Ten different types of helmets with different design, materials, amount of head coverage, and accessories to provide maximum protection for specific use cases
Some Britishgamekeepers during the 18th and 19th centuries wore helmets made ofstraw bound together with cutbramble.[2] Europeans in the tropics often wore the pith helmet, developed in the mid-19th century and made ofpith orcork.[3]
Military applications in the 19th–20th centuries saw a number ofleather helmets, particularly among aviators andtank crews in the early 20th century. In the early days of theautomobile, some motorists also adopted this style of headgear, and earlyfootball helmets were also made of leather. InWorld War II, American, Soviet, German, Italian and French flight crews wore leather helmets, the German pilots disguising theirs under a beret before disposing of both and switching to cloth caps.[when?] The era of the First and Second World Wars also saw a resurgence of metal military helmets, most notably theBrodie helmet and theStahlhelm.[4]
Modern helmets have a much wider range of applications, including helmets adapted to the specific needs of many athletic pursuits and work environments, and these helmets very often incorporate plastics and other synthetic materials for their light weight and shock absorption capabilities. Some types of synthetic fibers used to make helmets in the 21st century includearamid fibers, such asKevlar andTwaron.[5] Race car helmets include a head and neck support system that keeps the helmet (and head) attached to the body in severe collisions.[6]
Helmets of many different types have developed over time. Most early helmets had military uses, though some may have had more ceremonial than combat applications.
Two important helmet types to develop in antiquity were theCorinthian helmet and the Romangalea.
The great seal ofOwain Glyndŵr (c. 1359 – c. 1415) depicts the prince ofWales and his stallion wearing fullarmour, they both wear protective headgear with Owain's golddragon mounted on top.[7] This would have been impractical in battle, so therefore these would have been ceremonial.
In the 19th century, more materials were incorporated, namely leather, felt andpith. Thepith helmet and the leatherpickelhaube were important 19th century developments. The greatest expansion in the variety of forms and composition of helmets, however, took place in the 20th century, with the development of highly specialized helmets for a multitude of athletic and professional applications, as well as the advent of modern plastics. DuringWorld War I, the French army developed theAdrian helmet, the British developed theBrodie helmet, and the Germans produced theStahlhelm.
The development ofhard hats for workplace safety may have been inspired by the helmets of WWI, and they have become a standard type of safety equipment on many construction job sites and industrial locations.
Helmets since the mid-20th century have often incorporated lightweight plastics and other synthetic materials, and their use has become highly specialized. Some important recent developments include the FrenchSPECTRA helmet, Spanish MARTE helmet or the AmericanPASGT (commonly called "Kevlar" by U.S. troops) andAdvanced Combat Helmet, or ACH.
In the early 21st century, the Catalan sport/tradition ofcastells saw the introduction of helmets for the children who make up thepom de dalt or top three levels of a castell. The helmets were specially designed with a soft outer surface, to protect the child while mitigating the risk that the helmet could injure others during a fall.[8]
As thecoat of arms was originally designed to distinguishnoble combatants on the battlefield or in atournament, even while covered inarmour, it is not surprising thatheraldic elements constantly incorporated the shield and the helmet, these often being the most visible parts of aknight's military equipment.
The practice of indicatingpeerage through the display of barred or grilled helmets first appeared around 1587-1615,[9] and the heraldic convention of displaying helmets of rank in the United Kingdom, which came into vogue aroundStuart times, is as follows:[10]
Sovereign: a gold barred-face (tournament) helm placed affronté
Peer's helmet: silver barred-face (tournament) helm placed in profile
Knight's or baronet's helmet: steel helm (earlierjousting helm, laterclose helm) placed affronté with visor open
Esquire's helmet: steel helm placed in profile with visor closed
Earlierrolls of arms reveal, however, that early heraldic helmets were depicted in a manner faithful to the styles in actual military ortournament use at the time.[11]
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