Helmet (Game
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A helmet is a form of protective gear worn to protect the
head A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple animals may ...
. More specifically, a helmet complements the skull in protecting the human brain. Ceremonial or symbolic helmets (e.g., a policeman's helmet in the United Kingdom) without protective function are sometimes worn. Soldiers wear
combat helmet A combat helmet or battle helmet is a type of helmet. It is a piece of personal armor designed specifically to protect the head during combat. Modern combat helmets are mainly designed to protect from shrapnel and fragments, offer some protec ...
s, often made from Kevlar or other lightweight
synthetic fiber Synthetic fibers or synthetic fibres (in British English; see spelling differences) are fibers made by humans through chemical synthesis, as opposed to natural fibers that are directly derived from living organisms, such as plants (like cotton) ...
s. The word ''helmet'' is derived from ''helm'', an
Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...
word for a protective head covering. Helmets are used for recreational activities and sports (e.g.,
jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...
s in
horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...
, American football, ice hockey,
cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
, baseball,
camogie Camogie ( ; ga, camógaíocht ) is an Irish stick-and-ball team sport played by women. Camogie is played by 100,000 women in Ireland and worldwide, largely among Irish communities. A variant of the game of hurling (which is played by men onl ...
,
hurling Hurling ( ga, iománaíocht, ') is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic Irish origin, played by men. One of Ireland's native Gaelic games, it shares a number of features with Gaelic football, such as the field and goals, the number of p ...
and
rock climbing Rock climbing is a sport in which participants climb up, across, or down natural rock formations. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a usually pre-defined route without falling. Rock climbing is a physically and ...
); dangerous work activities such as construction, mining, riot police,
military aviation Military aviation comprises military aircraft and other flying machines for the purposes of conducting or enabling aerial warfare, including national airlift ( air cargo) capacity to provide logistical supply to forces stationed in a war the ...
, and in transportation (e.g. motorcycle helmets and bicycle helmets). Since the 1990s, most helmets are made from resin or plastic, which may be reinforced with fibers such as aramids.


Designs

Some British gamekeepers during the 18th and 19th centuries wore helmets made of
straw Straw is an agricultural byproduct consisting of the dry stalks of cereal plants after the grain and chaff have been removed. It makes up about half of the yield of cereal crops such as barley, oats, rice, rye and wheat. It has a number ...
bound together with cut bramble. Europeans in the tropics often wore the pith helmet, developed in the mid-19th century and made of pith or
cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...
. Military applications in the 19th–20th centuries saw a number of leather helmets, particularly among aviators and tank crews in the early 20th century. In the early days of the automobile, some motorists also adopted this style of headgear, and early football helmets were also made of leather. In World 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. The era of the First and Second World Wars also saw a resurgence of metal military helmets, most notably the
Brodie helmet The Brodie helmet is a steel combat helmet designed and patented in London in 1915 by Latvian inventor John Leopold Brodie ( lv, Leopolds Janno Braude). A modified form of it became the Helmet, Steel, Mark I in Britain and the M1917 Helmet in th ...
and the
Stahlhelm The ''Stahlhelm'' () is a German military steel combat helmet intended to provide protection against shrapnel and fragments of grenades. The term ''Stahlhelm'' refers both to a generic steel helmet and more specifically to the distinctive Ger ...
. 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 include aramid fibers, such as Kevlar and Twaron. Race car helmets include a head and neck support system that keeps the helmet (and head) attached to the body in severe collisions.


Helmet types

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 the
Corinthian helmet The Corinthian helmet originated in ancient Greece and took its name from the city-state of Corinth. It was a helmet made of bronze which in its later styles covered the entire head and neck, with slits for the eyes and mouth. A large curved pro ...
and the Roman galea. During the Middle Ages, many different military helmets and some ceremonial helmets were developed, almost all being metal. Some of the more important medieval developments included the great helm, the bascinet, the frog-mouth helm, and the armet. The great seal of
Owain Glyndŵr Owain ap Gruffydd (), commonly known as Owain Glyndŵr or Glyn Dŵr (, anglicised as Owen Glendower), was a Welsh leader, soldier and military commander who led a 15 year long Welsh War of Independence with the aim of ending English rule in Wa ...
(c. 1359 – c. 1415) depicts the prince of Wales & his stallion wearing full
armour Armour (British English) or armor (American English; see spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, especially direct contact weapons or projectiles during combat, or fr ...
, they both wear protective headgear with Owain's gold
dragon A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...
mounted on top. 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 and pith. The pith helmet and the leather
pickelhaube The ( pl. ; from german: Pickel, lit=point' or 'pickaxe, and , , a general word for "headgear"), also , is a spiked helmet that was worn in the 19th and 20th centuries by Prussian and German military officers, firefighters and police. Although ...
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. During World War I, the French army developed the
Adrian helmet The Adrian helmet (french: Casque Adrian) was an influential design of combat helmet originally produced for the French Army during World War I. Its original version, the M15, was the first standard helmet of the French Army and was designed whe ...
, the British developed the
Brodie helmet The Brodie helmet is a steel combat helmet designed and patented in London in 1915 by Latvian inventor John Leopold Brodie ( lv, Leopolds Janno Braude). A modified form of it became the Helmet, Steel, Mark I in Britain and the M1917 Helmet in th ...
, and the Germans produced the
Stahlhelm The ''Stahlhelm'' () is a German military steel combat helmet intended to provide protection against shrapnel and fragments of grenades. The term ''Stahlhelm'' refers both to a generic steel helmet and more specifically to the distinctive Ger ...
. Flight helmets were also developed throughout the 20th century. A multitude of athletic helmets, including football helmets, batting helmets, hockey helmets, cricket helmets, bicycle helmets, motorcycle helmets and racing helmets, were also developed in the 20th century. 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 French SPECTRA helmet, Spanish MARTE helmet or the American PASGT (commonly called "Kevlar" by U.S. troops) and Advanced Combat Helmet, or ACH. Also sports helmets like ski-helmets.


