The Reasons

back to The_Valley_of_Cradles.

To elaborate a bit, the armour referred to as "ringmail" does not exist; the entire concept (large-ish metal rings sewn to a leather backing) is really kind of a non-starter, it just wouldn't work. Some "scholars" who really should have known better looked at some period illustrations and mistook a visual shorthand signifying mail for a new, hitherto unknown kind of armour (completely unsupported by the archeological record and primary textual sources, mind). The sad thing is, the exact same thing has happened more than once, giving us not only "ringmail" but also "banded mail", "splint mail" and other such lovely misconstructs.

Godsdamned Victorian "scholars"! I fart in your general direction!

And don't get me started on "studded leather"