning Coat of arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms....
across medieval Europe. During the 13th century, knights also began to add plates of armour to the surcoat, the armored surcoat later became the medieval coat of plates.

In the 15th century, once suits of plate armour became common, the surcoat was phased out of use. The period in the history of armour development in which surcoats first generally become rare is referred to as the "surcoatless period" (1410-1430).

External links

(Images of "outer garment" surcoats)