The 18th Century Gorget: A Vestigial Authority Symbol
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- Опубликовано: 15 сен 2024
- What is a gorget? Where did they come from, and why were they worn in the 18th Century? Was their function a practical one, or one of ceremony and fashion? These strange little pieces of metal hanging around the necks of officers and chiefs are often ignored- but they can mean quite a bit!
You can find Chris P.'s video here: • Video -
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Ahh yes, the rare neck croissant. Oh how hungry may the officers get, shall they chow down on their metallic neck croissant!
Forbidden croissant
„Only when the last field ration is gone they will realize that one can not eat neck croissants.“
Gorge is pronounced like "gore" but with a soft 'g' on the end. Gorge also means throat; cou is neck. Sorry for the small corrections but please trust me on this as I have been speaking French for nearly ten years now.
no one cares but the french lol
1:37 for anyone seeking more information on medieval armor:
scholagladiatora; Metatron; Shadversity; and, the specialist, Knyght Errant.
Other memeber of the comunity of the sword, that don’t talk much on armor, are: Skallagrim, Lyndbeige and pursuing the knightly arts
Pursuing the Knightly Arts is actually armour themed.
@@CDKohmy yes, but they don't explain how the armor works, they explain the techniques used with/against it
Lindybeige is more military history, not medieval
@@marcelgaillard7559 That's true, but he does dabble in the topic from time to time, but he's nowhere near as knowledgeable as as the ones more dedicated to the topic.
At any rate, another good channel on Medieval arms and armor is Modern History TV. Despite the name, it is devoted to the Medieval period and it goes more into the mundane than all the other channels, often talking about clothing, food, travel, etc.
For those interested in the making of Medieval arms and armor, I highly recommend Tod's Workshop. Tod is a professional blacksmith who recreates all sorts of Medieval weapons from swords and dagger to crossbows. Lately', he's been branching out to experimental archaeology and has a series of videos where he, and a few others, test a historically accurate longbow using historically accurate arrows vs a historically accurate breastplate.
@@marcelgaillard7559 indeed, my mistake
Petition to have Brandon livestream himself being parachuted into North Sentinel Island with a box full of Gorgets to gift to the Sentinelese people.
you want him to die?
Now I can't unthink of a potential alternate history where gorgets kept falling and stretching until they turned into Borat's green swimsuit.
1:08 a very good example of the consequences of removing your gorget and exposing your neck would be the death of John Clifford the 9th Baron Clifford who removed his gorget to better give orders to his men and was almost immediately struck in the throat with an arrow during the Battle of Ferrybridge 1461 in the Wars of the Roses.
I would love to hear more about being an 18th century officer.
He has a video on how exactly people became officers in the 18th century if you’re looking for that
@@emorynguyen1583 Already seen it. I would like to hear more
Those are still used in the finnish Army to denote NCO or officer on duty in charge of a barrack or garrison. Or at least they were a few years ago.
The Swedish Army uses the gorget for the Officer of the Day etc.
Ah yes! The officer making sure that everyone has washed their hands and is social distancing during corona times
@@lime123net seen a swedish army medic with one
The germanic style of gorgets are still used in the Swedish army by the comissioned watch officer on duty at each garrison.
(Edit, someone stated this before I did)
They are also used today to denote the more successful & influential rappers. 🗣🎤🎵
Haha!
SOME PHAT BLING YO!
3:55 I have been summoned.
Hey Brandon, very new to this channel and I absolutely love how in depth you go with so much energy you put into these. I'm really hoping more content is coming soon! :))
Always more around the corner! Sometimes that corner is a little long...but, not lately!
I seem to remember that the German soldier slang for MPs was something like "Kettlehund" (chain dogs) since their badges looked like literal dog tags. You can catch a good look at these in "A Bridge too Far" and several episodes of "Girls Und Panzer" (the equivalent of "referees" are kitted out as German MPs).
Kettenhunden
Panzer vor!
I can provide some general background for the evolution of neck defence.
(Although you may check out Knight's Errant video)
This is a very extensive topic but I will try to keep it simple.
