Historiska världars forum

Hello,

i want to reenact an swedish nobleman/ rider who lived in birka/ roslagen in the year 950 a.d. Now i have a big problem: I don't know what types of helmets were used by swedish cavalery/ nobles in the year 950. I'm surving the web since weeks but i found nothing.

You are my last chance. I hope somebody can help me.
Here is my question:

What types of helmets were used by swedish cavalary/ nobles in the year 950 in birka/ roslagen (eastern sweden)?

- spangen helmets or helmets like the ölmütz-helmet?

- helmets like the gjermundbur helmet from norway with a face mask/ eye protection (similar to the välsgarde helmet)?

- slavic rider helmets?

Greetings from Germany

Claus Weber

Hi Claus

Unfortunatly my answer, at least from a Birka-perspective, is that the mounted warriors of east Svealand didn't wear helmets. This statement is of course based on grave finds and one might argue that helmets for some reason could not be burried with the dead nobles - but that won't bring us more helmets...

If you, however, have your mind set on portraying a Birka Noble WITH a helmet my advice is to get inspired by the Ukranian Chernigov helmets published by Anatolij Kirpicnikov in "Russische Helme aus dem frühen Mittelalter" (Waffen- und Kostümkunde, 1973). The Rus' archaelogical material is somewhat different but it is still closer to many of the Birka finds than most of the contemporary finds from Svealand proper.

/NB

thank's for your answer!

what is about the helmets like the one found in gjermbundju? Did the mounted svear nobles wear helmets with a face mask/ googles in the 10th century?

Greetings

Corin

No, as far as I know there are no indications what so ever for the use of "googled" helmets in Svealand after the Vendel Period. And yes - yet again this statement is based mainly on grave finds. I'd advice you not to use such a helmet for a Birka display. Some people might say that it doesn't matter, but Gjermundbu is after all a Norwegian find site, far from Svealand in general and Birka in particular.

/N B

o.k. i think i'll take a ukranian helmet because i have also a lamellar body armour made of birka lamells. Then i look like a rus and perhaps not like a svear :-)

but even better than wearing a googled helmet. i also found a picture yesterday of a runestone from gotland. the mounted warrior on the stone wears such a ukranian helmet!

my last qustion: do you work in archeological area? If somebody asking me for my sources ;-)

Greetings

corin

Yes I am a Viking Specialist. That being said I'm not all-knowing - but when it commes to general equipment, armour and weapons you can refer to me.

/N B

super !!!!

thank you very very much [:D]

Greetings

claus

Could you post a picture of the stone you mentioned?

here it comes:

http://home.no.net/ahruner/go-rune-stenkyrka.jpg

Greetings

claus

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by corin

here it comes:
http://home.no.net/ahruner/go-rune-stenkyrka.jpg
Greetings
claus
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Oh, it´s the gotlandish Memorial Stone from Lillebjärs on Gotland I´ll guess? Here is another [url="http://www.tjelvar.org/~esjoberg/viking/byxor_04.jpg"]picture[/url].

@Ny Björn: Maybe you have a scan version about...Ukranian Chernigov helmets published by Anatolij Kirpicnikov in "Russische Helme aus dem frühen Mittelalter" (Waffen- und Kostümkunde, 1973).... ???
I searched in Germany about that but i don`t find anything!

Best regards

No Wladimir, I haven't - sorry.
Try posting about it at the Historical Research forum at Armour Archive - I bet Robb Schuster or some of the Varangian boys from Oz have it...

/N B

ok, thanx a lot for your help

Historiska världars forum

which helmets for swedish/ birka riders?

which helmets for swedish/ birka riders?