KASTANE: A sword which often had European blades which were slightly curved and single-edged; handle, pommel, and ends of the quillions are carved in the form of monsters' heads; entire hilt is often made of silver or gold and inlaid with jewels.
KETTLE HAT: Strong, light weight, open-faced helmet, having a conical crown and wide brim.
KIRTLE: 1. A short skirt worn by women. 2. A long gown or dress worn by women. 3. A long tunic worn by men.
KLAPPVISIER: The first visored defense for the bascinet. The klappvisier featured a pointed (pignose) or rounded (roundnose) snout to deflect arrows and bolts and a raised area around the eyes. It first defended the area of the face not already defended by the aventail.
KNIGHT: The retainer of a feudal lord who owed military service for his fief. The ideals to which a knight could aspire were notably prowess, loyalty, generosity, and courtesy.
KNIGHT'S FEE: In theory, a fief which provided sufficient revenue to equip and support one knight, which was approximately 12 hides or 1,500 acres (although the term applies more to revenue a fief could generate than its size).
KRIS: A double-edged, wavy-bladed knife/short sword designed primarily for thrusting.
LAMES: Narrow overlapping plates used to make the flexible parts of an armour.
LANTERN SHIELD: Itallian shield weapon; consisted of a round buckler-type shield to which was attached a number of offensive weapons; handle projected from the inside of the forward edge of the shield which was grasped by the hand, protected by plate gauntlet; center of the shield was fitted with a projecting spike; also made with a fitting in front and the necessary hardware in back so a small lantern could be attached to it (lanterns used by some fencers in effort to dazzle opponents).
LATTEN: Brass, bronze or a mixture of the two; generally a copper base metal with elements of tin or zinc plus other trace elements; often used to create armor with or to decor armor.
LEASE FOR THREE LIVES: A term of lease of land usually for the life of its holder, his son or wife, and a grandson.
LIRIPIPE: The lengthened peak of the medieval hood.
LUTE: String musical instrument, shaped like half a pear and similar to a guitar, with six to thirteen strings.
MAIL: Interwoven links of iron wire riveted together to form a kind of defensive metal cloth, highly resistant to slashing but less effective against piercing or crushing wounds.
MAIN GAUCHE: Left-hand daggers for rapier dueling.
MAN-AT-ARMS (also Yeoman): A soldier holding his land, generally 60 to 120 acres, in exchange for military service.
MANDILION (1520-1560, 1577-1620): A loose, thigh-length overcoat with a standing collar and loose sleeves.
MANOPLE: Gauntlet sword consisting of a double-edged blade with two short, curved side blades.
MANOR: A small holding, typically from 1,200 to 1,800 acres, with its own court and probably its own hall, but not necessarily having a manor house. The manor as a unit of land was generally held by a knight (knight's fee) or managed by a bailiff for some other holder.
MANTLE: A loose, sleeveless cloak or cape.
MANTLING: Cloth decor suspended from a helmet, commonly illustrated in armorial artwork.
MARCHER LORDS: The name commonly given to Norman landholders on the Welsh border.
MARK: A measure of silver, generally eight ounces. In England, a mark was worth 13 shillings and four pence, or two thirds of one pound.
MARQUESS (or Marquis): Lords responsible for guarding border areas, known as "marches." In some cases, the eldest son of a Duke was known as a Marquess.
MEAD: A wine made of fermented honey.
METHEGLIN: Spiced or medicated mead, popular in Wales.
MINSTREL: A poet and singer who lived and traveled off the largess of the aristocracy.
MONEYER: A person licensed by the crown to strike coins. He received the dies from the crown and was allowed to keep 1/240 of the money coined for himself.
MONMOUTH CAP (1570-1625): A knitted wool cap that fit the head, and had a brim and a long peaked top that hung over one side and ended in a tassel. Common especially among soldiers and sailors.
NIGHT RAIL: A garment in which some wealthy women slept. Sleeping in the nude or in a shift was more common, however.
OR: The heraldic color (tincture) of gold, or yellow.
ORDEAL: A trial in which the accused was given a physical test (usually painful and/or dangerous) which could only be met successfully if he was innocent.
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