The History of Helmets

Truth be told, helmets go as far back as the art of war itself. In fact, they are arguably the very first forms of threat protection equipment used during warfare hundreds of years back. You see, old Medieval and Renaissance warriors were very resilient. They fought like their lives depended on it (which it actually did) and attack in hordes. They were just so hard to kill. Except with an accurately shot arrow to the head or a well struck head blow, of course.

In recognition of their vulnerability to head attacks, they decided to enclose their heads in well protected metal helmets. The use of helmets can be traced as far back as the 23BC where the Akkadians and Sumerians are known to have used some form of helmets for their warfare. During those times, there was deficiency in quality materials. Most of their helmets were made out of leather. It didn’t provide much protection. Later, the use of steel, brass, and bronze became wide spread.

Here’s a quick guide through the evolution of tactical helmets:

Mycenaen Greek Boar Tusk Helmets – 17^th Century B.C.E

A bold combo of leather and tusks, this helmet was used as far back 17BC to 10BC. It provided very limited protection against direct blade attack and arrows.

Corinthian Helmet – 8^th century B.C.E

Named after the city of Corinth, this helmet was used by the ancient Greeks during the famous ancient battle of Marathon, Themopylae and Plataea. The bronze helmet was also not able to stop an arrow.

Spangenhelm – 6^th to 10^th century

Used around the 500s to the 900s, this helmet was popular around the time of the fall of the Roman Empire and the rise of the Norman Conquest.

Nasal Helm/Norman Helm – 11^th to 13^th century

Worn by the Normans who fought the Battle of Hastings under William the Conqueror, this steel helmet had a special elongated protection for the nose.

The Great Helm – 12^th to 14^th century

What else would you expect from a helmet called “Great”? It offered total head protection for the Knights in Europe, but at the expense of comfort and sight.

Other tactical helmets like the armet & close helm came in the 15th century. It was not until 1915, after the production of the M1 Helmet that modern helmet as we know it came to being.

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