[Regia-NA] Raised helmets & conspiracy theories

[nathan]

> Fact- There are only two raised conical nasal helmets of Western/Central
> European origin: Olmutz and Wenceslaus. Olmutz is generally accepted
> to be from around 1100.


Ok a few thoughts

The helmet from Lake Lednikie (Germany) is also a 1 piece conical helm (probaby
C11th, heavily restored).  Pointy like the olmutz but without the creased crest
construction.  [item #414 - pg 169/434 Arms and Armour of the Crusading Era
1050-1350 (western europe and the crusader states) D Nicolle]

The kiev helm that tweddle mentions in [The Anglian Helmet from Coppergate, D
Tweddle] (page 1132, fig 566) is also a 1 piece (no idea of the date) that
follows the same parameters as the wenceslaus, in that it has a more domed
profile (i.e. not as conical as the olmutz).  Now given the fact that the
immediateley preceeding [in the book] helm is not medieval and is from the same
area this might be best discounted.


> My theory: The Wenceslaus helmet is from around 1100. It never
> belonged to St.
> Wenceslaus. The Prague Cathedral presented it as a relic long after his death
> to turn the church into a pilgrimage site (relics=pligrims=revenue &
> prestige).


The above being the case i still agree.  1 piece conical helms are unlikely to
be in general use prior to 1100 and for regia's purposes they are best avoided.


> My evidence? None :)


Perhaps but Nicolle states "So-called Helmet of St Wenceslaus, Bohemia 10th-11th
centuries", until the Prague Cathedral allows serious achedemic study of the
artefact (metalurgical dating analysis would be nice) i'm not convinced either.

I have seen no details about the associated mailshirt either, that might help in
some way to guestimate the age (though completely unreliable).  You got any?
The rivet pattern would be particularly telling.

Kram
N.