A Knight’s Thrust: Was the Use of a Codpiece for Protection or for Exertion of Masculinity? An Evaluation through History and its Reemergence in Modern Times

Abstract

Objectives Medieval military history is marked by an evolution of armor design and protection that was driven by advances in weaponry. The codpiece was a 14th century innovation to provide a genital shield in battle but was used in civilian life as well. Our objective was to clarify whether the codpiece served as an essential component of a knight’s safe keeping or as a mere outward display of virility. Methods A comprehensive literature search was performed using PubMed and Google Scholar. Primary historical texts, museum archives, scholarly works, popular media, documentaries, and artwork were reviewed. Results The armor used in the early Middle Ages was chain mail, which covered the neck, trunk, and upper arms and legs but failed to protect against blunt injury to the groin as weaponry became increasingly powerful. Full plate armor, developed by the 1300s, eventually included the codpiece, a small metal pouch to house the genitalia. In the late 1400s, however, codpieces appeared in civilian wear, modestly laced to men’s stockings as upper body shirts and tunics became shorter. Codpieces quickly became more ostentatious and bulkier in an ‘Arms Race’ of masculinity, were soon ridiculed in contemporary satires including works by Shakespeare and Rabelais and inspired royal edicts limiting their use. However, the codpiece was used in the management of genital disease as well, as the bulky wraps and ointments used to treat endemic syphilis were thus more easily concealed. The codpiece fell out of fashion by the late 16th century but its descendants, in sports and the performing arts, still have practical use today in genital protection and in men’s haute couture clothing design. Conclusions In the medieval battlefield, the codpiece was both protective and assertive of masculinity. Its military popularity eventually waned as armored battle proved no match for more modern weaponry, but the codpiece had a long influence on sartorial culture. The codpiece’s modern descendant, the athletic ‘cup’, has therefore a long and most unusual history in the pages of war and Renaissance clothing.