Ventail

Quick meaning: Ventail is a noun meaning (historical) Synonym of aventail (“mail curtain or flap, on a helmet or a mail coif, that protects the lower face and neck”).

Meaning

(historical) Synonym of aventail (“mail curtain or flap, on a helmet or a mail coif, that protects the lower face and neck”).

More Meanings

1. (historical) The movable front part of a medieval helmet, originally including the visor but later specifically the separate lower section.
2. (historical, rare) A vent or breathing-hole in a medieval helmet, for the admission of air.

Example Sentences

The Lednickie example has its nasal terminating in a small hook; this was almost certainly to support the mail ventail of the mail coif, and thus to provide better facial protection.

Others, most notably David C. Nicolle, claim instead that this merely depicts a mail ventail (the face covering of a mail coif), which has been unlaced for comfort when not in battle.

[…] even in the eleveth and early twelfth centuries, where helmets were of a simple nasal form, the wearing of a mail coif with a ventail that laced across the lower part of the face would have covered enough of the face […]

Finally, the Carolingian byrnie might have had a mail ventail, or bib, hanging from the neck that, when raised and attached to the helmet, provided neck and lower face protection. The ventail is specifically mentioned twice in the .

Word Forms

• ventails
• ventaile
• ventaille
• ventayle

Synonyms for ventail

Depending on context, synonyms include aventail, camail.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include camail, aventail, ventaille, aventaile, vail, vizor.

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