Why was Henry VIII's groin area in his armor so large and extended? Was this common in those times?

Why was Henry VIII's groin area in his armor so large and extended? Was this common in those times?

The codpiece came about because medieval men wore hose – essentially, very long socks – beneath their doublets, and nothing else in the way of underwear. It was originally a small, triangular piece of cloth that covered the genitalia. The word “cod” is Middle English for both ‘bag’ and ‘scrotum’.

The codpiece slowly evolved into a fashion statement, reaching its height in the mid 16th century. It became bigger and much more decorative as time went by. Codpieces also functioned as a useful little purse for storing precious items like coins, or jewels.

Fashionable men, led by Henry VIII, padded their codpieces to enormous sizes and decorated them with jewels. Daggers and sword belts were positioned to point at the codpiece. The codpiece glorified the phallus.

The codpiece in suits of armor was driven purely by fashion, not protection. Also, by the year 1600 they were out of fashion and completely disappeared from clothing and armor. Although none of Henry’s fabric codpieces remain, we do have his armor.

And of course this painting:

This painting, by Hans Holbein the Younger, is the image most people have in mind when thinking of Henry VIII.

The painting projects a sense of great majesty. Henry is shown as being in the prime of his life. His face is that of a young man. His shoulders and upper body have been padded out, narrowing at the waist to form a perfect V, with the huge codpiece beneath. Our eyes are drawn to this magnificent codpiece. It is symbolic of power, virility, and sexual prowess.

Henry was not alone in his use of a codpiece to exaggerate the size of his penis. There are figurines from Ancient Greece that show men wearing codpieces. Codpieces have been worn by rock stars, such as the heavy metal band Kiss. They’re worn by Darth Vader and the Storm Troopers in the Star Wars movies. They were worn by Batman and Robin in the eponymous movie. Codpieces even showed up on the high fashion runway of John Paul Gaultier.

The popularity of the codpiece may wane or go underground, but they have never really gone away. A comparison could be made between the codpiece and the padded bra; both promising more than there actually is. Although the codpiece is not as widely accepted, you can still buy one on Amazon!