Why did Richard the Lionheart wear a FANCY HELMET?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ต.ค. 2024
- Jason Kingsley OBE, the Modern Knight, investigates and tries out an early type of full face medieval helmet, and discusses it's good and bad points.
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Jason reminds me of a medieval James May. He can make anything super interesting by dint of his own charisma. Well done sir.
Thanks.
@@CSM100MK2 and that’s needlessly judgmental
@@CSM100MK2 I live in London, have done for years, but please, do go on about how unfamiliar I am with British dialects.
I think this guy Jason is far better than James May. May is a droning bore, at least Jason has passion and authority.
@@CSM100MK2 What's ignorant about that statment? They didnt even mention dialects. You're saying that he cant be like James May because they don't have exactly the same type of accent? What are you saying, excatly? lol how are dialects even relevant?
Jason, will you consider making a video on period travel as it pertains to horses (and mules and the like)? Such as, how much of the horse's food and drink would you need to carry with you (as compared to the horse foraging from fields when resting), and how much would that cut into its potential load for carrying other things? What other major considerations are there, such as the crenel bells that you covered before?
Could be interesting to have the Knight's perspective on the topic after watching the Historian take with Lindybeige's video on medieval transport.
You could carry grain for the horses (energy bars) but hay and grass would probably have to be acquired locally. Hay is really bulky and not very energy dense, and every transport wagon would need hay for the transport horses or oxen as well. Likely that local fields would provide involuntary forage, and on travels the local lord of the castle would probably be accomodating with his hay storage.
@@Darkdaej also what someone with a zoological degree and who actually owns several horses and a mule has to say about it definitely
OMG, imagine finding you here, not at all surprised tbh, ex-Athenian (or still are) Roman perhaps as well. You probably have no idea where or when we crossed digital paths. Take care!
What was the prevalence of wearing secret helms with this kind of helmet?
I started laughing. You were worried that you couldn’t see through the helmet… then I saw the horse’s forelock covering his eyes.
It's the blind leading the blind lol
Remember that horses’ eyes are pointed mostly sideways, so the forelock doesn’t actually bother Talos that much.
@@mikedrop4421 One of his eyes wasn't covered by the forelock.
It really is true. In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man (or horse?) is king. :)
Yes, however he looks magnificent! And that in and of itself is half the battle.
It's the blind riding the blind, Talos the calm warhorse looks like a laid back hippie with all that hair. I wouldn't be surprised if he's got a blunt hidden in that mane of his.
"You have to remember what's on the ground" - that puts everything in perspective. It's easy to understand why cavalry had to charge and retreat. If they would hand around, people on foot would get to them and the cavalry would possibly not see what's even happening!
Great to see you back, Jason!
absolutely. Obviously if you didn't care about hitting them, you'd just thrash about and clear the area.
Yeah, haha. Btw, awesome helmet! I always wanted to feature helmets in my content, but first I need to earn sonething from the videos to afford it :D
@@APinchOfHistory You now have one more subscriber. Hope it helps.
@@TrishBlassingame Oh, wow, thanks! Of course it does!
Same reason in modern combat Tanks can't just drive into enemy infantry positions.
12:45 - *"A Knight never goes into battle without other people - to support him in his endeavors."*
Wise words for Knights. Don't get ahead of yourselves in your endeavors - remember your team.
Wallaroo I am sure Tony Blair will do that in a couple of months time.
@@tonyclough9844 Riiiight..... my comment had *nothing* to do with being a knight, and everything to do with modern British politics! You are soooo right! Thanks dude!
@@wallaroo1295 It is amazing how people force their politics into conversations even where it makes zero sense.
A knight is a parasite with great PR?
Thanks for the reminder that most objects from history are not an "ultimate" form but rather represent transitions in development and how to deal with a problem. This form of helmet may be iconic, but it is a great example of how helmet design was still a work-in-progress.
Makes me wonder what the world would look like if, for whatever sci-fi reason we could think up, we didn't have gun powder... what would the modern battlefield look like?
except for the spear, basically. Not much you can do to improve the spear even nowadays except better materials.
Javelin. Atlatl. Slingshot.
@@Clint52279 railguns or something of the like would eventually be developed much earlier if we didn't have gunpowder.
@@vaahtobileet Airguns even. Prussian forces used them irl in the 19th century iirc, Lewis and Clark brought one with them too
I have a rounded spangenhelm with a faceplate of the same period and after a time I could definitely feel the weight imbalance in my neck. I imagine they did just get used to that, but I actually riveted a small lead weight inside the rim at the back to balance it and that massively improved the comfort of it over time. What I find most extraordinary is that all this stuff was worn in the heat of Palestine during the crusade. It’s hot at the best of times…
Palestine is not really that hot from around october until late april/may,since its a mediterranean climate. It can get pretty wet and chilly in the winter too.
@@varolussalsanclar1163 But the battle of Hattin - the catastrophic (to Christendom) event that sparked the Third Crusade - was fought in July, and Saladin made full strategic use of that fact.
