Chainmail or Chaimaille

The origins of the chainmail technique are uncertain and quite mysterious. Some scholars believe that the Sumerians developed the first armors using this technique in the city of Mari. Also, the term chainmail is still debated among scholars and craftspeople who make this technique a living piece of art and history.

Let’s start with the possible origin of the name - according to the etymological sources mail or maille comes from the Latin word macula. Macula means hole or spot pointing to the nature of the piece that is made of interlinked metal rings or links. The armor structure, a strong metal mesh, allowed warriors to have flexibility on battlefields and, simultaneously, breathable. 

Throughout history, many derivations have been used to refer to this technique-  chainmaille, chain maille, maille, chainmail, chain mail, chainmaile, chain maile, and maile

Nowadays, the term chaimaille to refer to this technique has gained a new status in the jewelry industry by the holders of the millenary art.  The jewelers took this technique from the battlefield to create unique and exquisite pieces with precious metals like gold, silver, and platinum. In general, Chainmaille, the French derivation, is used for small and expensive jewelry like bracelets, earrings, and necklaces.

On the other hand, Chainmail is still used for those craftspeople who still wave clothes for the fashion industry. 

The war now lies in the hands of the crafters and jewelers, who create new and fabulous pieces to adorn the bodies of celebrities and other bold people who fell in love with the historical art pieces. 

Besides English and French, we also can find the names of this technique in different languages-  Kettenhemdtechnik (German), Catena di maglia (Italian), Cota de malla (Spanish), Cadeia de malha (Portuguese), Kettingmailtechniek (Dutch), Catena di maglia (Latin), Verigetehnika (Estonian), Ketjuhaarniskatekniikka (Finnish) and Kettenposttechnik (Swedish). These people represent the old warriors and today the trendiest countries of the world.