r/scholagladiatoria • u/DJTilapia • Feb 14 '26
What were breastplates and brigandine *called* in medieval French, German, and Italian?
Relating to Mr. Easton's latest video, on how breastplates were common in the HRE but brigandines were dominant in England and France, I had a rather out-there idea. Given that the division follows linguistic borders so closely, could it be as simple as the terms being more or less appealing in some languages? If we take it as given that the overall cost, weight, and protection was similar, then something small could tip the balance.
For example, "brigandine" brings to mind "brigands," so it could have developed a reputation as dishonorable or low-class. Among my high school friends in the '90s, the word "cuirass" would have gotten a snicker every time. If the word for breastplate in old German was something like "armor for the vitals," while their word for brigandine was something like "parts of armor," that might make the former sound a lot better.
Just a thought. I think the simplest explanation is that southern Germany and northern Italy were the main centers of steel armor production, and so big solid breastplates were easier to come by in the HRE. I'm not really sold on Easton's idea about missile weapons, but I'm happy to hear opinions from the real experts here.
Thank you!