@@varolussalsanclar1163 wet winters make campaigning incredibly difficult, arguably a lot more than dry and very cold ones. It might be especially bad in rockier, mountainous places like eastern Syria and Palestine because the ground can't take as much water as in the plains. Still a good point, the perception of middle East (even areas far more south like Iran) is fairly skewed because of the hot summers, connection with the Arabia (which is, indeed, hellishly hot) and probably the portrayal of Iraq war
I imagine it's a great forward head posture training device! PTs should prescribe wearing one to people with weak neck extensors :v
@@TobyVenables Kinda a bad example of "... all this stuff was worn in heat of Palestine..." cause they were defeated by the heat and thirst as much as anything else, backs up the idea that this wasn't a great idea when on Crusade :D
I love how Talos paws the ground so eagerly. Such a great horse; I am certain that King Richard would have loved him as much as he loved his Fauvel.
Talos: "Are we going on an outing, or are you just going to talk to that bloody camera all day?"
Y'all motherefers need Talos.
quite an impressive animal
I think that was more restless boredom and at that point, I was sympathizing.
Pawing the ground is often body language for irritation and stress
Love how Jason is so experienced at wearing medieval helmets, he can discuss the intricacies of design and using them day-to-day and for specific tasks. Anyone else would notice the enclosed experience but only know what it is like compared to a bare head, not other designs of period helmet or what they would be like to wear over the course of hours or on multiple different days. A unique insight and one hell of a horse too.
Even though fighting on horseback was a key-signifier of a knight on the battlefield, we know throughout medieval history knights have been routinely used as elite heavy infantry as well (during certain periods more routinely than others). Therefore we need to be careful about referring to knights exclusively as cavalrymen (I am not saying that you did that). Knights were essentially the professional warrior-class (which by ancient European tradition was also interlocked with belonging to the political elite). Knights were not a type of military regiment. When you were in dire need of elite heavy infantry during the Middle Ages, you had your knights dismount, even as early as the Norman knights of the 900s. We have a particularly interesting example from the First Crusade where the crusader camp is under attack, the knights then form a ring around the camp to protect both the camp followers AND the common footmen.
So nice to leave 2021 with an wondrous history lesson from Jason. Well done, and thank you. Happy New Year, everyone!
I second that!
Happy New Year to you!
Richard Lionheart from heaven in occitan : "Those peasant island are still talking about me to this day even if I never set a foot there for more than a week in my whole life !😅 Dear southern France I miss you... Damn might be why these island dwellers like it there too they copy everything i did !" Goes back writing poems in Occitan about the depressive land he owned as a king and how much he was happier in jail in the holy land than in his rainy Island.
Knee to knee cavalry charges with vision impairing helmets makes sense in the same way as ancient Greek and Macedonian phalanx and medieval pikemen do. Some lovely insights by recreating and testing 👌
Great video but I had to laugh when Jason said "I would normally wear chain mail" in much the same way I would say "I usually wear jeans and a T-Shirt".
Your speech about feeling enclosed but not really claustrophobic does remind me of when I had to put on a motorcycle helmet for the first time. It really felt like half my vision was suddenly gone. On a car, a simple glance was enough for me to see everything around me. On a motorcycle I have to physically move my head to be able to see anything.
You really don't realise how much you rely on your peripheral vision until you no longer have it. When going down the stairs I have to fully look down because I can't tell where my legs are, when normally I can text on the phone while walking down a flight of stairs. I don't envy the knights of later medieval periods who had even less vision than me, AND had to fight like that.
great info, yes, exactly.
Interesting, when riding I feel I have more vision. As I just tilt my head to see. and have no big dash, or A B C frames blocking my vision.
I prefer riding a motorcycle to driving a car partly because of better vision. There are no pillars, upholstery, dashboard, passenger seat, ceiling or floor blocking my vision, I can move around on my lane and on the seat, and I have a far better sense of where everything is in relation to everything else because I can touch almost every part of the bike without dismounting, whereas judging a car's extremities requires guesswork or deduction from secondary clues.
From what we know of King Richard's battles such as Arsuf and Jaffa he usually lined up most of his army for battle but held back a reserve force of knights that he led personally. Once the battle began in earnest he would lead this reserve to wherever the fighting was fiercest. I imagine that once the orders had been sent and the troops committed there was little opportunity for anyone to change his mind so the tunnel-vision and poor hearing wouldn't be too big an issue from an army commander's perspective.
I think you are confusing combat on the personal and tactical level with combat on the battlefield level here, a bit.
Actually we know banners and trumpets were used for signalling. But in this case those would have been with Richard and at least during the charge and until that group (probably a conroy) was reformed there wouldn't be much opportunity give any signals, though you might hear the trumpets of another large formation.
He also had his own reserve in case he got into trouble doing just that - John Forester ended up saving him from being surrounded by Saracens during the battle of Acre. Ended up getting knighted, chevron vert, and made governor of Bamburgh for it. It's a shame that it's not very well talked about.
@@maskcollector6949 Yup and they did have other officers. Even if the king was out for glory in battle, there would be general orders and other officers would be expected to adapt to the situations at hand and even possibly take over the command and operations bit of the field until he returned, should something go terribly wrong.
