The Silk Road Designs Armoury
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In aproximately the second century CE, the Roman army gave up their native helmet designs (the "Italic", "Galic", and related forms) and adopted a style used by their Persian enemies (at that time, the Sassanids or Sassanians). This new Roman helmet (called "Romano-Sassanian") developed, and was modified through further influences from Persia and Central Asia, into all of the helmets used by the early Western European warriors until the development of the flat-top forms in the 13th century. In the 16th century, the West once more looked to Eastern design for the development of the "Lobster Tail" helmet.
There is a separate subpage devoted to a more complete discussion of Ear and Back Plates.
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Helmets
Further Information on Helmets
A photograph of armour including a Maile and Plates Helmet.
Parts of a Helmet
To facilitate discussion of helmet structure, the helmet naturally divides into four parts (a fifth, almost integral part is discussed further down). This type of division may be usefull in the discussion of most helmets used historically, it is especially usefull in discussing the Central Asian types.
The helmet in the above illustration of Helmet Parts is based on the Romano-Sassanian helmets mentioned above. It shows all of the above described parts in their most "complete" form. As mentioned above, helmets have historically included some or all of the above four parts, aranged in a variety of ways. The European "Great Helm" is an extreme example encasing the head in a solid shell (essentially amounting to a bucket with eye slits). Some modern racing helmets are similar, with the exception of a clear plastic visor which is generally movable
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Helmet domes may be thought of as fitting into two categories -- "Rigid" and "Soft". Soft helmets, lacking a solid dome, include the padded cap, the cap of maile, and a variety of other "Folding Helmets". The article discusses Rigid Domes at length below, and the Soft Helmets in the later part of the article.
Aventail or Curtain
A piece of armour which may be considered a fifth integral part of a helmet is the "Aventail" or "Curtain". This is a section of flexible material, such as leather, Maile, Scale, or Lamellar (though generally Maile), which is suspended from the Dome. The two helmets illustrated at the top of this page both have aventails, one of lamellar, the other of maile.
The Aventail, or curtain, is worn as an alternative to a separate "Soft Helmet" of the same material, which would otherwise often be worn under a helmet. At its smallest, the curtain protects the back and sides of the head and extends down to the shoulders. Many, however, extend well past the shoulders to form a mantel draping over the upper chest and back. Many Eastern helmets have a curtain that covers the whole face (commonly with holes for the eyes, but often without them) or it may cover a good portion of the face. On some helmets the curtain substitutes for the three parts extending from the dome, on others it suplements these. The Russo-Pecheneg helmet with Occulars, illustrated on the right at the discussion of the Conical Dome and the Turban Helmet, illustrates on the left at the discussion of the Shishak Dome both have Full-Face Aventails. Another helmet with an Aventail is illustrated at the discussion of Side and Back of the head defenses.
Further Information on Helmets
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