Helmet: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 11:04, 9 June 2006

Latest revision as of 23:05, 16 August 2025

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{{Short description|Protective headwear}}

[[Image:51479sweden_helmet.jpg|thumb|left|''[[Pickelhaube]]'' of a Swedish Royal Guard soldier]]

{{Other uses}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

[[File:A Wide Variety Of Helmets.png|thumb|upright=1.5|alt=A table with ten different types of helmets|Ten different types of helmets with different design, materials, amount of head coverage, and accessories to provide maximum protection for specific use cases]]A '''helmet''' is a form of [[protective gear]] worn to protect the [[Human head|head]]. More specifically, a helmet complements the [[skull]] in protecting the human [[brain]]. Ceremonial or symbolic helmets (e.g., a [[Custodian helmet|policeman's helmet]] in the [[United Kingdom]]) without protective function are sometimes worn. Soldiers wear [[combat helmet]]s, often made from [[Kevlar]] or other lightweight [[synthetic fiber]]s.

The word ''helmet'' is derived from ''helm'', an [[Old English]] word for a protective head covering.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/helmet|title=helmet (n.)|publisher=etymonline.com}}</ref>

:''For the band, see [[Helmet (band)|Helmet]]''

Helmets are used for numerous sports (e.g., [[jockey]]s, [[football helmet|American football]], [[Hockey helmet|ice hockey]], [[Cricket helmet|cricket]], [[Batting helmet|baseball]], [[skiing]], [[hurling]] and [[rock climbing]]); dangerous work activities such as [[construction]], [[mining]], [[riot police]], [[military aviation]], and in transportation (e.g. [[motorcycle helmet]]s and [[bicycle helmet]]s). Since the 1990s, most helmets are made from [[resin]] or [[plastic]], which may be reinforced with fibers such as [[aramid]]s.

A '''helmet''' (a 15th century loan from [[Middle French]], a diminutive of [[Frankish]] ''helm'', from [[Proto-Germanic]] ''*khelmaz'', [[PIE]] ''*kelmo-'' "a cover") is a form of [[protective clothing]] worn on the [[head (anatomy)|head]] and usually made of [[metal]] or other hard substance, such as [[Kevlar]], [[resin fiber]], or plastic typically for protection of the head in combat, or in civilian life, from sports injuries, falling objects or high-speed collisions.

==Designs==

Helmets are common in the [[military]], [[construction]], [[mining]] and some sports, including [[American football]], [[baseball]], [[ice hockey]] and [[rock climbing]]. [[Motorcycle helmet]]s and [[bicycle helmet]]s are compulsory headgear in some jurisdictions; in the [[United Kingdom]] only [[Sikh]]s are allowed to ride [[motorcycle]]s without wearing motorcycle helmets.

[[File:Tour du Doubs 2014 - Pontarlier - Jérémy Leveau.jpg|thumb|The French cyclist [[Jérémy Leveau]] wearing a [[bicycle helmet]] ]]Some British [[gamekeeper]]s during the 18th and 19th centuries wore helmets made of [[straw]] bound together with cut [[bramble]].<ref name=TLA>{{cite book |last=Hopkins |first=Harry |year=1985 |title=The Long Affray |___location=London |publisher=[[Secker & Warburg]] |isbn=0-436-20102-X}}</ref> Europeans in the tropics often wore the pith helmet, developed in the mid-19th century and made of [[pith]] or [[cork (material)|cork]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Pith Helmet {{!}} Perspectives on History {{!}} AHA |url=https://www.historians.org/publications-and-directories/perspectives-on-history/october-2020/the-pith-helmet |website=Historians.org}}</ref>

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 helmet]]s 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.{{when|date=April 2013}} The era of the First and Second World Wars also saw a resurgence of metal military helmets, most notably the [[Brodie helmet]] and the [[Stahlhelm]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Why were WWII helmet designs so different by country & which design was the most effective? |url=https://www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-articles/why-were-wwii-helmet-designs.html|website=War History Online|date=5 January 2019 }}</ref>

