
A history of the codpiece, the personal protection for Renaissance equipment - benbreen
https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/a-brief-history-of-the-codpiece-the-personal-protection-for-renaissance-equipment
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w0mbat
The author seems not to know what a codpiece is, as if he thinks it's an
unneeded extra garment men wore on top to draw attention to their genitals.

Mens' trousers in those days were two separate garments: a left leg and a
right leg. It's why we still say "a pair of trousers". You needed a codpiece
to cover the gap in the middle, and it would also help hold your trousers up.

Peasants didn't need to bother with all this stuff as they could not afford
trousers and would just wear a dirty tunic like a sack.

Then someone invented modern trousers that are one garment and the codpiece
was not needed any more.

~~~
Non24Throw
It’s amazing to me how different the reality of that era is from depictions of
it in entertainment.

For example, I recently read that wars during that time were fought mostly by
peasant hordes, and they didn’t have the resources to train and equip them, so
mostly they all just beat each other to death with wooden clubs or whatever
blunt object happened to be available.

Thousands of starving and diseased peasants covered in dirt and potato sacks
clubbing each other to death with sticks isn’t exactly the story we want to
see or read about, though.

We want skillful knights with swords, archers and trebuchets, chainmail and
plate helmets, etc. But most of the violence was peasants, and most of the
wars were won by peasants.

And somewhat ironically, a lot of the shiny equipment and weaponry we love
served its most significant role in allowing the ruling class to subjugate
their peasant hordes into fighting those wars for them (knowing that an even
worse fate awaits them back at home if they refuse to fight)...

Peasants were then mostly written out of history, one common exception being
peasant revolts, presumably because stories of revolt are more sympathetic to
the ruling class than stories about peasants winning all of their wars for
them...

I’m writing this because I think it’s interesting, but also because you seem
like you might know whether it’s true or not haha. Do you think what I read is
mostly true, or is it more theory/fantasy?

~~~
donavanm
I would suggest looking in to the origins of the “company” for
professionalization of the military in the renaissance. Before that it depends
on where you were, but lords were generally responsible for raising and arming
vassals for the kingdoms campaigns. The level of equipment and training
varies, but there are interesting examples like english yeomanry.

Re peasant revolts these were almost never popular class uprising AFAICT. It
looked a lot more like a commoner or minor noble taking on a warlord position
against the local rulers. Think of afghanistan or parts of NE africa for
equivalants.

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h2odragon
I keep advocating for the widespread adoption of the Koteka:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koteka](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koteka) ;
but the possibilities for personal expression don't seem to catch the
enthusiasm of others the same way. Goofy Neckties were a brief fad; whereas
these could bring joy to the whole world.

~~~
aklemm
I'm a little worried about the guy's scrotum in the pic at that page.

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rsynnott
Hmm, from this I've learned that Blackadder is historically inaccurate (who'd
have guessed?); the first series, set in the late 15th century, features a
ridiculously embellished codpiece, but according to the article that's
probably a bit too early.

~~~
stevekemp
I can never forget that one of Baldrick's uncles was a stunt-codpiece:

[https://www.quotes.net/mquote/687873](https://www.quotes.net/mquote/687873)

~~~
KineticLensman
> Blackadder: Did he have a large part?

> Baldrick: Depends who was playing Macbeth.

This sort of made up for the Crew Dragon launch being scrubbed.