From the X century all the way up to the mid XIV, the head of the knight was protected by a number of helmets always in conjunction with the so called mail coif, which had to be protective enough as to let you discard your helmet (in case those covered the face, since they didn't had visors at the time) and covered the neck, jaw, mouth and the entirety of the skull.
When we reach the mid to late XIV century helmets with movable visors and integral mail protection entered in scene and the coif lost popularity in favor of a smaller and sturdier neck of mail, which in certain languages u could call gorget, but in English is reffered to as a mail standard.
This piece was kept in use for centuries beyond and it evolved and gave place to new forms of neck protection, some of them covered the face, some of them were made of plate.
As an easy way of identifying them, when the neck piece you're wearing, made of mail or otherwise, reaches your face it's called a BEVOR, when it solely covers your neck you call it gorget(plate)/standard(mail).
During the later part of the XV century the articulated gorget was developed in German lands and it later (XVI century) became quite standard, no pun intended, for the knightly class and wealthy soldiers.
During the XVII century the heavy and light cavalry and some infantry, used simpler forms of plate gorgets without an articulated neck, just a long plate over the sternum that had a slight curvature at the top to catch blades.
That summarizes the evolution of the piece until it becomes quite similar to what's Brandon showcasing here.
Have a good day, I hope this was informative.
Of course not to forget the German Feldgendarmerie and Feldjaegers who wore their iconic gorgets
With Radium Infused plastic arcs and circles so they could be seen at night
Generals seem not to have worn them for the most part, perhaps their uniforms were sufficiently gaudy to make their rank clear, but field and junior officers did wear them.
A French officer in the French And Indian War fought in one engagement stripped to the waist - it was a hot day and he was commanding militia and Indians not particularly bothered about uniform regulations. But he did wear his gorget around his neck as a symbol of authority.
As a chilean i love that my army has prusian tradition
Same
Vestigial symbols of an officer: *Exists*
17-19 warfare: *Laughs in Light Infantry*
Heavy Cavalry: Im gonna end this *unit* whole *exsistence*
?? am i missing something here? wasnt that time period dominated mostly by pike and shoot and line infantry? and tactically both preforn roles more similar to heavy rather than light infantry.
@@midshipman8654
Late response but whatev's
Yes, it kinda went over your head.
My comment was more in line to how in those centuries of warfare, Light Infantry would, in their line of duty in combat would try to slow down, disrupt, and whittle down an opposing columns of infantry to make it easier to sweep them away by your main column of Line infantrymen, by bayonet or volleys, of your detachment. and combat the opposing Light infantry to stop them from doing the same to yours.
Basically the job of a Light Infantrymen is to render the enemy in disarray, and what better way to do it, than to target the enemy Officers keeping their men organised wearing those oh so obvious to pick out by their marks of authority through vestigial symbols, such as but not limited to, the Gorget.
@@midshipman8654 my response is kinda long but bear with me
I seem to remember, when I was in the Norwegian military in the 90s, the Officer of the Watch wore a gorget. Not sure if they still do.
They still do, but most remove them while working outside their office.
I saw the same thing in 2012.
An interesting snippet comes out of the writings of Thomas Fairfax, which might be seen as the ancestor of the 18th century Gorget.
by 1643, Sir Thomas' Horse (not his cuirassiers but his own troop - more like traditional heavy cavalry, in back/breast, gorget and Lobster pot, carbine and pistols) would, when off duty still wear their buff coats and gorget along with their foppish hats and bucket topped boots, as a way of showing, not so much rank, but status - it being a dashing business being a cavalilly man. I'm sure Rupert and the lads round the King did the same, but have no records to confirm it.
On top of that I have seen Dutch and Swedish gorgets of gilded plate from the beginning of the 30 Years War so light that they can have been of little use as armour. Even King Gustav III seems to have considered sword, sash and whatever the Swedish is for gorget as sufficient signifier of rank to wear them himself.
