It is well to know that it is quite rare for chin straps to survive on medieval helmets of any kind. There must be thousands of surviving morions, but very few still have their chin straps, although they are well attested in contemporary iconography. ... Note how the straps widen to where they attach to the helmet.

How did medieval helmets stay on?

To keep the helmet secured in the head there was a leather chinstrap. The knights didn't just wear these things on their heads. Underneath they wore extra protection made out of cloth and fiber padding.

Did Roman helmets have chin straps?

Initially, the Romans used Gallic helmets, hence the name Galea (full name cassis-galea). ... A Roman helmet (cassis) protected the head of a Roman infantryman, tied under the chin with a leather strap. It was made of leather covered with a metal sheet.

How did knights keep their helmets on?

Well, many great helms of the 13th and early 14th centuries had small cutouts near the lower edge, through which a toggle was threaded on a long chain attached to the belt or cuirass. This allowed the helm to be slung over the shoulder when not in use.

Why did medieval helmets have a nose guard?

The nasal helmet would usually have been worn over a mail coif, which protected the lower parts of the head, throat and neck. ... The nasals of these helmets were often so large that the wearer was unrecognisable to an observer.

Arms and Armour, Part 3: Medieval Helmets

32 related questions found

Did Vikings use helmets?

There is no evidence that the Vikings wore horned helmets, and nothing like this has ever been discovered in any archaeological dig. They certainly wore helmets but they would have been simple skullcaps, designed to protect the head from impact.

Did Viking helmets have cheek guards?

Viking and Norman Period Helms were a popular European helmet design of the Early Middle Ages. These helmets are usually a conical design and often include cheek guards and a Nasal to protect the nose. ... Some Spangenhelms include eye protection in the shape of a mask.

Was medieval armor painted?

In some cases painted armour has had its paint polished off, and in others paint has been added later. The other forms of evidence we have for armour (accounts and artwork) have their own problems - art may show things according to convention, or for aesthetic reasons, and not show what something looked like in person.

How did knights go to the bathroom in armor?

Suits of armour still didn't have a metal plate covering the knight's crotch or buttocks as this made riding a horse difficult, but those areas were protected by strong metal skirts flowing out around the front hips (faulds) and buttocks (culet). ...

How much did a medieval knight's armor weigh?

A complete suit of plate armour made from well-tempered steel would weigh around 15–25 kg (33–55 lb). The wearer remained highly agile and could jump, run and otherwise move freely as the weight of the armour was spread evenly throughout the body.

Why did Romans have brushes on their helmets?

A cubit is 1.5 feet, so you can see how having these feathers on your helmet would make you taller, more colourful, more impressive, more intimidating.

What does SPQR stand for?

SPQR initially stood for Senatus Populusque Romanus (the Senate and Roman people), but a growing number of white supremacists have adopted the acronym to symbolize their movement.

What is the red thing on a Roman helmet?

Some of the helmets used by legionaries had a crest holder. The crests were usually made of plumes or horse hair. While the fur is usually red, the crests possibly occurred in other colors, like yellow, purple and black, and possibly in combinations of these colors such as alternating yellow and black.

Did Knights actually fight in armor?

In actual military engagements, armored knights were typically heavy cavalry--they would fight using a long lance from horseback, charging and crushing the enemy, and then often returning for another lance. They would keep the sword and shield as an emergency protection measure if they should be knocked from horseback.

When did knights stop existing?

By the end of the 15th century the knight had become obsolete, as countries established professional armies of infantrymen.

Where did they poop in medieval times?

As for the rest of the populace of cities, they generally pooped into containers, the contents of which they would (usually) deposit into a nearby river or stream, or gutter system that led to such.

What did a knight wear under his Armour?

A knight wore a coat of mail called a hauberk made of metal rings linked tightly together to protect his body. Underneath this he wore a padded shirt called an aketon.

What was the best armor in history?

12 Marvelous Warrior Armor Ensembles from History You Should Know About

• 1) Mycenaean Dendra Panoply (circa 15th century BC) –
• 2) Persian Immortal Armor (6th – 5th century BC) –
• 3) Roman Lorica Segmentata (late 1st century BC – 3rd century AD) –
• 4) Sassanid Savaran Armor (4th – 7th century AD) –

Was chainmail heavy?

Chain mail garments were heavy. A coif, such as the hood pictured here, could weigh as much as 11kg (25lbs) and mailshirts in excess of 27kg (60lbs). ... Quilted jackets worn beneath the mail is referred to as a gambeson.

What did knights eat?

Knights often ate roasted meat (chicken, pig, rabbit, etc) and local vegetables like carrots, cabbage and onion.

How much did medieval swords weigh?

The majority of genuine medieval and Renaissance swords tell a different story. Whereas a single-handed sword on average weighed 2–4 lbs., even the large two-handed “swords of war” of the fourteenth to the sixteenth century rarely weighed in excess of 10 lbs.

How many real Viking helmets have been found?

There are only five Viking helmet remains to go on, most of which are just fragments. The most complete example is the Gjermundbu helmet, which was discovered — alongside the burnt remains of two males and many other Viking artefacts — near Haugsbygd in southern Norway in 1943.

Who wore kettle Helms?

The kettle hat was common all over Medieval Europe. It was called Eisenhut in German and chapel de fer in French (both names mean "iron hat" in English). It was worn by troops of all types, but most commonly by infantry.

What is the horned Viking helmet called?

Prehistoric Europe

A pair of bronze horned helmets, the Veksø helmets, from the later Bronze Age (dating to c. 1100–900 BC) were found near Veksø, Denmark in 1942.