A surviving spangenhelm, 6th century (Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna)

The Spangenhelm was a popular European war combat helmet design of the Early Middle Ages. The Kunsthistorisches Museum ( English: "Museum of Art History" in Vienna, housed in its festive palatial building on Ringstraße, crowned Medieval Warfare is the warfare of the Middle Ages. In Europe technological cultural and social developments had forced a dramatic transformation in the character A combat helmet is a Helmet designed specifically for use during Combat. The Early Middle Ages is a period in the History of Europe following the fall of the Western Roman Empire spanning roughly five centuries from AD 500 ^[1] The name is of German origin. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Spangen refers to the metal strips that form the framework for the helmet and could be translated as clips, and -helm simply means helmet. The strips connect three to six steel or bronze plates. The frame takes a conical design that curves with the shape of the head and culminates in a point. The front of the helmet may include a nose protector (a nasal). Older spangenhelms often include cheek flaps made from metal or leather. Spangenhelms may incorporate mail as neck protection. Mail (also maille, often given as chain mail or chain maille) is a type of Armour or jewellery that consists of small metal rings linked Some spangenhelms include eye protection in a shape that resembles modern eyeglass frames. Other spangenhelms include a full face mask.

The spangenhelm originated in Central Asia. It arrived in Europe by way of what is now southern Russia and Ukraine. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. By the 6th century it was the most common helmet design in Europe and in popular use throughout the Middle East. It remained in use at least as late as the 9th century. ^[2]

The spangenhelm was an effective protection that was relatively easy to produce. Weakness of the design were its partial head protection and its jointed construction. It was replaced by the casque. The famous Sutton Hoo helmet has a Spangenhelm design. Sutton Hoo near Woodbridge, Suffolk, England, is the site of two Anglo-Saxon cemeteries

A spangenhelm with nasal and cheek flaps.

Notes

Portions of this article were translated from the German Wikipedia.

1. ^ From the German Wikipedia, in heraldry a different kind of helmet is known as a spangenhelm. Heraldry in its most general sense encompasses all matters relating to the duties and responsibilities of officers of arms. The latter helmet was a fifteenth and sixteenth tournament helmet style.
2. ^ Simon Coupland, "Carolingian Arms and Armor in the Ninth Century", (accessed 10 March 2006).

External links

• How to Build a Spangenhelm

This medieval armour-related article is a stub. Armour (or armor) is protective covering most commonly manufactured from metals to prevent damage from being inflicted to an individual or a vehicle through use of direct contact You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.