Darren Ashmore Sir Thomas Fairfax, one of my heroes. He never gets much in the way of recognition, mainly because he was content to live in relatively quiet retirement after the execution of Charles I. But, he was the strategist who laid the plans for the downfall of the Royalists in the first phase of the English Civil War, and was, in my opinion, the real founder of the New Model Army.
@@keithorbell8946 That's one of the reason's I admire him. More the NMA's founder - and teacher - than anyone.
Along with George Monck - overshadowed by Old Ollie - two of a small handful of professionally minded 'soldiers' in ECW Britain who could see what was coming by observing the changing nature of the Thirty Years War.
The rise of State force and an end to trained bands/royal levies (in the main).
The last flowering of the pike-n-shot on the fields of Edgehill, Naseby and Roundway down.
Even after the fighting, his name alone, broke up John Lambert's revolt against Monck, and so even handed was he in the prosecution of the Civil Wars (as well as his refusal to side with the regicides) that Charles II rode to his coronation on Black Tom's own horse to demonstrate his respect for the general.
Overlooked now, as you say, but at the time, even after Cromwell seemingly stole the show, the dashing Thomas - more the cavalier than many who rode with the king - was paragon of officer and gentleman.
Darren Ashmore and he was a Yorkshireman 👍
I was literally just thinking about the Gorget
If we're being honest with ourselves, we're always thinking about the gorget.
I love these videos about random historical details. Hope you get more subscribers!
I can also point out that the Swedish armed forces still have "Gorgets" they are given to the officer carrying the colors (regiemental or state) sometimes call "dagsbricka" day badge in tradion is the officer in charge of the day that wears it
I've seen one of these in a Museum before, very cool to get a more in depth description, thanks brandon
This channel is what I need in these times
The whole video is very interesting Brandon. Liked it
Just a thing
1:16 the helmet on the left is quite off. It's cheap enough to reach farb status, my pro tip to include pieces of armor (in the scarce cases u do that) when you're not an expert on the matter is to rely solely on museum pieces, that way you're in no danger of incorrectly evaluating a bad replica as the proper thing.
Keep up the good content, see ya.
I don't think that it really matters since it's not the focus of the video and was only included as an example of what he was talking about when he was talking about Medieval helmets.
Its a real sallet helmet. What do you mean by its quite off? There's nothing off about it
@@edwardarkwright7116 based on a true helmet, awful reproduction.
@@Velkan1396 in what way?
I found a lovely 1796 gorget that appeared rather tatty. All it required was a clean and to my surprise retained all its gold gilt without any wear spots
Excellent video per usual! Quick question though. Were you promoted? You said that the gorget you are wearing in the video is yours. Keep the great vids coming!
Very informative video Brandon but it seems you've forgot to include their usage by horses. In fact, I've seen horses wear up to four gorgets at a time, though usually under their hooves.
The door, you know where to find it ;)
(Also, have a like)
Really interesting that the Chilean Army has a Prussian tradition. I'm glad someone keeps the pickelhaube alive :)
Petition to have Brandon livestream a reenactment where he plays a Chiliean Communist being thrown from a helicopter by Augusto Pinochet
But who will have the role of Pinochet?
@@Azdaja13 I guess I will :)
Finnish military duty officers have Gorgets of sorts. One conscript NCO rotating daily having the role has it on their neck.
Surprisingly, I couldn't find much about them except for the variety. One I had in an AA battery, was one brass piece with some decorative elements on it like black powder cannons similar to the royal crest of your Gorget. I found some pictures online of differently shaped and constructed Gorgets. Some looking quite crudely made, some with just text and symbols added to a simple curved plate as separate pieces.
The swedish army has a gorget called vaktbricka M/1799 it means guard badge model 1799. It is still used today
Finnish Defence Forces uses the gorget as a symbol for the NCO-of the day.