Your horse was just DYING to run around. Just waiting for you to tell her you're ready. What an amazing creature
Medieval combat must've been unbelievably brutal and I often think if I could have had the courage to wage war in those times. I'm a US navy submarine veteran and I guess I always felt more comfortable with the idea of a relatively quick death by torpedo and crushing ocean depths 😂 Excellent video as always, you are definitely a national treasure of your country and the world of learning lost knowledge of medieval life. 🖖Ps love the design of the helmet, its creator is talented indeed!
I'm sure it was utterly awful!
I was Air Force, if I had gone Navy I would've done all I could to stay out of a sub. With my luck, id be stuck in that portion of the hull that doesn't flood immediately or explosively decompress. I'd spend the last week of my life wondering if I'd be rescued, while I slowly go mad from thirst and the sound of my own heart beat.
@@Clint52279 That sounds a pretty grim death
@@Clint52279 well you have to volunteer so you'd be safe my air force friend! But you get extra pay called sub pay, plus sea pay, and I spent most of my deployments in war zones so that's even more money
@@Clint52279 Army Tanker myself. During the Cold War, I was figuring I would burn to death inside my M60 or M1 tank, probably in the Fulda Gap. At least the Abrams is a tough nut to crack.
War can be a nasty sort of business, no matter the time period. Thank heaven for medical tech advancement.
I remember that type of helmet from illustrations - not just medieval ones but Victorian ones where they seem to be open-faced. After all, the romantic maiden in those knightly Victorian romances must be able to see the face of the knight to whom she give her heart ...
It's great to see wonderful Talos in action - and, ahem, is that a brand new gambeson you're wearing? A Christmas present, perchance?
Yes, Victorian illustrations used open-faced helmets for the exact same reason movies today do: so that people can see the knight’s face and relate to him.
I still think he is the most qualified and capable person of making a really good medieval video game.
There is probably no money in it or demand for it, but a guy can dream.
I know, kingdom come is basically what I just described and it was great.
There's demand..
@ImperiumRomanum M&B does it right so it sells like hot cakes
@ImperiumRomanum M&B can be improved upon
@ImperiumRomanum And KCD sold 4m over its life time yes the market's not as big as shooters battle royale or FPS but to say it doesn't have a market's incorrect
@ImperiumRomanum kind of a funny story honestly. There defenitly is demand. Otherwise games like mount and blade, kingdom come etc etc wouldnt excist and be a succes. But some studios claim there isent. I think the bigger studios like EA or Blizzard wont touch the genre because their bread and butter has become annual minimum viable products or games where the year has changed from 2021 to 2022. (looking at you sports titles) And to deliver a good RPG game you need to put in the time to make the writing work, the people and universe believable etc etc and they dont want to put in the work when their other titles also earn them a pretty penny for 1/10th of the work. People love a good RPG and the 1 studio that always dilivered in the past (Bioware) is in somewhat of a pickle after Anthem and the studio itself struggling to keep people on board.
I wouldnt say that people dont want a good midievel RPG, they defenitly do. But the industry has forgetten how to deliver one.
It’s interesting how wearing personal armor hasn’t really changed over the centuries. In the modern military, when one is completely decked out in Kevlar body armor, helmet, MOPP gear, and gas mask, one’s mobility and field of view is almost as restrictive as medieval armor. Of course, that’s all driven by the need for armor to fit the human form, but as they say, some things never really change. Thanks for another fascinating viddy! Happy New Year! 🤙🏼🌹
I remember reading somewhere that the total weight of equipment a typical soldier carries has been remarkably consistent throughout history: about 60 lbs. That was roughly how much a Roman legionnaire carried, roughly how much a medieval infantryman carried, roughly how much a Napoleonic-era soldier carried, and roughly how much the typical soldier carried in WWII (although in recent years the load has been going up, at least in the US). The article talked about how that seems to be the maximum weight a fit man could reasonably be expected to carry on a long march, and so soldiers have historically been loaded up with equipment to that point, and only rarely past.
All that to say, there are some remarkable consistencies based around fundamental human limits.
@@maddie9602 That is a little misleading, as in some of those periods, soldiers carried little other than their arms and armor (and sometimes not all of that, instead being moved in carts and wagons en masse). Modern (and Roman, during part of their duration) soldiers carry a lot of their own logistical supplies in addition to much of their armament.
@@LaughingMan44 True, although modern armour is relatively new. Many of us served when armour wasn't a thing, 200-300 years, regardless, you take what you are given and you do what you can.
@@LaughingMan44 I was speaking metaphorically, and in generalities.
The technology to make equipment changes, but the human body that all the stuff has to go on remains the same. You have the same restrictions on how much obstruction you can deal with while still remaining mobile and effective.
If something was too heavy or restrictive 3000 years ago, it's still impractical for a soldier today.
Bro. You are doing the Lord's work of saving and rediscovering all this knowledge and spreading it to future generations. Best wishes and my family look forward to following you and your crew's videos for 2022.
