Cuisses (pronounced as "kwis") were a form of medieval leg protection that was specifically designed to protect the upper thighs. The word is the plural of the French cuisse, which means "thigh."
In the Middle Ages, the upper thighs were sometimes protected by a chain mail skirt (gousset) or by tassets. This protection worked well against attacks from above, but a thrust or blow from below could easily get around these parts. That's why warriors wore separate cuisses to better protect their thighs.
In the 12th and 13th centuries, padded cuisses were very common. They were made in the same way as a gambeson and were worn over chain mail chausses. During this period, the knee protectors, the poleyns, were often attached directly to the cuisses.
On the European mainland, cuisses usually didn't protect the back of the thighbone. In England, it was different: there, cuisses were often completely closed around the leg. This was because English soldiers fought more on foot, while armies on the mainland more often relied on cavalry charges.
Besides fabric and leather, cuisses could also be made like the brigandine leather, lined with metal plates or reinforced with metal strips (split armour). From around 1340 onwards, cuisses were usually made entirely of steel plates.
From 1370 onwards, they typically consisted of a single iron or steel plate, which provided stronger and more flexible protection.
Internal links
- Tassets: upper thigh protection in plate armour
- Poleyn: metal knee protection in medieval armour
- About Greaves
- Gambeson: medieval padded armour and protection
- Munition armour: Mass production of armour 15th–17th century
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