Thanks Brandon, another great video on quirky military equipment. And delivered in an entertaining and humorous fashion as usual. While watching this my thoughts went back to the 1980’s when I was in the army. I was in the Duke of Edinburgh’s royal regiment which was part of the prince of Wales division which also included amongst other regiments was the Royal Welsh fusiliers. I Training there were a couple of guys from that regiment. To come to the point the Royal Welsh fusiliers still wore what was called a flash on the back collar of their number two tunics. Apparently it was left over from the 1700 when men use to grease their hair and the flash was worn to keep the tunic clean. Apparently when orders came to discontinue using them, the Fusiliers didn’t receive the orders so continued to wear them even to this day...well in the 1980’s. I’m sure you are well aware of flashes but thought I’d mention it just in case. Anyway, keep up the great work
Thank you, excellent report and correct. Most do not realize the origins of this item as the last traces of armor, the armor itself actually worn by high ranking officers for dress, mostly in portraits, up into the early and even mid 18th century.
Happy 14th of July Brandon! 🇫🇷
Joyeux 14 juillet Brandon!
frogs lol
It definitely is a day!
Pretty much every video I watch I find myself concentrating on your bookcase and trying to read titles and identify items you clearly thought important enough to display. Would love to see a video explaining your choice of books and identify the, well, knick-knacks (sorry, very cavalier comment). Or - heaven forfend - is it all just purely for decorative show...?
Aside from that, am addicted. Many thanks for the channel. I look forward to devouring future content.
They make good boomerangs obviously.
Influenza when I was fighting the brits their boomerang necklaces were always the most terrifying weapon on the battlefield
@@jacksonreese17 what about their buffs from tea?
Finally, I found something that explains what the Germans were that wore them in WWII... Lol
@dimapez The German Feldgendarmerie one had a bolt or bolts embedded in it treated with luminous material, presumably so they would be visible when in the beam of vehicle headlights.
I believe the "Feldgendarmerie" inscription was also treated with luminous paint. Basically you were supposed to see these people in the dark if you were driving a vehicle.
@dimapez Its sort of hard to read them when they are in the back ground of a movie, photo etc
I can't believe that this video is under 40 minutes
Great video! Had the chance to visit the wardroom onboard a Norwegian frigate after an exercise this past year and was surprised their Officer of the Day wore a metal gorget while on duty! Jealous that we Canadians didn't keep that tradition alive
Excellent video mate. Just a heads up, we would usually refer to native Australians as Abouriginal Peoples or first nations people nowadays. Abourigine is viewed as a bit derogatory in Aus now. But very fascinating all the same. Cheers!
What’s the difference they’re all the same thing
@@jacksonreese17 Abourigine is generally viewed as a imeprialistic/colonial term in Aus. It was used by the English when they were colonising the place, and it dosen't help when you know what the english did to them. Abouriginal peoples is more of a dignifying way of calling them what. Kinda like calling African-Americans the N word, but it has its differences and isn't as derogatory...
Hoping to see you proudly wearing a full officer’s uniform at some point Brandon! I seem to remember you saying at some point you were in line for a promotion?
Question, where did you get the Gorget?
Also you forgot to link the video by Chris P about identifying ranks in the British army.
Try to search his video about how to become a reenactor, you may find something
My nephew learned what those were because Darth Maul wears one in Solo. It denotes him as the leader of Crimson Dawn. A week later it came up in his history class.
Whatnot?
Knyght Errant is the place to be for the armor stuff.
Chilean here, the military here also, believe it or not, do the goose stepping thing to this day
When I was a Schütze In the 28th jäger re-enactment group I was told that to find the MP just look for the metal feldjäger gorget
Britain, Canada, Australia and a few other countries still use a vestigial gorget. On the lapel of the higher ranking officers with various commands you can see a patch that has button and a length of gimp or possibly oak leaves. They are called "Gorget Patches" and are used to denote various levels of command. You will find them in use on military, fire, and police commanders.
I didn't expect for you to name the prussian tradition on Chile.
Nice video Brandon :)...thanks
Me before watching this video: "What the heck is a Gorget???"
Me after watching this video: "Bring Gorgets back into regular usage!"
Yay! He got a promotion!
Thanks for the information today. I've always wondered what that thing was on officer's chests.