Another consideration is the fact that most iconography and historical artifacts that remain and/or were produced may have been or were representations of the top 1% of “high fashion” on the battlefield. Take the battle of Visby for for example (in contrast) with the very much dated equipment. How much combat did King Richard physically partake in while wearing a helmet of this style if any at all? Sometimes the newest, shiny object isn’t always the best but it still gets everyone talking as you similarly put. As a self-proclaimed military history enthusiast, I’m always curious as to the efficacy and efficiency of certain pieces of gear and equipment so it’s always nice to hear someone else’s perspectives and opinions on the matter. Thank you for all that you do.
As someone whose main occupation is to ride horses (modern english style but still horses), I admire how well trained your horses are and how you‘re able to communicate with them while still upholding the historical accuracy. Great quality channel!
Thanks. It's always nice when a fellow equestrian notices things like that.
@@ModernKnight Brida would be historically accurate, but dang, go with a Jineta seat!
I know it's probably a thing that needs to be trained out of him, but it's so adorable to see Talos pawing the ground like "Come on! Walkies!" when you're talking about the helmet.
Give him and all your horses some extra love. They're very good boys and gals.
Yes, he was very attentive when Jason showed us how to change stance and weight to give the horse his helps. But once it was down to him just talking Talos got bored. From these videos I think Jason is a bit more lenient with this behaviour of his horses and mules. Probably because o one else will ride them and he doesn't have to adapt his training to other riders.
it’s why his horses are the stars of the videos
It is both amazing, beautiful and scary seeing you on Talos galloping around, the helmet sure gives a bit of a ominous look, and i can completly understand why was cavalry so useful, because you need really well trained men to stand a charge of a great lord like that with his riders behind him, that shows how morale and a good captain is very important.
Faceplate helmet is also depicted in "Manuscript BNF Latin 11534 Bible" (location Bibliothèque Nationale, source manuscript miniatures), estimated also around 1185-95. (Since Richard was almost never on the island it probably was a continental thing, but from where exactly..)
Paradoxal choice when conical helmets existed around the same time (with faceshield too), still from depictions they seem to become widespread (with some enhancement decades later), and common explanation is as you say the "rarity to get a straight hit on the top", which makes sense along that this version is probably simpler design to produce. (so easy it was even my very first piece crafted)
He's back I'm so happy. Thanks for the video I hope life is going well and you have a happy new year
Happy new year!
I love how Talos paws at the ground. "C'mon Jason Let's go!" is what I imagine he's trying to convey.
Love the aesthetic of this helmet, not overly complex but has a simplistic rustic style. Nice one mate very informative vid as always 👌
these helmets were anything but rustic. reading Håkon Håkonssons saga, norwegian soldiers were shocked by how gilded, ornamented, and bejeweled scottish knights helms were. you can see this as well in edward the confessor manuscript.
@@Dejawolfs Appreciate that bit of info, thanks for the input though I was only referring to this exact helmet in the vid which seems quite rustic to me relative to the later great helms of course.
You have done so much for the proliferation of the knowledge of medieval history.
Awesome insight, at least us healthcare workers with our claustrophobic N95 masks have vision. Thank you for bringing us some joy in these tough times.
Our pleasure!
I struggled even with the little surgical masks 😆 - just add some stress and voila, panic sets in. It must take a great deal of practice to wear such restrictive head gear.
I used to wear a flat topped great helm when I did reenactment. It was comfortable to wear and I didn't used to feel I was getting hit on the top of the head too often. In fact, downward blows, I found, were less likely to hit your shoulders when wearing a great helm as blows didn't deflect close to the body. This did put stress on the helm though and it would pop it's rivets very regularly.
This helmet is a little out of my comfort zone by 100-150 years. However I do recognize the problem with chin strap placement and construction. I did notice there is an internal suspended helmet liner, is this best guess or evidence based?
I'm impressed with that magnificent horse - besides being well-mannered and well-trained, he's beautiful.
Are we going to get more war mule videos?? Does he have a name yet?
Interesting. We often think of how form follows function but less of how function follows form. This helmet was optimized for a cavalry charge but that also imposes restrictions. If you happen to be wearing this helmet, your only good option is to charge and if the situation isn't appropriate to a charge, you'll be at a large disadvantage. Obviously if you expect a different situation you can change helmets, but the fluidity of a battle doesn't always allow that.
very glad to see another one from you, and an interesting one as well. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
@@ModernKnight every minute of it!
Happy 2022 Jason! I appreciate Talos getting first credit, he’s such a gorgeous fellow. Do you take him out for a ride after filming so he can shake out the energy he clearly has to spare? Best wishes and I must refer you to Tasting History with Max Miller… he does a brilliant job with period food. I think of the episodes you did on what the various social classes ate and have been meaning to share that with you. Take care, be well and prosper in the New Year.
Thanks, and yes I must do more food videos soon.
He made sure that we all knew he was getting bored of just sitting there and talking. 🤣
@@ModernKnight Considering february is approaching, what about sweets in medieval europe. Hells medieval cakes!
@@merpius just like my dog when we're on a walk and I stop for a chat. "let's go already"
I wonder how much the Crusades had an influence on the shape. Flatter sheets of steel bent round and riveted in place would make for faster production at a time when demand for arms and armor increased. If I recall correctly, the earliest helmets were a shorter bucket (like Graham Chapman wore in Monty Python and the Holy Grail), and eventually were lengthened to the point where they look like your great helm. Is it possible the helmets grew in size as a result of the fighting in the Middle East? Missiles (arrows, shot from slings) being fired at the European crusaders?