Heraldry

As the coat of arms was originally designed to distinguish noble combatants on the battlefield or in a tournament, even while covered in
armour Armour (British English) or armor (American English; see spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, especially direct contact weapons or projectiles during combat, or fr ...
, it is not surprising that heraldic elements constantly incorporated the shield and the helmet, these often being the most visible parts of a knight's military equipment. The practice of indicating
peerage A peerage is a legal system historically comprising various hereditary titles (and sometimes non-hereditary titles) in a number of countries, and composed of assorted noble ranks. Peerages include: Australia * Australian peers Belgium * Belgi ...
through the display of barred or grilled helmets first appeared around 1587-1615, and the heraldic convention of displaying helmets of rank in the United Kingdom, which came into vogue around
Stuart Stuart may refer to: Names * Stuart (name), a given name and surname (and list of people with the name) Automobile *Stuart (automobile) Places Australia Generally *Stuart Highway, connecting South Australia and the Northern Territory Northe ...
times, is as follows: *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 (earlier
jousting helm The frog-mouth helm (or meaning "jousting helmet" in German) was a type of great helm, appearing from around 1400 and lasting into the first quarter of the 16th century. The helmet was primarily used by mounted knights for tournaments ( jousting) ...
, later close helm) placed affronté with visor open *Esquire's helmet: steel helm placed in profile with visor closed Earlier rolls of arms reveal, however, that early heraldic helmets were depicted in a manner faithful to the styles in actual military or tournament use at the time.Fox-Davies, P. 316.


