Moorish Knight Kit - 2012

My kit here is meant to be typical of a Moorish Knight from al-Andalus during the period of 1150-1220, arguably the most crucial period of the Almohad dynasty.

And my face is meant to be typical of a variety  of emotions.
'Duhh' being the most prominent.

My equipment in these photos was often surprising to people unfamiliar with the history of al-Andalus in Spain (particularly its military history) because of how heavy it is. In actual fact this was pretty standard gear for a Moorish knight during the 12^th century and the first few years of the 13^th, the only differences between it and a Christian Knight’s gear being mostly aesthetic, and only really started to change towards the middle of the 13^th century.

And not only was the gear heavy, it was hot.
The spear has a short, triangular flag, as became common among both Christians and Muslims during the 13th century, as seen in the Cantigas del Rey Alfonso.

The chainmail is a short-sleeved hauberk with a split front, perfect for riding my non-existent horse. It’s worn over a long-sleeved gambeson, and that is worn over a linen undertunic and cotton trousers. 
Bear in mind that all this was in central-southern Spain during the month of July. I think, in total, I sweat out a kilo of bodyweight with all that on.

A sash tied around the waist and worn over a belt helps not only to take the weight of the chainmail off my shoulders, it also serves as a quick visual distinction from Christian knights.

Both the sword and my (unseen) dagger are straight-bladed, and despite the popular image of scimitar-wielding Saracens the truth is that until the rise of the Ottoman Empire in the fifteenth century, the vast majority of swords used in the Islamic world were straight-bladed, and practically identical to what we would call ‘European’ swords.

The sword belt hangs across the chest, something that became a distinct trait of Muslim equipment in Reconquista Spain.

Here’s where we see the more ‘Moorish’ touches to the kit. My faceplate helm, being worn over a padded arming cap, is based on an illustration in Osprey’s The Moors: TheIslamic West 7th – 15th Centuries AD, which in turn seems to be based on a miniature detailed in the Beatus of Manchester. It’s designed in such a way to give almost full visibility to the wearer while providing good protection from slashes and cuts. A chainmail aventail surrounding the whole thing adds extra protection.

The turban tied around the top doesn’t seem like much until you’re standing under the sun for a prolonged period of time, then it’s your best friend in the whole wide world for keeping the helmet and, most importantly, your head un-fried.

The shield is based on a model used by several figures in the Beatus of Liébana. A boss-less roundshield, painted white with three red tassels hanging on the front. Light and easy to carry.

The equipment was perfect for the event, but not without its flaws, which prompted me to do a few changes this year, which you can see on my next upcoming post.