Is there any evidence of plate armor being worn at the same time, or were these only worn over mail?
Would also be interesting for Jason to talk about the Crusades in more depth. Might be a multi part dive !
The heat. The different food. Different terrain. And your opponent on lighter horses (Arabians or the like I would guess?!) The local horses would be used to the heat, be "thrifty" when they ate & much different then the horses from a cooler clime.
So many angles to it.
@@m.maclellan7147
Iberian horses (such as Talos’s sire) emerged in that time period as a cross between the light Arabian horses and the heavier European horses of the time.
An helm like that was the latest tech available and most likely it was extremely expensive. Medieval equipment wasn't mass produced like for example the roman lorica, and a skullcap was faster and cheaper to make. At the time there were feudal conflicts all around Europe, so I think that demand didn't change too much before and during the crusades. Plate armour is later tech and by the time the first plate protections appeared this particular kind of helm was already out of fashion, in favour of the famous great helm. But while I don't know specific evidence of it being used with some early plate pieces, I wouldn't rule out the possibility. When full plate became common in early 1400, this kind of helmet, and the great helm too, were already obsolete.
If you look at the Maciejowski Bible, which has helmets very similar to this, and dates to the mid 1240s, maille was still the common armor. Open faced round top helmets are also pictured, specifically by footmen. Helmets such ad Jason are rearing are worn by the cavalry.
11:35 I remember when I was a full year in the army, we wore helmets almost daily, and for long hours. It felt like nothing, back then. But when I now come back to my yearly exercises, the helmet weighs heavy. So there definitely are muscles you can gain or lose.
Good to see you return; its always so cool to see the evolution of mideival warfare.
If the helmet design only lasted one generation, to me that suggests it was invented because it was cheaper and would be replaced by designs that were both cheaper and more effective. It also sounds like it would only be useful during cavalry charges and under missile barrages, but that seems to be true of most medieval cavalry helmets. It probably did have a simple clasp so the knight could quickly remove it before wading into a melee.
Probably just fashion as well. Until that point nothing really looked like that so it had it's "fad" phase.........which didn't last long as the design shortcomings were quite obvious and better designs fullfilled both roles.
Another very practical effect of a faceplate could be protecting the wearer's face from splintering of lances, ricochets or splintering arrow shafts etc? Or am I thinking too much of jousting lances?
Tod's (from Tod's Workshop) tests show, that there was actually a very high risk of being hit with arrow splinters and ricochets, so I think it's a valid theory. And if there is evidence of parts of chestplates designed specifically to deflect projectiles away from the face, why not also have some face protection :)
While it's not the most effective design, it does look really spiffy on a mounted person.
From my experience, as an armored fighter you instinctively learn to move your head and body in order to see. Eventually you get used to it and not much escapes your sight.
Finally, someone who realizes that the opponents of flat topped helmet wearers weren't fighting 9 foot tall people who can hit them straight down on top of the head
Showing "face" and surviving any random arrows from the battle might have been the main goal.
A Double-barrel piggy bank.
There is something quite intimidating about the helmet. And a whole line of cavalry wearing them would be even more so.
10:08 the horse was revving up.
Good job you stopped him or his back legs could have spun out.
So if it comes to fighting people who are on foot, I guess the tactic would be to spread out and just flail around wildly with whatever hand weapon you have, hoping you'll hit something that's not on your side XD
First comments after watching the movie. 1. As always, a revelation! It is especially valuable when you are talking about something older than your 15th age. 2. A revelation for the second time, this helmet is the ancestor of the next one, a link in evolution, I will now compare and watch it change. 3. You showed the inside of the helmet for a moment - did you know that the 20th century helmet from World War II had almost identical lining? Some things don't change, they're just good, and you can't think of anything more sensible. Up to a point. 4. If Talos were a student, he would definitely prefer exercises to lectures. 5. It would be great one day - I don't know how technically possible - to put a camera inside the helmet and show the viewer how much you really see. 6. Happy New Year to you and all your two- and four-legged friends!
Compare just about any two helmets - from ancient ones to modern bicycle helmets - and you’ll see such similarities, simply because they all have to fit _securely_ on human heads and be held up by the wearers’ necks.
@@ragnkja It is more complicated. Remember that in the "war of shell against armour" or in this case armour against various weapons, the helmet is also involved. Its shape depends on what kind of threat it is supposed to protect against.
I love every one of Jason's videos. It's great to see his passion for the medieval period and to learn from him!
But what i love even more....are Jason's horses. Talos! What a fantastic well-trained creature! And what a great name! Looking forward to the next video!
Thanks for your kind words and support too!
@@ModernKnight Hiya, I went to the 600 year commemoration of the battle of Cravant recently, there was a joust and some foot fighting in armour. Most interesting. It's an incredible sight with the banners etc, the horses are rather scary in their caparisons (is that a word?).