Gallery

File:Cretan Helmet.jpg, Boar tusk Minoan helmet, 1600–1500 BCE File:Boars's tusk helmet NAMA6568 Athens Greece1.jpg, Boar tusk Mycenaean helmet, 14th century BCE File:Corinthian helmet with detachable bronze horns.jpg,
Corinthian helmet The Corinthian helmet originated in ancient Greece and took its name from the city-state of Corinth. It was a helmet made of bronze which in its later styles covered the entire head and neck, with slits for the eyes and mouth. A large curved pro ...
with detachable horns, circa 650 BCE File:Corinthian helmet Denda Staatliche Antikensammlungen 4330.jpg,
Corinthian helmet The Corinthian helmet originated in ancient Greece and took its name from the city-state of Corinth. It was a helmet made of bronze which in its later styles covered the entire head and neck, with slits for the eyes and mouth. A large curved pro ...
, 500 BCE File:Greek - Chalcidian-Type Helmet - Walters 542468.jpg, Greek Chalcidian helmet, 500 BCE File:Bronze helmet of conical shape MET DP21094.jpg, Greek pilos helmet, 450–425 BCE File:Boeotian helmet.jpg,
Boeotian helmet The Boeotian helmet was a type of combat helmet used in Ancient Greece during the classical and Hellenistic periods, as well as in Ancient Rome; it possibly originated in the Greek region of Boeotia. Characteristics The Boeotian helmet was m ...
, 4th century BCE File:Illyrian-Greek helmet from Montenegro - Budva -4th cBC.png, Greek
Illyrian type helmet The Illyrian type helmet (or Greco-Illyrian type helmet) is a style of bronze helmet, which in its later variations covered the entire head and neck, and was open-faced in all of its forms.. It originated in Peloponnese, ancient Greece, and was ...
, 4th century BCE File:Pletena helmet.jpg, Thracian helmet, 4th century BCE File:Parade helmet.jpg, Celtic (Gallic) parade helmet, 350 BCE File:Ancient bronze greek helmet -South Italy.jpg, Attic helmet, 350 BCE to 300 BCE File:Phrygian helmet.jpg, Greek bronze Phrygian helmet, 350 BCE to 300 BCE File:Roman helmet.jpg, Roman cavalry helmet, 1st century CE File:The Nijmegen cavalry helmet, an iron mask sheathed in bronze and silver discovered in 1915 on the left bank of the Waal river near Nijmegen, second half of the first century, Museum het Valkhof, Nijmegen (Netherlands) (9569871602).jpg, Roman cavalry helmet File:The black helmet of a Mongolian army(2).JPG, Black Mongolian helmet File:Khalili Collection Islamic Art mtw 1415.jpg, alt=Iranian helmet, iron, bronze rivets and gilding., Iranian, 7th or 8th century AD Spangenhelm File:KHM Wien A 12 - Bascinet by Master A, Milan, c. 1400, side.jpg, Early 15th century bascinet with ''hounskull'' visor File:Helm for the Joust of Peace (Stechhelm) MET DP271142.jpg, 15th-century German frog-mouth helm used in jousting File:Helmet of Mamluk Sultan Qaitbay, Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg (37046195461).jpg, Ottoman zischagge helmet, mid-16th century File:German - Close Helmet of the "Maximilian" Style - Walters 51465 - Profile.jpg, 16th century Maximilian style close helmet File:Parade helmet VandA M.52-1909.jpg, 19th-century Japanese kabuto File:Braunschweigisches Husaren-Regiment Nr. 17 Totenkopf Paradehelm Cut out.jpg, German
Pickelhaube The ( pl. ; from german: Pickel, lit=point' or 'pickaxe, and , , a general word for "headgear"), also , is a spiked helmet that was worn in the 19th and 20th centuries by Prussian and German military officers, firefighters and police. Although ...
File:Musee-de-lArmee-IMG 0976.jpg, Late 19th-century pith helmet File:Soldiers Zhejiang Campaign 1942.jpg, Type 90 helmets worn by the Japanese during the Second World War File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-089-3779-11A, Russland, Hauptmann mit Ritterkreuz Recolored.jpg, A German
stahlhelm The ''Stahlhelm'' () is a German military steel combat helmet intended to provide protection against shrapnel and fragments of grenades. The term ''Stahlhelm'' refers both to a generic steel helmet and more specifically to the distinctive Ger ...
during World War II File:VMA-311Flight Helmet.JPG, Vietnam War era Marine squadron VMA-311 flight helmet File:US soldiers wearing the PASGT helmet, Hawaii (cropped).jpg, PASGT helmet File:Fire helmet, c. 1893, leather, steel - Old Colony History Museum - Taunton, Massachusetts - DSC03887.jpg, Leather and steel firefighting helmet File:Sporthelme.jpg, Ski helmet (left), paragliding helmet (right) File:STS-135 Sandy Magnus undergoes a fit check of her Sokol suit.jpg, Astronaut helmet File:Aviakit Pudding basin helmet.jpg, Aviakit motorcyclist "pudding basin" helmet File:White-helmets.jpg, Full face and open face motorcycle helmets File:Hurling helmet 000 0200.jpg,
Hurling Hurling ( ga, iománaíocht, ') is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic Irish origin, played by men. One of Ireland's native Gaelic games, it shares a number of features with Gaelic football, such as the field and goals, the number of p ...
/
Camogie Camogie ( ; ga, camógaíocht ) is an Irish stick-and-ball team sport played by women. Camogie is played by 100,000 women in Ireland and worldwide, largely among Irish communities. A variant of the game of hurling (which is played by men onl ...
helmet File:Magnus Muhrén 2012b.jpg,
Bandy Bandy is a winter sport and ball sport played by two teams wearing ice skates on a large ice surface (either indoors or outdoors) while using sticks to direct a ball into the opposing team's goal. The international governing body for bandy is ...
helmet


See also

*
Combat helmet A combat helmet or battle helmet is a type of helmet. It is a piece of personal armor designed specifically to protect the head during combat. Modern combat helmets are mainly designed to protect from shrapnel and fragments, offer some protec ...
** List of combat helmets *
Face shield A face shield, an item of personal protective equipment (PPE), aims to protect the wearer's entire face (or part of it) from hazards such as flying objects and road debris, chemical splashes (in laboratories or in industry), or potentially ...
* Firefighter's helmet * God helmet *
Helmet boxing Helmet boxing or locker boxing (also called a "cage rage", "buckets", "helmet fight" or "helmets and gloves") is a game played by primarily teenage hockey or lacrosse players in their dressing rooms, basements or locker rooms. ...
*
Riot helmet A riot protection helmet is a type of helmet designed for law enforcement and military use to protect its wearer's head, face and eyes from handheld melee weapons, and thrown projectiles such as bricks, as may be met in riot control. Many modern ...


References


External links


"Helmets...A Medieval Note In Modern Warfare"
August 1942, ''
Popular Science ''Popular Science'' (also known as ''PopSci'') is an American digital magazine carrying popular science content, which refers to articles for the general reader on science and technology subjects. ''Popular Science'' has won over 58 awards, incl ...
'' evolution of military helmets {{Authority control * Canoeing and kayaking equipment Headgear Hurling equipment Safety