Armour

[willmc349]

So, I've been wondering what kind of armour would be used. would they use maile, plate, or scale armor?

[Southwind]

Plate seems unlikely due to weight and expense. Maille, so I've heard, will rust in a big hurry, plus is noisy to wear - note, that doesn't mean they never used it, same goes for plate. Still, some form of scale or lamellar would probably have been most common.

They may also have worn no armor at all, especially if they weren't in a border territory where they were likely to meet combat. Certainly, not many of the Ranger get-ups I've seen include large amounts of armor. Some bracers and maybe a leather breastplate/pauldron thing is usually about the extent of it.

[Beornmann]

Here's some links to previous discussions that may provide more thought, but mail is what the Professor wrote about circa 9th-12th century. Also, he incorporates Transitional Period elements, such as greaves & vambraces, circa 13th centuryy with the Elves.

Kit and Gear References
Middle Earth and Helmets
Dunedain Culture in a Nutshell

[Jon]

IMHO I think that it all depends on how you choose to interpret the role.

Rangers are light, mobile, units - also much of their time would not be spent in open conflict, and if any fighting had to occur, I think one can assume it to be fairly guerilla style (think ambushes, etc.).
However they are described as being well armed; carrying sword, bow and spear... which is a lot. This may indicate that they were also well armoured (they are mentioned wearing helmets).

Probably they could have been both, depending on situation. Most of the time, as a woodsman/archer, I assume them to travel very lightly, without armour as an encumbrance. On the other hand, if knowingly entering a full scale battle, I'd imagine them to kit up with the whole lot - pauldrons, greaves, gorget, etc ( or at least what was available). I can't quite recall if this is true or not... but I think that 'plate' armour wasn't in the book?? And most infantry would wear maille? I'd need someone to confirm this however.
In terms of scale mail or lamellar, again I'm not sure about the books - the Rohirrim wearing scale armour in the movies could well just be a PJ addition...

[Yavion]

This was actually covered on the forum here a while ago. I searched, but I don't have the patients to dig for it.

IIRC, Eledhwen talked extensively about how her chain didn't make much sound. I've crashed around in the park in chain and it really isn't that loud unless it's bouncing against itself.

[Eledhwen]

Mail, the proper term for it, rustles more than anything else. One can get a jingle from it if it is voluminous, or full skirted, mostly from brushing up against something or some gear bouncing against it. It If you are wearing a surcote of some kind, it dampens it further. Scales will rattle too, especially if they are not side fastened to one another. It is louder than mail. Lamellar is very quiet unless gear bangs on it...and it if is made from leather or horn or wood, even that is muted.

These days I don't use armor at all when rangering; leather works find. You could use leather with bezants, or studs, but really that just adds weight to it. Armor of the metal variety really is only worth the weight and trouble if one is going into a serious battle where melee is likely. For skirmishing and scouting...it isn't really necessary.

It is, however, cool to wear it around. Also, archers from England in the medieval period sometimes wore mail hauberks and helms, but they were working as units of archers most of the time, not as foresters per se.

In the end, it is up to you. For me, armor isn't useful as a Ranger. If I decide to go out and fight SCA, out comes the armor..and it is scales since it is Scythian/Sarmatian in design.

Hope this helps.

Eledhwen

[RikJohnson]

I always saw Rangers a forward scouts.
Their job was to sneak around, quietly, spy on the enemy, gather info at taverns or from the peasants and report back to the general.
Scouts like that were too valuable to waste hacking their way into an armed camp.

So they'd rarely wear armor, and then, some kind that would not hinder them as they ran for home with information that could win or loose a battle.

So IF they wore armor in the field, it would be light, quiet and easily tossed in need.

Plate was for knights whose main job was to fight on the front lines like shock troops.
Maile was for the soldiers who would stand and fight in open fields.

If a Ranger fought, mostly it would be from ambush, one-on-one where he'd kill the man quickly and keep on running.

Yes, I agree that they COULD armor up and fight next to the rest of the army, but that wasn't their main job.

