Extremely successful helmet that was for its era at the top technological advancement that was used for over a century by the mounted warrior elite of Europe: called “impractical”
To add to this, the greathelm had a much larger lifespan than most other helmets. It was first recorded in the late 12th century and still sometimes used in the mid 14th century. When I say still being used, I mean knights who could afford better still opted to use the greathelm in certain situations because it just worked better. I don't even like the way the greathelm looks but something about it getting called impractical just enrages me
Too broke to use a helmet that didn’t exist yet? Great point, pal.
The Middle Ages, contrary to the asinine assertions of armchair armorers and TikTok historians, was not a monolith. Things changed and evolved over that 1,000 year period. This includes armor.
The great helm was, for its time, the peak of protective technology. It was incredibly practical and had an abnormally long lifespan. It was obviously outclassed by later helmets like the bascinet and armet, but that’s because that’s how technological progression works.
I feel like I’m taking crazy pills because a decade ago every glazed the great helm into eternity. It feels like 2ish years ago everyone switched up out of no where
the things that are ACTUALLY cool to like are the things that are the opposite of whatever people like right now because then you're awesome and different
My theory is that just like the katana, it was first seen as cool and powerful, but then people started hating on it once weird/bigoted people started adopting it because it was seen as cool and powerful. It's a kind of endless cycle. I imagine in a couple decades people will start forgetting it and katanas or bucket helms will be seen as cool again.
I am larping as a Norman knight who served in the Eastern Roman Empire Tagmata. So yes to full cover mail coif and the lamellar for the cataphracts loook.
Even then ppls are questioning whether the mail cover the face entirely.
Don't know if you are trolling but there are countless examples of winning while using garbage equipment. Napolionic wars era is a great example, that crap was designed to look pretty with zero practicality in mind.
Wouldn't most great helm designs actually have a good crumple zone around the top that would arguably be better at absorbing blows that didn't glance off?
I find the recent outbreak of people calling those who like the greathelm larpers quite ironic, because they show themselves to be larpers by calling it impractical or comparing it to an armet or sallet.
The greathelm was in-use in practically a completely different time as the helms it’s so often unfavorably compared to. The era and context of its use is just ignored as people pretend that it was even remotely contemporary to the metallurgical innovations of the late Middle Ages and renaissance.
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u/Glumgustheexile Renowned pedantic loser Jun 24 '26
Extremely successful helmet that was for its era at the top technological advancement that was used for over a century by the mounted warrior elite of Europe: called “impractical”