Vendel mail shoes?

[Vermis]

I recently got the Osprey 'Saxon, Viking and Norman' and took some interest in the colour plate used for the cover, and the interior description. This one:



I'm interested in the mail shoes that the horseman wears. Problem is, I can't find any other representation of, or reference to them; or any mention of the 'Professor Post' who reconstructed the Valsgarde find that this illustration is modelled after, according to the plate description. At least, I can't find anything online.

I don't think they're the same as mail 'stockings' that later knights wore. They seem to stop at the ankle and, while it's not too clear in this small version of the image, they seem to have some kind of metal rim around the sole. (though I can't be sure; the illustration and description don't go into any detail) The only other mail footwear I can find is some modern doohickey for recreational 'barefoot' walking and running. Does anyone know of any other info or sources?

[Paul]

Mail shoes ? Sounds a wee bit dodgy. There hasn´t  been any found, not at
Valsgarde or Vendel ...
List of all mail finds
https://sites.google.com/site/archoevidence/home/mail-armour

[Paul]

Been searching. the mail sabatons (boots) are in the case of the Valsgärde finds - speculative. The greaves have holes at the Ends,  which (the archeologists)  suggest are for  possible attachment of some form of foot protection ..ie mail but there´s no mention anywhere of them actually finding mail sabatons, only some mail which was  attached to leather (presumably as the leather had entirely rotted away) which they then assume was a glove/Hand covering. They also (at the time of the find)  reckoned he would have had Splint style vambrace on his upper  sword arm but that is now deemed as purely speculative.

Who is  prof post ?. Any searches only give him in Connection to the Osprey book. The original reconstruction/research was by Engstöm and Arwidsson.

[Vermis]

Wow, thanks Paul!

Who's Professor Post? Good question. Literally all the book has to say about him and his mail shoes, as mentioned, is from the plate description: "The greaves (iron strips on leather straps) and mail shoes are according to Professor Post's reconstruction of the Valsgardë find, and are one of a number of differing interpretations." In fact, the whole of vendel culture gets just one line in the main text too. It's pretty tragic.

I guess I got my first good taste of the ol' Osprey muck-up. I thought it was a bit weird that no online source mentioned this stuff 36 years after the book was first published. Guess I need to find a better book or two.

[Paul]

maybe, they have written it wrong, it means "a post from a proffessor". I can´t find anyone called Post in Connection with  vendel and valsgärde.

I´ve found some pics of the actual armour from grave 8 in a mock up;
 http://livinghistory.cz/node/393
(note the Splint armour on the shield arm..now considered speculative)

Valsgärde 7 + 8 by Greta Arwidsson

[Paul]

Found another which reckons they could have had chainmail on the feet and swordhand 
http://thethegns.blogspot.de/2011/12/splinted-armour.html