== Helmets' original military usage and symbolism ==

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]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Materials of Motorcycle Helmets|url=https://thedrivebook.com/most-common-materials-of-motorcycle-helmets/|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=}}</ref> Race car helmets include a head and neck support system that keeps the helmet (and head) attached to the body in severe collisions.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Lance |first1=Rachel |author-link=Rachel Lance |date=6 December 2020 |title=A Race Car Crash from Hell—and the Science That Saved Its Driver |url=https://www.wired.com/story/crash-science-romaine-grosjean |access-date=7 December 2020 |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]}}</ref>

Helmets are among the most ancient forms of combat protection, and are known to have been worn by [[ancient Greeks]], [[Ancient Rome|Romans]], throughout the [[Middle Ages]], and up to the end of the 1600s by many combatants. At that time they were purely military equipment, protecting the head from cutting blows with [[sword]]s, flying [[arrow]]s, and low velocity musketry. They were initially constructed from [[leather]], but soon came to be made entirely from forged [[steel]] after about 950A.D. Military use of helmets declined after 1670, and rifled [[firearms]], after 1700, ended their use by foot soldiers. 18th century cavalry units often wore steel body cuirasses, and frequently wore metal skull protectors under their hats, called "secrets".

==Helmet types==<!-- Helmet (disambiguation) links to this section. -->

The Napoleonic era saw the re-introduction of ornate cavalry helmets, for cuirassiers and dragoons in some armies, which continued in use until the first year of WWI. However, with [[World War I]], the use of heavy [[artillery]], the steel helmet made a quick comeback for foot soldiers. In the [[20th Century]] it offered protection for the head from [[shrapnel]] and spent or glancing bullets. The use of protective helmets by millions of fighting men in the two world wars, increased awareness of "hard hat" protection. By the 1950s hundreds of new applications for helmets were found. The helmet offered, an unexpected advantage, [[symbolism]].

[[File:Knight-in-Shining-Armour.jpg|thumb|left|upright|A [[Historical reenactment|reenactor]] wearing a [[sallet]]]]

It signifies that, like a soldier, the wearer is someone qualified to do something. You put on a "hard hat" to enter a major construction project, or an oil refinery. Clearly, in modern times, the helmet, its symbolism, and the real protection it offers, has spread far wider than the battlefield.

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.

Today's military are using some of the best ballistic helmets made of Kevlar. This means that the helmet has excellent bullet and fragmentation stopping power. Some helmets also have good non-ballistic protective qualities, many do not. Non-ballistic injuries result from blasts, motor vehicle accidents, and falls. Operation Helmet is a charity that gives non-ballistic upgrade kits to the troops.

Two important helmet types to develop in antiquity were the [[Corinthian helmet]] and the Roman [[Galea (helmet)|galea]].

== Helmets' function and structure ==

During the [[Middle Ages]], many different [[combat helmet|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]].

Despite various designs and requirements, helmets always protect the user's head through a mechanical energy absorption process. Therefor their structure and protective capacity are altered in high energy impacts. Beside their energy absorption capability, their volume and weight are also important issues since higher volume and weight increase the injury risk for the user's head and neck.

The great seal of [[Owain Glyndŵr]] (c. 1359 – c. 1415) depicts the prince of [[Wales]] and his stallion wearing full [[armour]], they both wear protective headgear with Owain's gold [[dragon]] mounted on top.<ref>{{citation |title= Great Seal of Owain Glyndŵr |url=http://www.gutorglyn.net/gutoswales/llun.php?src=diddordeb_sel_og.jpg&teitl=Great+Seal+of+Owain+Glynd%C5%B5r+&testun=The+reverse+of+the+Great+Seal+of+Owain+Glynd%C5%B5r |work=Guto's Wales}}</ref> This would have been impractical in battle, so therefore these would have been ceremonial.

Classical helmets from the ancient Greeks to modern day treat the head uniformely and are currently tested on rigid headforms. Anatomical helmets adapted to the inner head structure were invented by [[neurosurgery|neurosurgeons]] at the end of the 20th century. Since the materials are disposed according to the anatomical structure of the [[head]], they are smaller and lighter than the classical helmets.

In the 19th century, more materials were incorporated, namely leather, felt and [[pith]]. The [[pith helmet]] and the leather [[pickelhaube]] 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 British developed the [[Brodie helmet]], and the Germans produced the [[Stahlhelm]].

