The European section in the museum covers a period from the dark ages (more or less) to the post Victorian era. One portion of the gallery displays a series of armours and weapons of those centuries. As a child I remember the armour, though I'm sure the displays have been moved in the years since then.
I've always been fascinated by armours. Some of them are beautiful but they are all so cumbersome that I always wondered how one moved until my Dad once told me that if you fell off your horse, the chances are that you couldn't get up again. Not so in movies but in real history...
ReplyDeleteThere have been days in my life that I would like to have had a suit of armor (sorry for the American spelling). This looks like a fascinating display. Nicely captured !
ReplyDeleteI bet they weren't so polished when in use
ReplyDeleteI find it rather amusing to think about people actually traipsing around in these outfits.
ReplyDeleteFascinating to see and hard to image practical use.
ReplyDeleteThis lot presumably dates from the time when knights of olde galloped around Ontario, rescuing damsels in distress. I want to know where you guys got all that armour from?! Prithee, tell the court of thy adventures, Sir William.
ReplyDeleteLove looking at these - like others, I can't imagine how heavy they must've felt when worn!
ReplyDeletecan you imagine wearing all that?!! impressive!
ReplyDeleteOne had to be a pretty tough character just to wear this stuff let alone try to defend yourself in it.
ReplyDelete@Ciel: not surprising, given the weight these things had to have on the body.
ReplyDelete@Stuart: thank you!
@Gerald: I doubt it.
@Revrunner: You would certainly hear them coming.
@Beatrice: and yet for centuries they were used.
@Mike: I would imagine the museum acquired them gradually over time. Or stole them from the Tower of London when the beefeaters weren't paying attention.
@LondonLulu: heavy enough to put strain on the body and take a few years off your life, I'd imagine!
@Tanya: it'd take awhile to get outfitted!
@Sharon: it almost makes it not really worth the effort, the sheer loss in personal speed these things would cause.
Makes us laugh, now, thinking of men trying to fight under all this weight. But guess armor was the 'in' thing at the time!
ReplyDeleteInteresting display, William!
ReplyDeleteCould be here in one of our castles :-)
Can you imagine wearing all that armor into war on a horse who may be wearing some armor also. Hard to imagine although our soldiers pack enough on them to make it a hardship too. War is a hardship. MB
ReplyDeleteNice photos . In this cold weather I think the metal would stick to ones skin lol ! Thanks for sharing . Have a good day !
ReplyDeleteCool armor!
ReplyDeleteI was always fascinated by the mummies and the rocks! I miss the atmosphere it used to have.
ReplyDeleteNeat! Years ago I took my daughter, then 17, to NYC. At the Metropolitan Museum of Art the first thing she wanted to see was the armor! We found a map and she quickly found the way, even though there were all sorts of turns. This was the first time I realized she has a terrific sense of direction.
ReplyDeleteI like this part of the museum!
ReplyDelete@Cheryl: it was!
ReplyDelete@Karl: the museum has quite a collection of this.
@MB: it's a lot of weight.
@Country Gal: it would require padding inside.
@Norma: indeed!
@RedPat: the crystal was a mistake to add.
@Linda: this museum is a big one with lots of twists and turns.
@Halcyon: so do I.