Battle of Cravant: Burgundy and the English defending Cravant which was under siege from the Dauphin of France and the Scots. There was a conference by the current Count of Chastellux (whose ancestor led the Burgundians), which I couldn't attend unfortunately.
There was a pipe band from Aubigny which was given to John Stewart by Charles VII. Maybe up to 3000 Scots died at the battle because they refused to retreat. Having the Frenchmen pipe for the fallen Scots was very moving. They were in full Stewart regalia.
A fun point was that the leader still gives all his commands in English, but he can't speak it, so his accent is terrible!
That was interesting. I'm guessing there must have been extensive choreography between either bunched knights or a knight and his foot to pull off a good charge. All of the mounted knights must have had similar vision and hearing restrictions. Pre-battle training and practice perhaps?
yes, I think they were very well trained.
@@ModernKnight Survival must have depended on it. Thanks for the continuing great videos. Happy New Years & Happy Birthday!
In later periods there's real mix of weapons and armour in each knightly unit, the lance fournie was made up not only knights but lighter cavalry and mounted archers.
At times also foot soldiers where added to lance.
Awesome stuff, great to see someone donning the gear and experiencing it instead of just making declerations about how awkward it may or may not be.
The show was stolen by the elephantine horse though.
Thank you and Talos for this awesome video! Talos is such an amazing and well trained horse! He's a really good boy.
Talos is so handsome.
Also, great helms like that are some of my favorite helmets visually. It's too bad they're practically a little hard to see and hear out of.
What I dont like about them is the visor is fixed so obviously your unable to lift it and see/assess what`s going on around you for a few seconds.
Wouldn’t the coif for this helmet be of different shape to factor in the flat top of the helmet? E.g. have some kind of padded ring on top to create a more flat surface and help stabilize the helmet?
Possibly, but it doesn't seem to need it.
I was thinking about the same, a padded headband attached to the coif that fills in the "crumple zone" of the helmet, providing some more protection and stability. Button or strap the coif to the chest armor so it doesn't slip and mightbe a leather collar to support the neck and throat a bit for when the chin comes down?
It’s funny you mention that, some period effigies depict something exactly like that! William Longespee’s and some of the London Temple Church effigies are good examples.
The helmet suspension forms a hemisphere inside the helmet.
That’s a common feature in all helmets.
Separate coifs weren't use much in Richard's time from what I've been reading. Most coifs were incorporated into hauberks. There are 1-2 instance of small neck length coifs but not the shoulder covering mail coifs seen today by reenactors and filmmakers. Victorian painters took liberties in displaying it as separate. But it is the norm now in many groups and few bother to see the evidence in art and statuary.
Really gives you an appreciation of how much training and practice knights must have had. Also how much assistance was required would have been provided by one's retinue both on and off the battlefield.
Fascinating, thank you.
Really interesting how you work through the logic of a person wearing this helmet, counting the positives and negatives to determine its value. Obviously the biggest negative is the lack of vision as you describe in detail. Two things came to mind on that end:
1) A cavalry charge must kick up a lot of dirt - maybe if I am a Knight, knowing that the men I'm fighting below are already limited in vision by the dirt kicked up, I may not be so worried about tunnel vision, might actually help in a melee, especially to have something that keeps dirt/blood/rain out of my eyes.
2) Could it be possible that the knights on the flanks of the charge were simply told to wear open face helmets? As you stated, If I have a knight to my left and right, I'm not so worried. If I'm on the far end of the charge, I think I might prefer and open helmet. I wonder if there would be any way to learn if that was ever implemented or considered?
Thanks, and from this earlier setting I'm not aware of any evidence like that but it makes sense. There's a later armoured charge with heavier cavalry in the front ranks and lighter ones in the ranks behind.
Every time I see the intro I think of Lancelot charging the castle in Monty Python's Search for the Holy Grail. I love it.
Thank you! Finaly someone on TH-cam defends the flat-topped helmet. Everyone on internet always cries how the design is bad, becuase if you get hit directly over the top of that helmet, all the force of the impact would go into your neck, your vertabrae. But I always thought that the likelyhood of you getting hit like that is extremely small, because any weapon strike from the top would far more likely hit the top's edge first. Which happens to be the strongest part of the helmet. And maybe the reason these great helm predecessors are flaring out at the top is to make that angle even more prominent. So in a way, it may have been some form of a sword repelent, since you'd be guaranteed to get a notch in your blade if you try do hit that edge. And let's not forget, in this time period people mostly fought with one-handed weapons, since we know shields were used. So even if you do somehow get hit directly on the top of the helmet, the force of such one-handed impact would hardly be substantial enough to cause severe neck injury, certainly not when using a sword or an axe. A good mace or a dane axe hit could certainly make a difference, but still, beucase of that angle, very unlikely to land properly.
I could imagine the spike on a poleaxe being quite uncomfortable on the top... but yeah, on horseback it should be quite hard to get a good angle into the top! It must be exclusively for mounted combat anyway, right? No chance you could suffer that loss of visibility on foot...?
