Truly Bizarre And Most Fearsome Ancient Helmets Ever Seen
AncientPage.com - Going to war in ancient times involved more than just great military strategy and excellent warrior skill. To conquer your enemy, it was assumed the warriors must look as fearsome as possible.
We have previously seen that Aztec Eagle Warriors and Jaguar Warriors who were without doubt some of the most skilled and feared fighting forces of the ancient world wore special armor and headdresses. Eagle Warriors were adorned in eagle feathers and wore headgear with an eagle head on it, their faces looking out from an open beak. Jaguars wore suits made from the pelts of pumas (jaguars) and associated themselves with their god of night.
It is believe that Vikings filed their teeth to frighten opponents in battle or to show their status as a great fighter.
The Winged Hussars were one of the most effective military forces in the world. The Winged Hussars were known for the wings with long feathers worn on their backs or attached to the saddles of their horses, which during a charge uttered a sound of vibrating feathers that frightened enemy infantry.
King Henry VIII is today often remembered for his many marriages. He also played a critical role in the English Reformation, turning his country into a Protestant nation. King Henry VIII also had an unusual taste in weapons and armour.
Helmets fitted with mask-like visors were a popular German and Austrian fashion about 1510 to 1540. With their visors forged and embossed as humorous or grotesque human masks, such helmets were often worn in tournaments held during the exuberant pre-Lenten (Shrovetide) festivals, celebrations somewhat akin to the modern Mardi Gras.
Grotesque human mask-like visors were really popular in Germany and Austria in the early 16th century.
Other ancient helmets were made in the likeness of frightening animals or strange objects.
Kolman Helmschmid, Helmet (Burgonet) of Emperor Charles V, c. 1530, Patrimonio Nacional, Real Armería, Madrid
Helmet in the form of a sea conch shell, 1618, Japan
The ceremonial and parade helmets of Charles V
Desiderius Helmschmid, c. 1540
Impressive helmet masks abound in the region spanning the present-day national borders of Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, and Burkina Faso. Sculptors carve works intended to incite fear by making visual references to powerful animals, including crocodiles, warthogs, and antelopes.
See also:
Winged Hussars: Facts And History About The Polish Warriors, Their Armor And Military Tactics
Fearsome Aztec Eagle Warriors And Jaguar Warriors Of Mesoamerica
King Henry VIII’s Walking Staff And Other Unusual Weapons
The aggressive imagery artists create in helmet masks like this one contrasts with their more delicate handling of kpeliye'e face masks. Not associated with any single animal, kponyugo helmet masks foster spectators' uncertainty and apprehension.
The aggressive imagery artists create in helmet masks like this one contrasts with their more delicate handling of kpeliye'e face masks. Not associated with any single animal, kponyugo helmet masks foster spectators' uncertainty and apprehension.
Helmet Mask (Kponyugo)
The mask's open jaws and sharp teeth appear ready to devour its prey and thus visually underscore its ferocity. Members of poro and other fraternal associations in the region don composite helmet masks and full-body outfits during funerals and on other occasions to punish human lawbreakers and deter malevolent spirits.
Due to the aggressive and combative nature of the helmet masks and their performances, women and children are enjoined to avoid seeing them, a stricture honored due to the costly consequences that transgressions precipitate.
Roman Cavalry Helmet, 100-250 A.D.
The most vulnerable part of the soldier in battle was his head, so the search for protection by some form of helmet goes back to the earliest times. The technology of armor was constantly evolving and different armies during different periods favored special shapes for their helmet.
Helmets were purpose-built to protect the wearer against the specific weapons he faced, but as we have just seen, the helmets were often also especially designed and modified to frighten the enemy.
Copyright © AncientPages.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or part without the express written permission of AncientPages.com
More From Ancient Pages
-
Why The Discovery Of Cleopatra’s Tomb Would Rewrite History
Featured Stories | Nov 16, 2022
-
Vikings’ Legacy Is Still Alive In Ireland – DNA, Ancient Ruins And Modern Cites Reveal
Civilizations | May 22, 2021
-
Three 1850-Year-Od Stone Ossuaries Prevented From Looting Near Kafr Kanna In Galilee
Archaeology | Jun 21, 2023
-
Mystery Of The Lost Beverina Castle – Did Knights Templar Know Where It Was?
Featured Stories | Jan 21, 2018
-
Antediluvian Artifact Discovered In Egyptian Tomb May Solve The Great Pyramid Mystery?
Featured Stories | May 3, 2018
-
10 Remarkable Jain Temples – Marvelous Ancient Architecture And Stone Carvings
Featured Stories | Dec 17, 2015
-
Meat And Fish Market Uncovered In Ancient City Of Aigai, Turkey
Archaeology | Nov 3, 2018
-
Remarkable Early Medieval ‘Govan Warrior’ Stone Discovered In Glasgow, Scotland
Archaeology | Sep 22, 2023
-
Mystery Of The Copper Age ‘Ivory Lady’ Solved
Archaeology | Jul 6, 2023
-
Life Of Earliest Modern Humans In Europe Revealed By Excavations Conducted In Romania
Archaeology | Aug 24, 2022
-
Controversial Ancient History Of Harappa And Mohenjo Daro – Advanced Indus Valley Civilization Pre-Dates Egypt’s Pharaohs And Mesopotamia
Civilizations | Apr 15, 2017
-
Sumerians Built A Huge ‘Anti-Drought Machine’ To Save Ancient City Of Girsu From Destruction
Ancient Technology | Nov 23, 2023
-
Norsuntepe – Little-Known Mysterious Prehistoric Site In Anatolia, Turkey: Why Was It Abandoned And Destroyed By Fire?
Civilizations | Mar 13, 2014
-
On This Day In History: National Hero Paul Revere Warns Of The British Coming – On Apr 18, 1775
News | Apr 18, 2017
-
Ancestral Māori Adapted Quickly In The Face Of Rapid Climate Change – New Study Shows
Archaeology | Nov 10, 2022
-
Yehasuri – Little People Of South Carolina Living In The Woods – Native Americans’ Version Of Leprechauns
Featured Stories | Feb 26, 2019
-
Ancient Secrets Of John Dee And The Enochian Apocalypse Examined
Featured Stories | Jul 8, 2015
-
Ancient Necropolis With Lead Coffins Sheds Light On Early Christian Funeral Practices
Archaeology | Jul 13, 2020
-
Ancient Egypt Life and Death in the Valley of the Kings Death
Civilizations | Sep 2, 2015
-
Five Rare Bronze Age Axe Heads Found In Polish Forest
Archaeology | Dec 8, 2023