They were symbols of authority among war chiefs for a few decades but eventually they became a trade item and by the American Revolution everyone and their uncle had one. They were also being made and modified by Natives and would feature etched animals and geometric designs, sometimes with beads, bells, holes drilled in them for hanging beads and such. Also there are some examples of two or three being worn in tandem, by themselves or attached under others. These might have been yours, plus the gorgets of others you've felled in battle. Or perhaps the guy wanted to signify that he was a super duper ultra mega uber boss.
Thanks, I may have to make one. Take care.
Well done! Excellently researched!
This topic makes me think about cuirassiers during and after the Napoleonic wars... in a lot of ways, the cuirasses and helmets (especially some of the German ones) were likewise harkening back to medieval times. Heck, the cuirassier breastplate/helmet would exist up until the First World War. For example, consider the Prussian Guarde Du Corps or the Russian Tsar guard’s helmets... I mean, those decorative eagles seem pretty heavily inspired from medieval helmet crests
Also, though its use in the military wasn't as common (at least outside of officers in dress uniform) the fashion of wearing a gorget as a symbol of nobility and civillian authority would continue well into the late 23rd century amongst the nobility of the Centauri republic, with Emperor Molari II seen in official data files wearing one well into his old age, and of course his successor Emperor Cotto as well. In fact even during the somewhat turbulent period in the 2260s during the reign of Emperor Cartagia when the large crescent shaped hairdos went out of style briefly in the imperial court, the Gorget remained.
5:42 I believe that the G and R stand for the Latin Georgium Regina as opposed to Georgius Rex
Nah, Brandon has the right of it. Regina is the feminine form of Rex, and Georgius is the correct Latinization
DMarsh1394 I was not aware, I’m not that familiar with Latin, I had just heard an offhand remark once
Fair. You probably got the Regina because it is currently in use with the Elizabeth Regina cypher today. Too many years of high school Latin
Please visit Micahistory 2, it would mean a lot!
Today on 18th Century Military Bling, we have your host Brandon F.
Gouget how one British officer in the Napoleonic wars distinguishes himself from the ranks.
Did continental army officers wear gorgets? And if they did would they be private purchase and what kind of symbol would even be on the gorget? I’ve looked everywhere online and I can’t find no information.
i never even heard of this before
As someone who regularly wears a gorget in fencing, while just a simple padded thing worn under the jacket and mask and not these shiny pieces of jewelry, when I see these 18th cen and those German or Chilian military ones it makes me laugh at how they went from actually protective equipment to that.
a true vestige of the days of plate armour
Gorgets can also wrap up and around the chin. This is required for helmets like the sallet, I believe.
That would be a bevor instead, rather than a gorget
The Wehrmacht FeldGendarmerie wore a wide Gorget as a Badge of Service up to 1945...I don't know if the Bundesheer still wears it, the DDR NVA certainly used it.
interesting. one of those things I see but never give a second thought to.
In germany, gorgets are presently worn by some marksman Club officials, particularly often by the Fähnrich (Ensign, As in appointed Standard or Colour bearer) depending on local Habit - nearly every village has it's own Club, based on historical militias or sometimes rather the appointed officials that were to Supervise Mandatory Reserve firearms training, and the Clubs, in my area mostly after the war, independently adopted uniforms based on historical hunters wear and military uniforms, and as such, some uniform components that have fallen into disuse even before the current Trend of "modernizing" and civilianizing all the non-military "Service wear" and even before the first World war, such as hussars caps, are still used by such Clubs. I personally wear a black waistcoat, which has been adopted around the 80s to replace the Frock coat and make the uniform more affordable for younger members, as i am captain of a sub Formation of "Bachelor-Marksmen" in my local club. It goes with a green-white shoulder sash, a folding top hat and a sword, at the time a US Navy sword graciously Donated in the late 80s. I also, after reopening the Formation in 2020 after 15 years of only old members, introduced a Black Sam browne, which at first i feared would be looked upon critically, considering the Black uniform, but it has been picked up well as it's a delightful way to carry a weapon on parade. The Schützen Tradition is in a bad place in terms of memberships though, and i Encourage every german here to Support their local Club, if they are historically interested, because many Times you will be able to do some hands-on Research Considering the half millenium of history some Clubs have. You would usually have yearly shooting Events that would determin a King of Marksmen, who would get to wear a Chain of Office and add a Plaque with name and year of Office. Our Oldest Chain is not that of the King, but of another Honour, and it has Plaques hand engraved in the mid 1800s, and we are one of the younger Clubs here. I see i have derived, but if you are still reading and by Chance german, please Look into it. I don't even shoot, and i'm still really invested.