It changed for a reason though lol. A lot of things are unlikely but are designed around with armor (such as shoulder roundels or the neck "V" that deflects arrows in late medieval plate)
Your pronunciation of "coif" with the same vowel sound as in "boy" is the correct English pronunciation. Middle English borrowed the word from Old French in the early 1300s, back then Old French pronounced the "oi" digraph somewhat like "oy" before it changed to a "wa" sound in Modern French. So Modern English preserves a pronunciation that's closer to the original Old French pronunciation, while Modern French changed to a different one.
As always, every weapon is a tradeoff.
Would knights at the ends of a charging line have had different helmets or armor or weapons or whatever to be more aware of and to deal with threats from the side when foot couldn't keep up to support them?
Jason, would you do a video on how medieval diplomacy worked? Being saturated with the war in Ukraine, it occurred to me that I really don't know how such things in medieval times were done such as: were wars declared? How do the belligerents signal a truce? Somehow, I don't think they used a white flag. Were there equivalents of modern day embassies? And were there large alliances akin to NATO and the old Warsaw Pact (or ComBloc)?
You make an excellent point about the top of the helmet being flat. I would wager bladed weapons would take significant damage from the reinforced cornered top. The edge it creates and in particular the double plate from the top and side plates would even break some blades. Especially in a combat scenario where an already damaged sword from rigorous combat would be more likely. Would be an interesting thing to test! See how much damage a bladed weapon would take from a direct heavy strike to the top of the helmet. I would watch that for sure! Love your channel!
Period steel was a lot less consistent then modern steel, so that’s likely.
Those helmets have a reputation of being sword breakers. :)
@@1Phoenixness imagine how loud someone breaking a sword on your helmet would be
@@1Phoenixness is that so?? Yea from just watching the video you can imagine it's like striking a reinforced metal corner!
Would have your bell rung for sure and most likley concussed but.....head still inact...mostly
I wonder if they would have used an early type of double D-ring systm to fasten straps, similar to modern motorcycle helmets? I'm pretty sure they were around by the late medieval period, but I wonder if there are earier examples?
Recently read about William Marshall, First Earl of Pembroke who served 3 kings! I thought of you often when reading about him.
Taos, as usual is simply grand.
I bet a "donut" of padding (like you see with some traditional Japanese Sandogasa) would really help that helmet stay situated... 🤔
I wonder if intimidation was at all a factor when choosing between a closed or an open faced helmet. Being charged by someone on horseback is already pretty terrifying but I feel like having to fight this "faceless" enemy would definitely add something to that as well
Very true!
Other Medieval history channels: Lets read these sources about the bubonic plague so we can learn what it was like for peasants that got it.
Jason: Today Im going to catch the bubonic plague and die so that we can know what bubonic plague was like for peasants that got it.
Very nice enclosed helm! As a late 13th century reenactor myself, I knew that the vision below the oculars would be the biggest thing. It was for me as well when I had my Dargen Helm made. I don’t think it was done until late 13th early 14th century where retention chains would fasten the base of the helm to a point on the wearer - Belt or chest. That allowed the knight to take off his helm without it becoming lost or falling to the ground.
Vision is a nightmare on horseback. I found my brain working hard to try to keep a map of what was around me.
@@ModernKnight that's also why cavalry rushed only in the right moment. You can't keep up the focus for too long
@@ModernKnight it also really brings an understanding as to why things like caltrops, ditches, poor ground, and other obstacles and defenses at ground level could have such an impact on the effectiveness of cavalry on the battlefield in the period.
I don't know how relevant this is, but I'm from Romania, we speak a romance language, and we say coif the exact same way you do.
That horse is an absolute unit!
I bet a fully clad knight riding a mount with barding would have been severely intimidating
Medieval horses were much smaller than this though. Still intimidating for it’s day, but for modern standards you’d be surprised.
Talos is like "Yeah cool helmet stuff, let's go already!"
14:25 when you mentioned that I think there’s another factor that’s should be mentioned and that’s the phycological factor that this helmet has for being enclosed for both the knight and the enemy.
Being the rider, it gives you more confident about your protection, which will result in being more aggressive in battle without doubt. Just like American Football player mentality compared to Rugby player. It gives a certain type of confident of being anonymous by hiding your face when going into battle just like wearing a hoodie today.
Another good factor that it has and has been used in the past in other civilizations (even today), is the use of being a phycological weapon itself. Not being able to read one enemy face, mouth, and eyes is something that demoralized the enemy. Roman Calvary, Samurai, Persian Cataphract, and other more have used face mask or face covering in a way to demoralize enemy combatants. From Nasal Helmet to fully enclosed would’ve have been a shock for many people, especially for the common infantry. Give. The context. No doubt why Crusader Charges where highly feared in Muslims accounts, as they themselves where used to the nasal helm due to the heat.
I'm having Monty Python flashbacks...this is awesome, and a lil' hilarious :D
The fact that everyone was aiming for faces is not something I thought of and now that I know about it it’s rather disturbing. As a person whose had some nasty face injuries it hits a nerve.
I believe they simply aimed for any exposed bits and/or whatever they could get a solid hit on.
I've been waiting for a new video from Jason for what seems like an age. And yo no surprise TH-cam decided not to tell me that there was one.
