Spangenhelm

The Spangenhelm was the most common helmet type of late antiquity and the early Middle Ages in Europe.

Spangenhelme consist of a metal circlet, on the 4-6 or more metal strips ( clips ) are provided, which converge in a conical bulge in a skull plate, helmet or helmet tip cones. Between the bars to metal plates are (segments) that can also be plated with silver or bronze plate. The headband has sometimes bogige brewing clippings or even a nose guard ( nasal ). Spangenhelme with nasal are sometimes referred to as nasal helmet, although, strictly speaking, including one understands another helmet type. Spangenhelme are typically provided with cheek guards and a neck guard of chain maille.

The Spangenhelm is probably an invention of the northern Iranian steppe people of the Sarmatians. In the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, such helmets seem to have been prevalent in this nation of horsemen. So Sarmatian Kataphrakten with Spangenhelm -like head protection on the Roman Trajan's Column are shown. From these early centuries, however, no findings of Spangenhelmen are known. From the Sarmatians based in Southern Russia, Ukraine and South Eastern Europe, he came probably first to the Romans ( and later the Byzantines ), then to neighboring Germanic tribes. The hitherto customary Roman helmet had fallen in the later 3rd century disuse. During the 4th century combed helmets in Europe were widespread, occurred from the turn of the 5th century especially Spangenhelme their place. In the 6th century AD, the Spangenhelm had also spread to all Germanic peoples. In addition, he was also used by the Oströmern and the Iranian Sassanids and was also in the reverse direction over the Turkic peoples resident in the Steppe ( Huns, Avars, Khazars, Pechenegs ) his way to Central Asia. At least the High Middle Ages the Spangenhelm was then displaced in Europe of helmets that were made ​​from a single steel plate (see Nasal ).

Later, when the Spangenhelm in Early Medieval Europe appeared on the Lamellar Helm. It is particularly common in the east and appears under the influence of the Lombards in Italy. Another European type of helmet the early Middle Ages represent the Nordic combed helmets (also Vendelhelme or goggles helmets), which arise from the 6th century and only from Scandinavia and England are known.

The in heraldry known as " Spangenhelm " helmet type is not identical with the historical Spangenhelm, but represents the common in the 15th and early 16th centuries piston tournament helmet dar.

Spangenhelme type Soon Home

Typical Spangenhelme type Soon Home (named after a location in Bald home ) consist of four or six gold or silver plated copper clasps, are riveted between the oval iron plates. The iron headband is covered with gilded copper plate. The clips show fairly simple, geometric Punzmuster, the headband high quality Extruded pattern. Shown motifs are mostly Christian symbols such as crucifixes, fish, deer, eagles or vine leaves and grapes pecking birds, as a symbol of paradise.

A total of 40 such helmets have been found throughout Europe, dating from the period around 460 until the beginning of the 7th century. The oldest datable Spangenhelm type Baldenheim is from Gültlingen and is expected to fall approximately in the time 450-480 AD.

The partially very close resemblance to one another suggests that they were produced in the decades around 500 to Ostrogoth, Byzantine or Frankish workshops and often have long been inherited.

In Germany this type of helmet was found in several princely graves of the migration period, for example in Planig, Gellep, Gammertingen, bumps and Morken. Other known localities of this helmet type in Europe are St. Vid / Narona in Croatia, stone Brunn in Austria, Dolnie Semerovce in Slovakia ( Levice district ), Chalon -sur -Saône in France and Giulianova ( Montepagano ) in Italy. With the dissemination of the findings, one can conclude that the Goths used in Italy and the Balkans, the Gepids in Hungary, the Burgundians on Lake Geneva, the Alamanni, Franks, Lombards in northern Italy and Thuringian this type of helmet. A helmet comes from North Africa ( Libya) and a fragmentary Fund is even known from Gotland.

While most of these helmets originate Treasure, sacrifice and river finds, they are mainly from the Merovingian kingdom by grave finds known. According to estimates, which assume that you probably only a maximum of 1 % of the most sumptuously outstanding ( in simple it should be only 1 per thousand ) knows burials around 3000 once produced pieces are originally known 29 copies over well.

Due to the opulent interior is sometimes speculated that there had been at the Bald Heimer Spangenhelmen merely ceremonial helmets, which were used not primarily to fight. However, this is refuted by visible signs of battle on more of these helmets.

Other Spangenhelm types

Strict application of the term Spangenhelm, including helmets only be understood, the structure actually (not just visually ) off is at the apex unifying clasps. Accordingly, besides the Spangenhelmen type Baldenheim only five more real Spangenhelme are known. Of this, two from Egypt, two from Croatia St. Vid / Narona and Sinj (Croatia) and one from Iraq ( Nineveh III). With the exception of the Iraqi copy, which also contains bronze, all these helmets pure iron helmets.

The two specimens found in Egypt and those from St. Vid / Narona (V.) are all very similar and belong to the type Deir el-Medina/Leiden. In Leiden, one of the Egyptian helmets is kept, the other ( from Deir el- Medina), located in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. In the iron Spangenhelmen of Deir el-Medina/Leiden-Typs are the cheek pieces and neck guard, the are all made of iron sheets, fastened with iron hinges to the canopy. The helmet shell itself is from four to six iron clasps that have straight sides, held together. The increased susceptibility to rust of iron over bronze helmets parts could be compared to the more humid climates of Central Europe account for the relative frequency of this Fund helmet type in the arid regions of North Africa, where Spangenhelme with bronze parts ( type Baldenheim ) dominate. However, the helmets of this type are not specifically dated.

A Einzelfom forms of iron Spangenhelm of Sinj (Croatia ), which was found in 1964 in a grave within a Roman military fort and probably late antique origin. The helmet only was present in fragments and reconstructed in the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb partially. It consists of a narrow, iron circlet, four iron, small clips, which widen out to be only marginally Strinring and so riveted iron between sheets that form the helmet shell. On top of the intersection of the clips is an iron Zimierscheibe bearing at the center of a flat rivet or a broken Zimierkostruktion. The cheek pieces and neck guard are missing. In the reconstruction, however, the helmet has fortified with fire centering cheek flaps.

Clips - lamellar helmets

A special form consists of three so-called clips - lamellar helmets from Cologne ( boys grave under the Cologne Cathedral ) Kerch (Ukraine) and Mezöband (Hungary). Similar forms are also known from the North Caucasus. The Cologne Helmet was made about 540 AD, for a six year old boy and consists of 12 horn lamellae, which are held together by so sewn copper clasps. Additional stability is a circlet made ​​of horn, which is covered with a gilded bronze frost. The helmet of Kerch is dated to the period shortly before 600 AD.

Tape Helmets and Band Spangenhelme

Externally similar helmets, whose structure is characterized by at least one closed vertex band are called strictly speaking not as Spangenhelme, but as a band helmets ( two intersecting bands of iron ) or band Spangenhelme ( an iron band and two clasps ). All these helmets are made of iron. Tape Helmets are known only from St. Vid / Narona (Croatia ), Bretz Home (Mainz) and Shumen, band Spangenhelme are five copies of the Iran-Iraq localities (type Amlash ) and a single specimen from Trivières (Belgium ) are known. Of all these helmets are just helmets from Bretz Home (early 5th century AD ), St. Vid / Narona (such as Spangenhelme type Soon Home ) and the type Amlash (late 6th to early 7th century AD) be dated.

Sometimes band helmets are of this type (St. Vid / Narona ) also dates to the 10th century. Various pictures in Leiden Maccabees Codex from the early 10th century, for example, show warrior depicted with very similar helmets.