I need information about viking helmets. -- myArmoury.com

John Longmile

I need information about viking helmets especially about Valsgarde 8 helm. Please.

Dan Dickinson · Industry Professional

The best book I could recommend would be The Anglian Helmet from Coppergate by Dominic Tweddle, which covers many aspects of early medieval helmets, including the one you're after. It's hard to find in the states, but can be obtained through Inter-Library loan, especially if you're around a major university.
Hope this helps,
Dan

Felix Kunze · Posted: Sun 29 Jul, 2007 1:10 pm Post subject:

Hi John,
several years ago I tried to make a copy of this helmet too, but my experience was not high enough back then.
I therefor made some sketches as copies from the publication of Valsgaerde 8 by G. Arwiddson. The comments are in German, but I think you can find and understand some of the measurements without speaking German. I hope this is what you are looking for and the quality is good enough for your purpose.

Martin Wallgren

Chuck Russell · Posted: Sun 29 Jul, 2007 4:52 pm Post subject:

ironage would be a far stretch i do believe for this time frame would it not? a vendel or migration era would better suit the name.

i am looking for the link for Halvgrimr's helmet page. i think he may have taken it down. it had just about every known vendal thru post viking helmet listed. hmmm i cant seem to find it. i will keep an eye out for you.

Mikael Ranelius · Posted: Mon 30 Jul, 2007 1:07 am Post subject:

Like Martin said the helmets found in the boat-graves predates the vikings, with at least a century. In fact they might have been old-fashioned already when they were put in the graves, and in any case helms of such construction would have fell out of use by the time of the vikings in the 8th century. The Gjermunbu find has many similirarities with the earlier Vendel-Valsgärde finds, but that helmet might also have been 'ancient' when buried

Martin Wallgren · Posted: Mon 30 Jul, 2007 5:00 am Post subject:

Chuck Russell · Posted: Mon 30 Jul, 2007 3:03 pm Post subject:

Robert Rootslane · Posted: Mon 06 Aug, 2007 4:21 am Post subject:

Ok i didnt want to make new topic because of it but i have a qestion about vendel 12 helmet.
Did it have a neck protection area of camail or something else Question

Chuck Russell · Posted: Mon 06 Aug, 2007 4:39 am Post subject:

Robert Rootslane · Posted: Mon 06 Aug, 2007 5:12 am Post subject:

i have seen those pictures before...
Still those give me no information about the neck area Eek!

Grzegorz Kulig · Industry Professional

No mail has been found with this helmet. However - it could have it. Below th banding there is wraped steel with wire inside. Probably it was made for suspending some mail.

I've reconstructed it this way (picture is big, but thanks to that you can see what I mean)

David Huggins · Posted: Mon 06 Aug, 2007 9:08 am Post subject:

Hi John,

This might not be of help, but I have a copy of the Coppergate Helmet book at home, I'm offshore at the moment but i'll check it out for you on my return home. By the way the book was published with detailed breakdown 1/1 plans of the Coppergate helmet construction, if anyone was seriously interested I might be able to copy the plan and forward them on .Tim Noyes of Heron Armoury has just completed a very nice Vendel helm, check out the photograph on his website.

Tweedle and Siddorn both argue for a continuation of in the use of crested helms exceeding the Vendel Period.