An uncomfortable garment worn as a form of
penance. Made from
goat or
horse hair, it came in two varieties; said shirt or a
loin girdle. The
penitent would wear one underneath his or her clothes and continue
normal every-day life. As normal as one could handle, anyway.
Lancelot was thought to have worn one under his armour to try and get over Guinevere. I guess the itching and scratching was all for nothing.