Most people: Officers can suck
Brandon F.: British officers are great, brilliant, and noble
I love these little bits of stuff kinds of videos.
The earliest know portrait of President Washington shows him in military uniform wearing a gorget.
Looking at one. Didn't know exactly what it was for. Mostly decoration in ww2 .
how fabulous! your gorget is...gorgeous 🙂
Never quite understood why the British went for such a tiny ornamental one while the French still had gorgets you could actually wear on your neck and probably actually offered some protection....
Also the gorget pretty much got ruined for continental armies, like so many things, by the Germans you know when.
that just looks very uncomfortable
If you like to watch medieval stuff you should watch Skallagrim, Lindybeige, Metatron, Scholargladiatoria or Shadiversity.
Very nice thumbnail Brandon, the Gorget look's very nice.
Thank you! Honestly the photo makes it look better than it really is!
Im a bit late to the party but as aomeone already pointed out we swedes still have it in use. It basicly shows whos in charge, for example the commanding officer who checks over the changing of the guard at the palace will have one on. Here is a picture!
Sidenote, Sweden also took a lot from the prussians and still use a lot of it , uniforms etc. We still use them as a standard, "It shall be prussian." is a very usual saying.
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/Dagbricka_m1799_officer.jpg
Where did you get the gorget your wearing in the video friend?
The Gorget is a badge of Military Warrant. Whether that is a Warrant of Command, or a Warrant to Enforce the Law.
A Policing Warrant to enforce Military Law would allow a Military Policeman (despite their rank) the right to supersede the orders of an Officer that is breaking Military Law.
A Gorget would be an easy way for an MP to show that they have that right.
Well, all I can say is: “God Save the King!”
Used as a badge of office for tribal chiefs in Rhodesia thru the 1970s.
i really like this ep because i never new what it was
i think this is pretty neat.
As well as the Chilean army using them, they are used by the Swedish Life guard dragoon’s by officers. They also subscribe to the Prussian style of uniforms with Pickelhauben and the like just in proper Swedish colours!
Maybe this is farb, but shouldn't it be suspended a bit higher on the chest?
what a silly name Brandon
GROND
In germany know as kettenhund, chainded dog
Nice love your videos and this looks to be very informative, and I do speak French
Thanks!
The Norwegian army uses it to denote the person fulfilling a certain guard post. I don't remember the details.
Finnish army still uses gorgets to show the person in position of duty officer (päivystäjä)
I have a question. If we talk about early 18th Century, didn’t the Prussian cuirassiers and polish winged hussars still wear plate armor? I ask because I’m pretty sure I’ve seen paintings of them during the Spanish War of Succession. Would in that case the Gorget still be used as a piece of armor? Could other models from 1700-1720 still have a protective function?
am no experts but I believe as the heavy horse or light horse regiments the armour was worn to protect them I’m guessing the hussars wore more plate armour coz they would probably soak up a few more bullets due to all the equipment they carried slowing their charge
Lindybeige would love his scholars cradle
Lindybeige!!
Thats a lovely piece of french jewelry. But im more interested in where i can get a shirt like that. Also does this mean you’re now in officer in the 54th?
Very interesting look at a piece that seems rather pointless at first glance but makes sense in a historical way. By the way, anyone who may be interested in knightly armour should check out a channel known as Knyght Errant here on youtube. He has the best channel about armour I've ever seen.
A ten minute history lesson on a tiny piece of metal. That's what the internet was made for.