<gallery>

Image: closed helmet.jpg|1500s helmet in forged steel (compatible Anachrome 3D).

Image:Casque 501590 fh000009.jpg|Back of a [[SPECTRA helmet]] currently used in the [[Military of France|French Military]]

Image:GordonCooperHelmetNasa.jpg|[[Gordon Cooper]] in Helmet and Pressure Suit

Image:PithHelmetTrumann.jpg|[[Pith helmet]] of [[Harry S. Truman]]

Image:Bicyclinghelmet.saa.jpeg|A [[bicycle helmet]]

Image:Climbinghelmet.saa.jpeg|A helmet used for rock climbing

Image:Modern_day_Football_helmet.jpg|An [[American football]] helmet

Image:Helmet.jpg|A helmet for riding horses ([[Riding helmet]]).

</gallery>

[[File:MotoX Helmet.jpg|thumb|A [[motocross]] helmet with [[goggles]] and elongated chin bar]]

Helmets used for different purposes differ greatly in their design. For example, a [[bicycle helmet]] would chiefly be required to protect against blunt impact forces. A helmet designed for rock climbing, however, would need to protect against objects (e.g., small rocks and [[climbing equipment]]) falling from above. Consequently, bicycling and rock climbing helmets have little resemblance to each other. Practical concerns also dictate helmet design. A bicycling helmet would preferably be aerodynamic in shape and probably well ventilated, while a rock climbing helmet would be lightweight and with a minimum of bulk to reduce any detrimental effect on the climber's technique.

The development of [[hard hat]]s 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.

[[Goggles]], face guards and [[ear plug]]s are other forms of [[protective headgear]]. [[Hard hat]]s are typically preferred in modern times for construction workers. Helmets are often used by [[riot police]].

[[Flight helmet]]s were also developed throughout the 20th century. A multitude of athletic helmets, including [[football helmet]]s, [[batting helmet]]s, [[hockey helmet]]s, [[cricket helmet]]s, [[bicycle helmet]]s, [[ski helmet]]s, [[motorcycle helmet]]s and [[racing helmet]]s, were also developed in the 20th century.

==Heraldry==

As the coat of arms was originally designed to distinguish combatants on the battlefield or in a tournament, even while covered in armour, it is not surprising that heraldic elements were often also used for the decoration of knightly helmets, while it was also possible to use different elements then on the shield, but equally standardized.

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 [[Personnel Armor System for Ground Troops|PASGT]] (commonly called "Kevlar" by U.S. troops) and [[Advanced Combat Helmet]], or ACH.

Furthermore, it became common to use a helmet (or some other headgear, e.g. a crown) as part of the coat of arms, above the shield, a practice maintained long after her use in reality was ended by military technology and the demise of jousting.

In some systems, the rank of the bearer was reflected in the model of the emblematic helmet, e.g. the metal and the number of bars in the visor, as in France. Anyway, the rank can be reflected by a [[coronet]] or [[wreath]] placed on the helmet (often in stead of directly above the shield).

In the early 21st century, the Catalan sport/tradition of [[castell]]s saw the introduction of helmets for the children who make up the ''pom 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.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Marín |first1=Anna |title=Deu anys del casc casteller |url=https://www.ara.cat/castells/deu-anys-del-casc-casteller_1_1567586.html |access-date=27 July 2025 |work=Ara.cat |date=29 July 2016 |language=ca}}</ref>

==Heraldry==<!-- This section is linked from [[Coat of arms of Canada]] -->

{{main|Helmet (heraldry)}}

{{COA elements}}

As the [[coat of arms]] was originally designed to distinguish [[nobility|noble]] combatants on the battlefield or in a [[tournament (medieval)|tournament]], even while covered in [[armour]], it is not surprising that [[heraldry|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]] through the display of barred or grilled helmets first appeared around 1587-1615,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Fox-Davies |first1=Arthur Charles |last2=Johnston |first2=Graham |year=2004 |orig-year=1909 |author-link=Arthur Charles Fox-Davies |title=A Complete Guide to Heraldry |publisher=Kessinger Publishing |___location=Whitefish, MT |isbn=1-4179-0630-8}} P. 319.</ref> and the heraldic convention of displaying helmets of rank in the United Kingdom, which came into vogue around [[House of Stuart|Stuart]] times, is as follows:<ref>Fox-Davies, P. 303.</ref>

