[gothic-l] Attila

[Tim O'Neill]

Friþunanþs Ximeneiks wrote:
>
> Though this subject is somewhat tenuous in light of things Gothic. It
> should be "briefly" mentioned that it is well attested the huns wore
> thick silk garments; they did so underneath a leather cuirass. The fact
> that their cavalry was well known for surviving otherwise mortal wounds
> is attributed to the fact that: 1). When arrows pierced the cuirass the
> momentum of the arrow was lessened, only allowing shallow penetration.
> 2). Thereafter, if the arrow penetrated through the cuirass, the thick
> silken garment would usually not rip; (silk is one of the strongest
> filaments known) further absorbing the momentum. - In the event a
> projectile did penetrate the skin the silken garment would oftentimes be
> pulled into the flesh allowing the projectile to be pulled out of the
> shallow wound (by pulling on the silk garment) without much physical
> damage or subsequent infection. The latter innovation gave the Huns a
> great advantage in warfare and may be one of the elements that allowed
> them to be so successful in sweeping through Europe.

Are you sure this practice has been attributed to the
*Huns*?  One of the Thirteenth Century papal emissaries
to the Mongol khan, Pianao del Carpini, describes this
practice in his report to the Pope, but he's talking
about the Mongols, not the Huns.  What earlier source
mentions the Huns using this practice as well?
Cheers,

Tim O'Neill

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