Reconstructing a 6th c. Baldenheim spangenhelm

[egfroth]

Don't know if it fits in with the type but, anyone have information on the horn spangenhelm from Cologne? I believe it was found in a childs grave.

Yes. One of two "royal" graves "beneath" (whatever that means) Cologne Cathedral. Described in the book The Northern World as for a "six-year-old". I took a photocopy from the book years ago. See below.

No mention in the caption of the material it's made of - but somehow I seem to remember already knowing the plates were made of horn, so maybe it was mentioned in the text.

But the construction method is very unusual. Look at the intermediate frame pieces - they're too narrow for two rows of rivets- so how are the plates attached to the frame?

The only thing I can come up with is that they must be made the same way as the Benty Grange (7th century English) and Gjermundbu (Viking) helmets - with two frames - one beneath and one above the plates, with a single row of rivets passing between the two frames, "sandwiching" the plates in place.

You can't see the rivets on the photo, though that may just be because it's such a bad picture.

The fact that the plates are so narrow supports the idea that they are made of horn. The Benty Grange helmet is similar.

The aventail is quite obviously a modern addition - and again, I seem to remember that being mentioned in the text.

Theo - I've worn helmets with mail aventails for years. Never had a problem with my hair getting caught, though admittedly it's not all that long. I really can't see it being a hassle. Plenty of mediaeval re-enactors do the same, and many have really long hair. The leather is in far too good a condition to be anything but a modern addition, and I can see no reason to believe it's correct.

Mail would be a far superior protection against cutting than padding, though it doesn't protect against crushing injuries. But the leather under the mail (assuming it existed) would have basically no protective capability at all.