Crowned Helmet -- myArmoury.com

Dave Stephan · Posted: Sun 15 Apr, 2012 3:39 pm Post subject: Crowned Helmet

Damn 2 threads in one day is a record for me.

I was just wondering if anyone had sources related to crowned helmets. In various movies we see helmets with crowns riveted on, but is this accurate? Did monarchs wear helmets like this or is it a movie thing?

There's a picture on wikipedia of a great helm with a crown (looks like steel) on it. I don't know if that's a replica or an artifact though.

Thanks bros/broettes.

Daniel Staberg · Posted: Sun 15 Apr, 2012 4:39 pm Post subject:

Some Kings certainly used a crowned helmet in battle, Henry V had his crown damaged at Azincourt IIRC while Richard III lost his at Bosworth. Others did not wear a distinctive crown examples of this are the French kings on campaign in Italy in the 16th Century as well as Emperor Charles V in in his German campaigns.

Here is an helmet with an integrated crown of gilded steel made in 1540 for King Gustav I of Sweden
http://emuseumplus.lsh.se/eMuseumPlus?service...detailView

Dave Stephan · Posted: Sun 15 Apr, 2012 5:51 pm Post subject:

Great reply Dan, thanks man!

I can think of atleast three movies featuring crowned hemets. Holy grail of course, Kingdom of Heaven (Richard) and Robin Hood 2010 (Richard again). The latter two are a distinctive bascinet shaped helmet, but without the visor. As for Holy Grail, could anybody tell me what those are called? They're a type of helmet which often had a faceguard on it, the early Norman great helms if I remember correctly.

If anybody else has sources, pictures or illuminations of crowned helmets I'd be interested in seeing them. I'm curious as to how far back they go now, if it was a renaissance period feature or if early to high medieval kings wore such items.

I recall that a certain illumination had a crowned great helm in it, but I don't know where I saw it.

Chad Arnow · myArmoury Team

From our Spotlight Article on the Bascinet:

Note the rust pattern where a crown is supposed to have been.

Dave Stephan · Posted: Sun 15 Apr, 2012 6:03 pm Post subject:

I didn't even see these. I should've looked in the most obvious place, myArmoury! Razz

So this means that perhaps those crowned bascinets in movies are more researched than I might of imagined. I know that some great helms had a similar feature, I distinctively remember seeing an illumination with such a thing. If only I could find it.

I wonder if perhaps King Arthur's helmet is based off something real. There are various helmets like this:
http://www.armae.com/Photos/Casques/Moyen-age/121PSHL253.jpg

Thanks for those awesome finds Chad! Big Grin

Iagoba Ferreira · Posted: Mon 16 Apr, 2012 6:50 am Post subject:

There is one rather crushed piece of this kind in the Louvre...

http://www.louvre.fr/en/oeuvre-notices/gilded...charles-vi

Featured in "Museum Secrets":

http://museumsecrets.tv/dossier.php?o=78

Robert S. Haile · Posted: Sat 28 Apr, 2012 9:53 am Post subject:

It may be of use to remember that crowns and coronets were not restricted to kings before the 16th century, if I recall correctly. So it may not be out of the ordinary to find these crown or coronet-like adornments on helms, especially bascinets, of any persons of higher rankings...From Knight Bachelor and Banneret, to Duke, to King. If you look at effigies from the late 14th and early 15th century you can find many types of elaborate decorations on bascinets.

Reginald De Cobham c. 1403 with a coronet-like bascinet adornment.