![]() ![]() The typical visor was conical-shaped to accommodate the face and provide a glancing surface for a sword strike and pivoted on each side to move up and down. A sliding plate visor for vision and air was used on some helmets. The open-faced, ridged bascinet provided the foundation of such designs starting in the 14th century. These helmets ran the gamut from the woefully inefficient flat-top, barrel helm associated with the Crusades, with cross-shaped eye and mouth openings, to the more practical and closer fitting conical “sugarloaf” helmet.įull helmets lightened up even more with the evolution of a visor to provide more air and less heat. A full helmet evolved that integrated a complete faceguard plate and became known as the medieval “helm” of the 12th century. Thereafter, the conical helmet became more elongated, with a pronounced nasal guard and often a neck guard that was typical in Norman helmets. This was the simple addition of a reinforced brow or eye-protecting goggles to the spangenhelm, protecting the upper face but also rendering an intimidating look best seen in the Viking goggle helmet (c. One feature was the eyeglass look known throughout northern Europe. ![]() This became the spangenhelm that by the 7th century had mask-like additions used as funerary accoutrements, a fine example being the Anglo-Saxon burial helmet for Raelwald, king of East Anglia. The basic Roman helmet prevalent in the 4th through 5th centuries was handed down to the barbarian peoples as a short conical skull with cheek pieces, sometimes with an extended neck guard and nasal piece. The Roman open-face helmet added cheek pieces rather than the extra weight of a one-helmet design. The Romans, also noted mask makers, were more practical, keeping their combat helmets open-faced. Reproduction of an Anglo-Saxon spangenhelm, circa ad 625. The design feature of eye holes rather than a simple opening provided an additional intimidating feature, lending a ghostly element to their appearance. The Hoplite and Corinthian helmets were basically open-faced, with a narrow vertical and eye-shaped opening. The Greeks, famous for their theater masks, developed several bronze helmet styles extending in the back to protect the neck. The progression of metal helmets reflected these features, with Greek and Roman styles passed on to western nations. From Egypt to Mexico, masks and helmets were used as funerary adornments to honor the dead and deter would-be grave robbers with their fearsome appearance. Battle helmets shaped to partially cover the face and adorned with various facial features are of ancient origin. ![]()
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