Valentine Armouries just put up some new pictures of some really sweet looking Viking helmets.

http://www.varmouries.com/vcat_02.html

[ Linked Image ]

Are they based on their work for the film Beowulf and Grendel?


Paul

There are a lot of inaccuracies in these helmets if extant research on viking age helmets is used as a basis for critique.

On the other hand, I do think they capture the spirit of the migration/viking periods pretty well. I do like them for their own sake, but not as historical repros.

I agree with Patrick. They do look splendid, from a purely speculative point of view! Would I buy one? No, I'd get an equally splendid piece that I could use for living history reenactment! Hahah.

But, for anyone wanting to go do the Beowulf thing, or just look neato, I think those helmets are probably some of the most appropriate items for gettin' that done around here! I know Valentine has a good reputation, from what I've heard, so, seems like they will probably look as decent as the pictures do!

Cheers!

-Gregory-

Hi Bill,
Unfortunately for us the Vikings weren't careless enough to leave many helmets lying around for us to find. There is only one that can really be called a Viking helmet and that was found at a chieftain's farm in Norway at a place called Gjermundbu. You can see it here: http://www.medsca.org/gjerm_helmet.html

There are pictures and objects from the Viking period which seem to show helmets being worn -- most, but not all, of these are not too detailed but look like Spangenhelms.

There are quite a few helmets from the 6th and 7th centuries which do exist. This is a pre-Viking period often called the Vendel period after a grave site in Sweden. The most famous of these helmets are from Vendel itself and a fairly close by site called Valsgärde. There is also a very nice helmet from Ultuna and many fragments of helmets have been found on the island of Gotland. The most famous of all this type of helmet is the one found in England, at Sutton Hoo, although there are indications that there may have been others in other parts of England.

None of these helmets are spangenhelms, (which is what the Valentine Armouries site calls them) some of them are very complex in their structure. To get an idea have a look at this site: http://www.missouri.edu/~rls555/SCA/research/helms/helms.htm

Havlgrimr has done a very good job of showing how they were made.

None of these helmets are Viking although there are many people who would like to think that they were.

Here is a site where you can see some re-enactors who know the difference between the Vendel and Viking periods:

http://www.barbarian-artwork.de.vu/

Have fun and I hope that this helps,


Paul

Thanks guys!