[Willrett]

I like the idea of a brigandine.

[Taurinor]

I agree that use of armor by rangers would probably be based on the situation, and I found a couple of quotes that support this idea.

From FOTR, Chapter 3, The Ring Goes South

The Company took little gear of war, for their hope was in secrecy not in battle. Aragorn had Anduril but no other weapon, and he went forth clad only in rusty green and brown, as a Ranger of the wilderness.

I think it's interesting that Aragorn isn't even carrying a bow, which is usually thought of as the quintessential ranger weapon. Even PJ seemed to think so, since Aragorn carries a hunting bow in FOTR.

From TTT, Chapter 4, Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit

Four tall Men stood there. Two had spears in their hands with broad bright heads. Two had great bows, almost of their own height, and great quivers of long green-feathered arrows. All had swords at their sides, and were clad in green and brown of varied hues, as if the better to walk unseen in the glades of Ithilien. Green gauntlets covered their hands, and their faces were hooded and masked with green, except for their eyes, which were very keen and bright.

While the Rangers of Ithilien are not explicitly described as not wearing armor, their gear is described similarly to Aragorn's in the previous quote. If we take "gauntlets" to mean sturdy leather gloves in this context, there is no mention of armor.

Again, I find it interesting that they all have swords, but only half of them carry bows, but I digress.

In contrast, when the Grey Company is going to war, they are described thusly:

A little apart the Rangers sat, silent, in an ordered company, armed with spear and bow and sword. They were clad in cloaks of dark grey, and their hoods were cast now over helm and head.

As was mentioned previously, these rangers are heavily armed, and at least some of them are wearing helms. No other armor is mentioned. There are depictions of medieval soldiers wearing a helmet and an arming jacket with no plate or maille over it, such as this one from the 14th century (from Royal Ms 20 C VII in the British Museum):

So it could be that they only rigid protection that they are wearing is helmets. It could also be that Tolkien only mentioned helms, but that was meant to suggest that the riders of the Grey Company are armored.

[Mirimaran]

Right, I had always thought they were dressed as such because they knew they were going to war, and the last war, in fact. They were all that could be gathered in haste, which means there either weren't many left or that the Rangers of the North was a very elite group, surely worth more than 5 or more men per Ranger. Personally I have always seen them in leather, except when going on sorties and the like, when they know they are going into danger. Most of the time they just find it

Ken

[Greg]

Agreed...there is no mention of plate armor other than helms in Tolkien's works; everything else is a coat of steel or mithril rings, such as Bilbo/Frodo's, and Gimli's, which he wore despite traveling because "Dwarves make light of burdens".

I don't see the need for anything beyond leather unless open battle is assumed. and then, maille at the most.

[Eärendur]

Agreed...there is no mention of plate armor other than helms in Tolkien's works; everything else is a coat of steel or mithril rings, such as Bilbo/Frodo's, and Gimli's, which he wore despite traveling because "Dwarves make light of burdens".

I don't see the need for anything beyond leather unless open battle is assumed. and then, maille at the most.

Almost true. Don't forget about Prince Imrahil's vambrace, which was used to discover that Eowyn was still breathing after Pellenor Fields.

[Eledhwen]

The Knights of Dol Amroth...definitely heavy cavalry. Other than that, mail seems to be the most common armor.

Eledhwen

[Udwin]

Also don't forget about what would seem to be Haradrim body armor:

"He came to rest in the fern a few feet away, face downward, green arrow-feathers sticking from his neck below a golden collar. His scarlet robes were tattered, his corslet of overlapping brazen plates was rent and hewn, his black plaits of hair braided with gold were drenched with blood. His brown hand still clutched the hilt of a broken sword."
(The Lord of the Rings, Book IV The Ring Goes East, Chapter 4: Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit)

[Eledhwen]

That is either a kind of segmentata or that Assyrian armor from the Middle East. Often made of bronze in the latter case, iron in the former, although there is evidence the former was sometimes made of bronze. Not overwhelming, but it is there.

Eledhwen