Great video Jason! I always wondered how mounted knights could actually function on the battlefield wearing full helmets that restricted hearing and vision. Having ridden horses myself (not in combat of course), I can't imagine finding a way around in the chaos of battle on a horse with what is essentially a steel bucket with eye slots on my head. As you say, the knights didn't go into a battle alone and were highly specialized for the frontal charge. Light cavalry on the other hand seems to have preferred more open-face helmet designs since their role on the battlefield was different, often being limited to scouting, skirmishing, and hit and run tactics.
Most likely they put on those closed helmet only before charging. Later helmets, starting with the bascinet, had a visor that could be opened. Another thing that is often overlooked is that knights didn't fought alone, but they had retainers in early period and later they were formally organised in lances. During Renaissance they were referring to knight units as lances, for example they didn't say "our army have 100 kinghts" but "100 lances", and since usually a lance (but it depends on the period and location) was a 3 men squad, that means 300 men. In a typical lance the knight was accompanied by a mounted squire, that was usually lightly armoured, and a servant, usually dismounted, officer with logistics duties. This means that the knight always had a companion or more, a "wingman" of sort. Fighting with an helmet like that wasn't easy but I think one more pair of ears and eyes helped a lot.
@@ganjacomo2005 One also has to remember that fighting kit is generally never easy to fight in. Just look at the gear the SAS had during the Iranian Embassy Siege. Highly debilitating stuff for the untrained.
I take issue a bit with describing the lance as a tactical unit, it mostly seems to be an organisational unit.
I imagine medieval knights watching this video and seeing your horse "Jesus! What is that giant monster!?"
It's nice to see you on screen again. I hope that the New Year is good to you and yours.
“‘Tis but a scratch.” 😁
I’ve been calling that “the black knight helmet” until now.
This is an absolute gem of a channel. I'm just sorry it's taken me until now to come across it. As someone with no real knowledge of the medieval period, but a significant interest in it, I find your videos to be perfectly pitched. Very many thanks for the effort you're taking to produce these.
Welcome aboard, and glad you've found us!
Isn't this the same helmet the Black Knight wore in Monty Pythons the Holy Grail? lol
This guy is living the dream - Thankfully, he is more than happy to share it with the rest of us!
Talos is one handsome lad. He also seemed pretty eager to charge into battle!
The over gesturing while trying to see has an odd comical feeling to it, reminds me of Monty Python and the holy grail
Beautiful helmet, beautiful horse.
That is an excellent microphone and mic placement. I am impressed by how well I can hear you in that thing.
armor, horses, practical examples. smaaaash the like buttom
This makes me think the helmet was worn by someone who really wanted to get out of there alive, but not get involved in the battle itself.
An important point you should consider, or more likely, reconsider. Anyone who ever played American style football knows that hard armour can actually hurt you while protecting you. When you get into helmet and shoulder pads, you learn immediately that, in anticipation of impact, you need to “hunch up” or place yourself into a position that puts strain on the straps and supports of the armour so that the impact is met there, as opposed to the armour transferring the impact directly onto your body.
Second, if you look at the nasal/cheek plate extension, along with the flat top, from the view of a frontal lance attack, a simple lowering of the head, almost instinctive in such a case, turns that face/top 90 degree angle into a very effective lance deflector. If a straight-on attack.
Other than jousting in competition, I doubt that was likely. Foot soldiers underfoot, dodging on rough terrain, attacks come from all sides.
With all of the difficulties of mounted, armored combat, I reckon full armour was as much for show, intimidation, and wanting your side to appear invincible, since armour had to have been very rare on the field. That, in addition to the fact that full, brass-embellished shiny armour told everyone on that field, “look, there’s the king, get him” makes me wonder how often it’s wearers really got into the thick of things. I reckon it was more often seen on a nearby hilltop, standing regally next to standard-bearers and the band.
Big win for the youtube algorithm reccomending me this. Love it
Always grateful for more of this channel. Thanks Jason and team for the great content.
I love medieval Europe. Men and woman must have been so mentally tough back then just to survive without the comforts we have today
Hola from Spain 👍🏻
I am partially blind due to ocular nerve damage and can't see anything below what I am directly looking at... I often walk into things when I come around a corner or if someone walks in front of me and pulls a trolley behind them for example... Also, in the 8 years I have had this impairment I have knocked over 4 children by just walking into them...
This helmet would take some serious training to get used to, because I am still not used to my impairment after 8 years of full-time visual impairment*.
*The brain tricks you with ocular nerve damage though and makes your blind spot look like you can see but there is just nothing there, so a tabletop will still look the same it just doesn't load the glass and utensil assets onto it. So, it is harder then actually having a black spot there, but still, it seems like a major impairment in combat...
How difficult and also interesting. that your brain fills in 'wrong' info is fascinating, but must be hard to manage.
Next time i drive past a barn, ill wonder what unusual thing might be going on inside.
From this video it's clear how scary armored cavalry must have been in medieval periods. Imagine a bunch of fully armored knights/soldiers on horseback charging at you, you'll either going to hold real tight to your spear/pike, or run off. I think I'd do the latter :D
I have the urge for some Jolly Cooperation :)