What is bulat armor: definition

Fairy tales are an integral part of the history of mankind. It's not just funny stories for young children, it's also a lot of wise thoughts, ideas and morals. Russian folk tales often speak of brave and brave heroes and noble knights. As a rule, their strength of mind was reinforced by special types of weapons and protection. What is bulat armor? Why armor, swords, shields were made of this metal? Perhaps the production of this solid steel was associated with a huge mystery, in which only the selected masters of blacksmithing were devoted. Was this knowledge a gift of the gods or even extraterrestrial civilizations?

The meaning and definition of the term "armor"

What is bulat armor? The explanatory dictionary of T. Efremova contains the following definition: this equipment is made of metal in the form of armor, which serve to protect the body of a warrior. The explanatory dictionary of SI Ozhegova and N. Yu. Shvedova defines this ancient expression as the metal clothing of a warrior, which protects the trunk. What is bulat armor? The dictionary of interpretations by VI Dal describes it as a military armor worn in the old days, which was worn over the main garment. The armor consisted of metal plates or rings. Common synonyms are the words "armor" and "chain mail".

Legendary molded damask steel

What is bulat armor and why the material from which it was made, is still associated with a large number of legends and mysterious myths? Bulat - a metal that was obtained as a result of chemical reactions when mixing ordinary iron and carbon. As is known, these two substances have different homogeneity, so the material at the outlet has a characteristic patterned pattern. In order to produce bulat, it is necessary to melt the metal, which will eventually give the product increased hardness and flexibility.

Damascus forging

What is bulat armor? This is metal clothing, the manufacture of material for which is an incredibly time-consuming affair. Before starting this activity, you need a future sword or armor, as it should be annealed, otherwise there may be cracks that can spoil all the work done. The metal is annealed for a long time (hour or more) at a high temperature up to 1000 ° C. If this temperature level is exceeded, the ingot may lose its unique pattern, which will indicate the unprofessionalism of the master. After the annealing procedure, the material should be cooled to approximately 15-20 degrees, and only then proceed to forging.

The most important qualitative characteristics of bulat metal is obtained during forging, and the more time this process takes, the better. Despite the fact that modern alloys have much better properties than bulat, it was once the pinnacle of art in the production of excellent steel, and now it is possible to find skilful blacksmiths who will be able to manufacture and process the damask masterpiece.

Bulat armor from a fairy tale

What is bulat armor? The explanatory dictionary gives such definition: the protective adaptation from high-strength metal which put on over clothes, covering vital parts of a body during fight. Bulat armor was especially valued in the old days and was an indispensable attribute of folk heroes in the form of chain mail. Famous epic heroes of folk tales - Alyosha Popovich, Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya Nikitich, as well as kings-heroes Arthur and Svyatogor performed numerous feats with the help of bulat weapons. What is bulat armor? Encyclopedia describes this material as reinforced steel with more durable characteristics. Thanks to the armor and weapons made of it, the warriors and knights were almost invincible.

Legend of the past

What is bulat armor? One of the sources of the appearance on the Earth of mysterious hardened steel, which has amazing flexibility and does not break or crack, is, according to the hypothesis, the meteor shower that took place in 1421 . As the legend says, the progenitor of damask steel was a huge meteorite that had fallen in the vicinity of the Russian city of Yaroslavl . This iron block was a real gift from above, only selected masters of blacksmithing could access it. Naturally, not every warrior could afford to own such a weapon. Armor and a sword of damask steel could only be distinguished brave warriors. However, all good things ever come to an end, and so it happened to the precious reserves of celestial metal, eventually they dried up, despite the economics and frugality of the masters. What is bulat armor? Since then, she was already considered a legend from the distant past, where she was defeated in battle and performed numerous feats.

These stories about the fairy metal passed down from generation to generation, gradually building up with new and new details. Steel swords sang in songs, fairy tales. Shining with bullet armor, the soldiers defeated the enemy of the accursed. The son of a peasant Ivanushka blows his brazen-faced head to a terrible monster named Miracle-Yudo. Searching for the wicked witch, the hero Velimir in the fairy tale "The Mistress of the Magic Forest" cuts her way in prickly thickets with a blade of bulat. And there are a lot of such mentions. Even in modern literature, you can find similar statements about heavy armor and cold weapons.

What in the damask steel is so special?

If the blade was forged out of simple iron, then it usually did not last long. Such products could easily be broken or bent after a few strong strokes. Compared with them, the weapons made of bulat possessed a much greater strength and durability. Such a sword could easily shatter a metal shield or iron armor of the enemy. The striking fact is that, despite incredible strength and hardness, damask steel was surprisingly flexible. It could be bent at an angle of up to 120 °, while the product will not break and easily return its original shape. Ordinary iron blades quickly dulled and broke, and bullet steel weapons were always sharp as a razor, and served as faith and truth for decades. There were times when for a product from the legendary metal they offered as much gold as the weight of the weapon. As a rule, this weight was far from small.

Indian analog of damask steel

Over time, skilled Indian craftsmen managed to create reinforced steel in an artificial manner. Later, all the details of production became known to Iranian and Asian blacksmiths. The records of Al Biruni, the famous scientist from Persia, are preserved, that the strongest metal is formed if you melt the 2 ingredients and do not mix them up to complete homogeneity. The products receive a unique pattern and different shades, for which they are highly appreciated by specialists. The unique pattern is a consequence of the process of carbon crystallization. This is a kind of sign of the quality of this kind of things.

Solid Damascene Steel

For the manufacture of blades in the Middle East imported damask steel from South India. Such blades were famous for their strength and resistance to shattering. The original way to get Damascus steel is not known, and its name was given in honor of the Syrian capital - Damascus. Modern attempts to reproduce the metal were not entirely successful due to differences in raw materials and production technology. Reputation and the history of Damascus steel have spawned many legends, such as the ability to cut hair falling across the blade. Despite the fact that certain types of modern steel are superior to these swords, their production process is quite progressive for their time.

Craftsmen from Damascus

What is the damask armor for a horse or for a warrior, was best known in the Syrian capital, Damascus. Metallic ingots of round shape were delivered from India, after which the forge craftsmen created real miracles with this steel. To have products from Damascus bulat steel was considered a sign of good taste. Blacksmiths-blacksmiths have perfected their skills so much, using a variety of options for assembling various types of metal, that damask steel has become an incredibly valuable asset. A sad fate befell the skillful masters from Syria after the conquest of the country by the great khan-conqueror named Tamerlane. The involuntary smiths no longer wanted to work as inspired as before. Their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren parted company, and the secrets of Damascus steel production were finally erased from the memory of generations.

Thanks to the development of trade relations, the strongest alloys have become appreciated all over the world. What is bulat armor? The definition could also be given by Japanese craftsmen. This is evidenced by the sword of bulat steel found during archaeological excavations, which, according to rough estimates, was created in the XII century. When conducting chemical analyzes, molybdenum was found in the alloy, which in nature can occur only in iron ore. Unlikely is the fact that the masters of that time had information about this kind of refractory metal, which greatly increases the strength of the product. This can be a simple lucky accident. At present, thanks to new production technologies, steel in many respects exceeds the legendary damask steel, one of the most durable metals for creating armor and cold steel of the past.