Posted on 08/07/2020 4:34:18 PM PDT by ameribbean expat
A corroded, damaged helmet unearthed in Yarm, Stockton-on-Tees, in the 1950s is a rare, 10th century Anglo-Scandinavian helmet, the first ever found in Britain and only the second nearly complete Viking helmet found in the world.
**** The hammer marks covering the surface and ragged edges of the infill plates show the helmet was made at a blacksmiths forge without benefit of additional refinement. The rivet holes were punched through hot metal from the outer side, ensuring a smooth exterior that would not catch bladed weapons. The out turned lip of the brow band was a later alteration, pushing the mail curtain away from the neck, possibly to protect an injury.
***** The construction of the helmet is workmanlike and indicates that it was intended for use, not display. This fits with its suggested date of being Anglo-Scandinavian (Viking). By the 11th century armies were larger and used tactics such as shield walls with archers raining arrows down, as shown in the Bayeux Tapestry. This differs from the individual combat of an earlier period where the use of armour would not have been necessary. The lack of armour, helmets and mail hauberks (shirt of chain mail), was considered a key factor in the Vikings losing the battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066.
***** The Yarm helmet now joins the Gjermundbu helmet, Norway, as the second example from this period.
The iron of which the helmet is made, its method of manufacture, its shape, even its plain functional nature correspond well with a 10th century date...All the evidence points to this being a rare early medieval helmet which was most probably made and used in the north of England in the 10th century.
(Excerpt) Read more at prestonparkmuseum.co.uk ...
Didn’t know they played American football there so far back.
No horns?? its a fake
A terrific find. Various iron hoops of dubious origin and function have been touted as Saxon, Viking, or Norman helmets, depending on the current fashion. This is clearly a helmet and was no parade adornement. It was a steel pot. A sword could easily cleave a skull, but with a proper helmet, a very bad headache might be the result. Real warriors needed a good sword and a helmet. A shield was more easily obtained made of wood and leather.
My wife is ftom Mexico. The first time she saw the Minn Vikings play, she asked “why does that team have sperms on their helmets?”
They have been “The Minn Sperms” in our household ever since.
Too bad no NFL team will ever besmirch my TV again.
Dont tell the Swedes, they’ll want to destroy it as part of their program of cultural self-destruction.
https://thornews.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/only-existing-viking-age-helmet-norway.jpg
The Scandinavian one is a lot nicer. Wonder why? Is this one older?
Dang, I was wondering where I left that one! I only took it off a minute........
This Yarm helmet shares the same general shape of the Anglo-Saxon Sutton Hoo helmet, circa 625, absent the full face guard of the very decorative and functional Sutton Hoo.
“We want to hire the man who GAVE him those wounds”
1960
The British helmet sat submerged in moisture for centuries. Otherwise, think Scand design: Volvo vs. Vauxhall. Nothing new. French cavemen at Lascaux outdrew other contemporaries centuries before Seurrat and Monet turned the art world on its head
Ping!
Wasn’t referring to physical condition. Was referring to a nicer design.
Lovely Spam, Wonderful Spam!
Hagar the Horrible?
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