* 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 [[frog-mouth helm|jousting helm]], later [[close helm]]) placed affronté with visor open

* Esquire's helmet: steel helm placed in profile with visor closed

Earlier [[roll of arms|rolls of arms]] reveal, however, that early heraldic helmets were depicted in a manner faithful to the styles in actual military or [[Tournament (medieval)|tournament]] use at the time.<ref>Fox-Davies, P. 316.</ref>

{{-}}

==Gallery==

<!-- THIS IS A SMALL SAMPLING OF REPRESENTATIVE FORMS, NOT AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST. PLEASE SEEK CONSENSUS ON THE TALK PAGE BEFORE ADDING MORE EXAMPLES TO IT. -->

<gallery mode="packed" caption="Combat helmets">

File:Cretan Helmet.jpg|[[Boar's tusk helmet|Boar tusk]] [[Minoans|Minoan]] helmet, 1600–1500 BCE

File:Boars's tusk helmet NAMA6568 Athens Greece1.jpg|Boar tusk [[Mycenaeans|Mycenaean]] helmet, 14th century BCE

File:Taranto (forse), elmo di tipo corinzio aracico, 650 ac ca..JPG|[[Corinthian helmet]] with detachable horns, circa 650 BCE

File:Corinthian helmet Denda Staatliche Antikensammlungen 4330.jpg|[[Corinthian helmet]], 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 [[Pileus (hat)|pilos]] helmet, 450–425 BCE

File:Boeotian helmet.jpg|[[Boeotian helmet]], 4th century BCE

File:Illyrian-Greek helmet from Montenegro - Budva -4th cBC.png|Greek [[Illyrian type helmet]], 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 CE 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]]

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]] during World War II

File:VMA-311Flight Helmet.JPG|[[Vietnam War]] era Marine [[Squadron (aviation)|squadron]] VMA-311 [[Fighter pilot helmet|flight helmet]]

File:US soldiers wearing the PASGT helmet, Hawaii (cropped).jpg|[[PASGT]] helmet

</gallery>

<gallery mode="packed" caption="Work helmets">

File:Fire helmet, c. 1893, leather, steel - Old Colony History Museum - Taunton, Massachusetts - DSC03887.jpg|Leather and steel firefighting helmet

File:STS-135 Sandy Magnus undergoes a fit check of her Sokol suit.jpg|[[space helmet|Astronaut helmet]]

</gallery>

<gallery mode="packed" caption="Sport helmets">

File:Sporthelme.jpg|Ski helmet (left), paragliding helmet (right)

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]]/[[Camogie]] helmet

File:Magnus Muhrén 2012b.jpg|[[Magnus Muhrén]] wearing a [[bandy]] helmet

File:312 Festa Major de Terrassa, els Minyons de Terrassa aixecant un castell a la Rambla.jpg|Helmets with soft outer surfaces used by children in [[castell]]s

</gallery>

{{-}}

==See also==

* [[Combat helmet]]

** [[List of combat helmets]]

* [[Face shield]]

* [[Firefighter's helmet]]

* [[God helmet]]

* [[Helmet boxing]]

* [[Riot helmet]]

==References==

<references />

==External links==

{{commons category|HelmetHelmets}}

* [https://books.google.com/books?id=XicDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA56 "Helmets...A Medieval Note In Modern Warfare"], August 1942, ''[[Popular Science]]'' evolution of military helmets

*[http://www.bios-pro.com/en/ Anatomical helmets]

* http://secure.specialtydefense.com/images/items/DK%205%20Riot%20Faceshield%201.jpg

{{Clothing}}

* http://www.phototour.minneapolis.mn.us/pics/2749.jpg

{{Helmets}}

* http://policehelmets.homestead.com/files/MET_Riot_Helmet.jpg

{{Headgear}}

* http://www.militariabcn.com/fotos/fcas/ddrriot.JPG

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Helmets|*]]

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[[Category:Headgear]]

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