Product description
A spangenhelm was a type of helmet that originated in Central Asia and was introduced into Europe in the 6th century AD, remaining popular throughout the early Middle Ages. Metal strips – called spangen in German – connected three to six metal plates that met at the top. Spangenhelms often featured a nasal guard.
This particular spangenhelm is of the nasal helmet type. Helmets like this were used all over Europe from the 9th century onwards and remained in use at least until shortly after 1066. Around that time, they were depicted being worn by both Norman and Anglo-Saxon warriors on the famous Bayeux Tapestry. Such helmets were used by the Vikings as well as by other Germanic peoples. From this type of spangenhelm eventually evolved the well-known nasal helmet.
Unlike later nasal helmets, early spangenhelms were originally made of multiple parts connected by spangen. This was a cheaper production method introduced during the Late Roman period.
The nasal guard offers protection for the entire face while still providing an optimal field of vision. An additional advantage was that these helmets could be repaired in the field during military campaigns. This spangenhelm features a conical bowl. The nasal guard is attached over the central and lower metal bands. On top of the nasal guard, decorative eyebrows have been mounted. These eyebrows also serve as reinforcement for this vulnerable part of the helmet. The eyebrow motif derives from a Germanic–Roman tradition, in which semi-ritual facial expressions contributed to the persona or spiritual identity of the wearer. This tradition can be seen as an expression of the pagan warrior class, which associated warfare with ecstatic fury unleashed upon the enemy.
The helmet is battle-ready, lined with leather on the inside, and fitted with a leather suspension system and chin strap. The nasal guard is also leather-covered. The helmet is made of 2 mm thick steel, suitable for a maximum head circumference of up to 62 cm, and weighs approximately 2.7 kg.
Dragons were the mythical counterparts of serpents and were incorporated into the earliest myths of humankind. As humans spread across the globe, dragon mythology spread with them. Among many Indo-European peoples, dragons played a prominent role in their mythologies. In Germanic and later Norse mythology, dragons were seen as all-devouring monsters, yet they also symbolized the evil beast that must be slain by a hero. These two archetypes—the destroyer and the hero’s adversary—reinforce one another.
