the.com/arming cap
the unsung pillow that stopped a knight's helmet from rattling his skull like dice
means A padded cloth cap worn under a helmet to cushion the head and keep the metal from chafing or knocking against the skull.
from A plain compound: "arming" here means "putting on armour" — the verb "to arm" once covered the whole ritual of suiting up for battle, not just picking up a weapon. Hence the family of "arming" garments: the arming doublet, the arming points (the laces that tied plate to padding), and this humble cap. "Arm" itself traces back through Old French to Latin "arma," meaning weapons or tools of war.
- padded comfort
- Cushioned skull from steel helmet's brutal weight
- sweat duty
- Soaked perspiration before it stung the eyes
- chin straps
- Ties under jaw kept it anchored
- helmet anchor
- Gave the great helm something to grip
- humble layer
- Worn beneath the coif, beneath everything