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'At the bottom of the south-west part of the deposit was a scattered mass of pieces of rusted iron which were the remains of a coat of mail. Its condition was interesting evidence of the state of the deposit as a whole at the time of the fall of the roof. It has already been stated that there is reason to believe that the burial chamber held up a long time after the completion of the barrow. It is unlikely that chain armour would have reached a glassy condition in which it readily broke into many pieces without the lapse of many years.(Phillips' in Bruce-Mitford 1978 :232)
The mailcoat was found lying underneath the Anastasius dish, possibly on a linen cloth on the floor of the chamber. The upper surface indicated the presence of a variety of oxidised textiles. There was also evidence of a leather article, thought to have been a bag, unconnected with the mailcoat.
Although the corroded condition of the mailcoat makes precise identification difficult, the quantity of interlocking mail links suggest that it may have been a full-sized coat or knee- length shirt. Certainly there is more than would be required for a smaller garment or neckguard similar to those used in Scandinavian helmets.
The mailcoat had been folded a number of times and no finished edge was visible. This fact further added to the indeterminate nature of the garment. No buckles or other metal fittings to suggest a belt could be detected under radiographic analysis. Radiography did reveal, however, that the mail was manufactured from alternate rows of welded or forged links and of riveted links, contrary to an early assertion that the links were merely butted together and of inferior manufacture(Bruce-Mitford 1978:232- 240).
Beowulf. Although the poetic
descriptions are general, expressions such as 'befongen freawrasnum'
(encircled with
lordly chains - line 1041, with reference to a helmet), and references
to the 'tangled war-
net' (line552), 'armour of net-like cunning linked by the smith' (lines
405-6), and 'the
riveted shirt of mail' (line 1505), are sufficient to indicate the use of
mail in Scandinavian
aristocracy.
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