Armour and Ecclesiastical Vestments as Signifiers of Masculinity in Late Medieval European Art and Literature

This thesis explores how medieval notions of masculinity (and maleness) were exhibited through the wearing of armour and ecclesiastical vestments. It will be shown that the two forms of body adornments are very much comparable in both literal and conceptual ways. A range of primary sources will be used in this study, including various examples of medieval poetry, drama and sermons as well as art. This includes the textiles worn by the wealthy and those of high status in the period. The research conducted here is in the wake of a rapid rise in gender studies scholarship, especially relating to the Middle Ages and Early Modern periods. Such studies, however, very rarely discuss armour and almost never (as far as it is possible to ascertain) consider ecclesiastical vestments. This thesis, therefore, is not only timely but necessary. The Introduction locates this study in both the field of gender studies and also considers the meanings behind wearing clothing in Judeo-Christian thought. The first chapter is devoted to the study of armour in art and literature. The sensory effect that armour creates will be explored. The site where metals are created, the blacksmiths’, will also be discussed. The final part of this chapter will consider armour as it appears in an Early Modern text. The next chapter of this thesis investigates a very little-used resource, liturgical vestments. Extant vestments will be discussed as well as the relevant literature from the medieval and Early Modern periods. The last chapter will then regard men’s clothing more generally and draw comparisons between armour and vestments on both a literal and figurative level. The conclusion to this thesis will be forward-looking and suggest areas of further inquiry. The impact of this thesis will be to initiate wider discussion and investigation on the subject of liturgical garments. It is hoped that the work carried out here will prompt the opening of “vestments studies” as an academic discipline.