One of the most often overlooked periods, at least in United States history classes, is when the Moors ruled significant sections of Europe. Specifically, they invaded the Iberian Peninsula in 711 and maintained control for over 700 years. The Iberian Peninsula consists of what we know today as Gibraltor, most of Spain and Portugal, and part of Southern France.

There were a number of battles during this time, characterized by medieval armory. One of the most iconic pieces of medieval armory is the coif. Runoko Rashidi of the Atlanta Black Star takes a look at one of the iconic statues featuring the coif in an article profiling the Moors, titled “Moors, Saints, Knights and Kings: The African Presence in Medieval and Renaissance Europe.” Rashidi writes, “In Halle, Germany, a monastery with a school attached to it was founded and dedicated to St. Maurice in 1184. In 1240, a splendid Africoid statue of St. Maurice was placed in the majestic cathedral of Magdeburg — the first Gothic cathedral built on German soil. I was actually able to visit this cathedral and photograph the statue in 2010. The facial characteristics of the statue are described by historian Gude Suckale-Redlefsen in his classic work, The Black Saint Maurice, as follows:

‘The relatively small opening in the closely fitting mail coif was sufficient for the Magdeburg sculptor to produce a convincing characterization of St. Maurice as an African. The facial proportions show typical alterations in comparison with European physiognomy. The broad, rounded contours of the nose are recognizable although the tip has been broken off.

‘The African features are emphasized by the surviving remains of the old polychrome. The skin is colored bluish black, the lips are red, and the dark pupils stand out clearly against the white of the eyeballs. The golden chain mail of the coif serves, in turn, to form a sharp contrast with the dark face.”

This history serves the dual purposes of uncovering forgotten pieces of history and correcting myths about Black history specifically.

Beyond poring over the studies and books on the Moors, another way to engage with the history is with Medieval V Face Blackened Mild Steel Chainmail Coif Armor from Armory Replicas. Our coif armor includes battle ready 4 in 1 Interlocking mild steel rings, linked together for the strongest sword-proof armor coif. This particular piece of coif armor is made of 16 gauge blackened mild steel for a more dramatic look. Every 10mm ring is forged by authentic metal smiths. Lastly, the pattern of links effectively doubles the steel Gauge armor capacity.

If you study the Moors or Medieval history, this piece is a must. Whatever replica armory needs you might have, you can’t go wrong with Armory Replicas!