Pictures of extant normal/nasal helmets -- myArmoury.com

Sander Marechal

Hi,

I'm looking for pictures of extant normal / nasal helms. Preferably western europe, 11th-13th century but please contribute of you have pictures of other helmets as well. Let's make a nice collection Happy

I know of this one in the Kunsthostorisches Museum in Vienna (image courtesy of Wikipedia):

That's the only image I have so far.

I'm looking into this because I'm searching for a suitable helmet design that will work for The Battle of Hastings as well as the mid-13th century. Now that I have ordered a maille coif, it's time I started shopping for a helmet Happy

Jamie Szudy · Posted: Tue 17 May, 2011 2:04 am Post subject:

There's the conical helmet attributed to St. Wenceslas, though it is eastern European.

Photobucket image

Sander Marechal · Posted: Tue 17 May, 2011 12:22 pm Post subject:

Thanks! I have seen many replicas of that helmet but this is the first time I have seen the original. Good to know it's probably eastern European. I didn't know that. It's also good to know that this is apparently the brim of one helm put on another and then used as a relic (e.g. not something you'd find on the battlefield?)

In the mean time, Flickr was able to provide me with a view from the back of the helmet in my original post (link):

Robert Rootslane · Posted: Tue 17 May, 2011 1:15 pm Post subject:

a bit offtopic perhaps but concerns helmets nontheless.
I have recently heard that in addition to the gjermundbu helmet theare has been a few other finds, about the "visor" part of helmets from that time.

One i heard was from Tyle, denmark, and another from gotland.

Google wasnt very helpful. Does anyone have any pictures?

Vaclav Homan · Posted: Wed 18 May, 2011 12:25 am Post subject:

On this web are helmets 10-12 century western slavonic area
http://www.curiavitkov.cz/valka21.html

Craig Peters · Posted: Wed 18 May, 2011 10:48 am Post subject:

Another excellent webpage for nasal helms: http://www.reenactment.de/reenactment_start/r...guide.html

Sander Marechal · Posted: Wed 18 May, 2011 2:31 pm Post subject:

Thanks all. These are good articles. I already discovered some more interesting tidbits (long live Google Translate). For example, that many nasals seem to have hooks. Even on helmets that don't have them (like the one I posted) have evidence suggesting that it did once have a hook but broke off. These hooks at the end of your nasal would be to hang your maille from I guess.

J. Kari · Posted: Mon 30 May, 2011 12:53 pm Post subject:

Sander Marechal · Posted: Tue 07 Jun, 2011 9:37 pm Post subject:

I see that quite a few extant nasal helmets have a little hook on the end of the nasal (or, evidence that there once was a little hook). I presume that this was to attach a ventail to? I was wondering if this is an eastern European thing or if this was found in the west as well. Also, I was wondering if there was any extant artwork showing people wearing such helmets.

E. Storesund · Posted: Wed 08 Jun, 2011 10:47 am Post subject:

Paulius B. Voss · Posted: Wed 02 Nov, 2011 1:54 pm Post subject:

Gregory J. Liebau · Posted: Wed 02 Nov, 2011 7:59 pm Post subject:

Here's one that's housed in the Nederlands Legermuseum. It's providence is Hainburg, Lower Austria. 10th-11th century, I'd say. Very typical style. Cheers!

-Gregory

Paulius B. Voss · Posted: Thu 03 Nov, 2011 12:22 am Post subject:

Another one helmet, which can be dated to the 12th century, was found near Slonim (Belarus). Attributed to Lithuanians.
Here is an article about this helmet (sadly, in Russian) - http://xxx.xxx/2010/12/08/slonimskiy-...denie.html

Sam Gordon Campbell · Posted: Thu 03 Nov, 2011 6:16 am Post subject:

I must confess that I'm rather fond of a nasal-helm that I've seen a few pictures of. It's main feature being that it appears to be made out of four plates riveted directly to one another (so not really a spangenhelm I guess).
And that Swordmasters site seems pretty legit, and once one figures out how to navigate it, it offers some pretty cool pictures and sources that I don't believe I've ever seen before.

Jonathan Blair · Posted: Sun 25 Nov, 2012 3:31 pm Post subject:

To resurrect an old thread, how much evidence is there for painting or bluing nasal helmets as a preservation method or for decoration?

Mart Shearer · Posted: Sun 25 Nov, 2012 7:51 pm Post subject:

In the late 12th century, Bertran de Born is singing of "helms of color".
http://colecizj.easyvserver.com/povb4038.htm
Massas e brans, elms de color
E scutz trauchar e desgarnir...

This was before enclosed helms, though there were some early masks or T-nasals by then. Some of these late-12th century helms are more hemisperical than conical, but some have nasals. Red and green are the most common colors in manuscripts when a neutral or non-steel color is obvious. Some early heraldic markings are seen on late-12th century helms--crosses, fleurs, bends, frets, etc.--which seem to have been applied by paint.

Kai Lawson · Posted: Mon 26 Nov, 2012 1:42 pm Post subject:

Can someone post some of the evidence for the hooks on the nasals? I am having some trouble finding solid references to this being a widespread practice.

Scott Woodruff · Posted: Mon 26 Nov, 2012 2:18 pm Post subject:

Have you seen this? http://www.reenactment.de/reenactment_start/r...guide.html

Kai Lawson · Posted: Mon 26 Nov, 2012 6:08 pm Post subject:

Thanks! This helps, and the pictures are fairly clear. I think it's interesting to note to seemingly hook-less nature of many helmets in drawings and statues. Is it possible that the hooks were removable, or that there may have been helms made with lacing holes in the nasal, which may or may not be later depicted?