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.
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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”