Fairy tales are an integral part of the history of mankind. This is not just funny stories for young children, it is also a mass of wise thoughts, ideas and morality. Russian folk tales often speak of brave and brave heroes and noble knights. As a rule, their fortitude was reinforced by special weapons and defenses. What is damask armor? Why were armor, swords, shields made of this metal? Perhaps the production of this strong steel was associated with a huge secret, into which only selected blacksmiths were dedicated. Was this knowledge a gift from the gods or alien civilizations in general?
The meaning and definition of the term "armor"
What is damask armor? The explanatory dictionary of T. F. Efremov contains the following definition: this is equipment made of metal in the form of armor, which serve to protect the body of a warrior. The Explanatory Dictionary of C. I. Ozhegov and N. Yu. Shvedova defines this ancient expression as the metal clothing of a warrior that protects the torso. What is damask armor? The dictionary of interpretations by V.I. Dahl describes it as an old-fashioned military armor worn over basic clothing. The armor consisted of metal plates or rings. Common synonyms are the words "armor" and "chain mail".
Legendary cast damask steel
What is damask armor and why is the material from which it was made still associated with a large number of legends and mysterious myths? Damask steel is a metal that was obtained as a result of chemical reactions by mixing ordinary iron and carbon. As you know, these two substances have different homogeneity, so the output material has a characteristic patterned pattern. In order to produce damask steel, it is necessary to melt the metal, which in the end will give the product increased hardness and flexibility.
Forging damask
What is damask armor? This is metal clothing, the manufacture of material for which is incredibly time-consuming. Before embarking on this lesson, the future sword or armor must be properly annealed, otherwise cracks may form that can spoil all the work done. Metal is annealed for a long time (an hour or more) at high temperatures up to 1000 ° C. If this temperature level is exceeded, the ingot may lose its unique pattern, which will indicate the unprofessionalism of the master. After the annealing procedure, the material should be cooled to approximately 15-20 degrees, and only then proceed with forging.
Damask metal receives the most important qualitative characteristics during the forging period, and the longer this process takes, the better. Despite the fact that modern alloys in many respects have better properties than damask steel, once it was the pinnacle of art in the production of excellent steel, and nowadays you can find skillful blacksmiths who can make and process damask masterpiece.
Damask armor from a fairy tale
What is damask armor? The explanatory dictionary gives this definition: a protective device made of high-strength metal, which is worn over clothes, covering vital parts of the body during battle. Damask armor was especially valued in antiquity and was an indispensable attribute of folk heroes in the form of chain mail. The famous epic heroes of folk tales - Alyosha Popovich, Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya Nikitich, as well as the hero kings Arthur and Svyatogor using their damask weapons performed their many feats. What is damask armor? The encyclopedia describes this material as reinforced steel with more durable characteristics. Thanks to the armor and weapons made of it, warriors and knights were almost indestructible.
Legend from the past
What is damask armor? One of the sources of the appearance on Earth of a mysterious hardened steel, which has amazing flexibility and does not break or crack, is, according to a hypothesis, a meteor shower that took place in 1421. According to legend, the ancestor of damask steel was a huge meteorite that fell in the vicinity of the Russian city of Yaroslavl . This iron block was a real gift from above; only selected masters of blacksmithing got access to it. Naturally, not every warrior could afford the possession of such weapons. Damask steel armor and a sword could possess only distinguished brave warriors. However, all good things will ever end, and so it happened with the precious reserves of celestial metal, over time, they dried up, despite the thrift and thrift of the craftsmen. What is damask armor? Since then, she was already considered a legend from the distant past, where with her help they won battles and performed numerous feats.
These stories about the fabulous metal were passed down from generation to generation, gradually acquiring more and more details. Steel swords were sung in songs, fairy tales. Flashing with damask armor, the soldiers defeated the enemy of the damned. The son of a peasant Ivanushka blows his head with a damask sword to a terrible monster named Miracle Yudo. While searching for an evil sorceress, the hero Velimir in the fairy tale "Mistress of the magic forest" cuts his way in the prickly thickets with a blade from damask steel. And such references can be found a huge number. Even in modern literature, you can find similar statements about heavy-duty armor and cold steel.
What is so special about damask steel?
If the blade was forged from simple iron, then it served, as a rule, not for long. Such products could be easily broken or bent after just a few hard blows. Compared to them, weapons made of damask steel had much greater strength and durability. Such a sword could easily crush the metal shield or iron armor of the enemy. A striking fact is that, despite the incredible strength and hardness, damask steel was surprisingly flexible. It could be bent at an angle of up to 120 °, while the product will not break and will easily return to its original shape. Ordinary iron blades quickly blunted and broke, and damask steel weapons were always sharp, like a razor, and served faithfully for many decades. There were times when for a piece of legendary metal they offered as much gold as the weight of the weapon. As a rule, this weight was far from small.
Indian Damask Steel
Over time, skilled Indian craftsmen managed to create hardened steel artificially. Later, all the subtleties of production became known to Iranian and Asian blacksmiths. Al-Biruni, the famous scientist from Persia, has preserved records that the strongest metal is formed if 2 ingredients are melted and not mixed until completely homogeneous. Products receive a unique pattern and different shades, for which they are highly appreciated by specialists. The unique pattern is a consequence of the process of carbon crystallization. This is a peculiar sign of the quality of this kind of thing.
Durable Damascus Steel
Damascus steel was imported from South India to make blades in the Middle East. Such blades were famous for their strength and resistance to shedding. The original method of producing Damascus steel is not known, and it got its name in honor of the capital of Syria - Damascus. Modern attempts to reproduce metal have not been entirely successful due to differences in raw materials and production technology. The reputation and history of Damascus steel has given rise to many legends, such as the ability to cut hair falling across the blade. Despite the fact that certain types of modern steel are superior to these swords, their production process is quite progressive for its time.
Craftsmen from Damascus
What damask armor is for a horse or for a warrior was best known in the Syrian capital, Damascus. Round metal ingots were delivered from India, after which blacksmiths worked real miracles with this steel. Having damask damask steel was considered a sign of good taste. Craftsmen smiths so honed their skills, using the most various layout options for various types of metal, that Damascus steel has become incredibly great value. A sad fate befell the skilled craftsmen from Syria after the conquest of the country by the great khan-conqueror named Tamerlan. The involuntary blacksmiths no longer wanted to work as inspirationally as before. Their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren went their separate ways, and the secrets of Damascus steel production were finally erased from the memory of generations.
Thanks to the development of trade relations, the toughest alloys have become appreciated all over the world. What is damask armor? Definition could also give Japanese masters. This is evidenced by the damask steel sword found during archaeological excavations, which, according to rough estimates, was created in the XII century. During chemical analyzes, molybdenum was found in the alloy, which in nature can only be found in iron ore. It is unlikely that the craftsmen of that time possessed information about this type of refractory metal, which significantly increases the strength of the product. It may be a simple fortuitous accident. Currently, thanks to new production technologies, steel surpasses the legendary damask steel in many respects, one of the
most durable metals for creating armor and edged weapons of the past.