A 10th Century Scandinavian Helmet

The helmet is A 10th century Norse helmet nearly identical to one preserved in the Museum of the City of Kiev.

The pictures are all clickable for huge enlargements.

Dimensions:

Constructed of 12 plates riveted alternately inside and outside.

30 inches-- circumference

15.5 inches-- over cap plate in front of ear openings

14 inches-- over cap plate at ear openings

16.5 inches-- over cap plate in back of ear openings

17.25 inches-- front to back

2.5 inches by 3.25 inches-- cap plates

2.5 inches-- inside plate bottoms

1.25 inches-- inside plate top

3.9 inches-- outside plate bottoms

1.25 inches-- outside plate top

.8 inches-- washers

Condition:

Slightly distorted from original oval form. Two holes rusted through the skull. Some substantial pitting and delamination of metal as might be expected for a 1000 year old object. The patina and surfaces are extremely similar to other Viking iron items I have in my collection.

Provenance:

Purchased from a dealer in military uniforms who had no information whatsoever on the piece. He purchased it several years ago from an estate in Sweden. I subsequently found a matching helmet published by Dominic Tweedle, in his book The Anglian Helmet from Coppergate ((Published 1992 for the York Archaeological Trust by the Council for British Archaeology.). The sum total of what he said was:

"there is one helmet... (unpublished, Museum of the City of Kiev) of this general type from Kiev Ukraine, for which a Viking Origin can be suggested" (p. 1083)

"A complete 10th century helmet from Kiev, with a rounded cap of the crested type, may also be of Scandinavian origin; it does not resemble other helmets in use in the region in that period. (p. 1125)"

"The impression given by the Gjermundbu helmet and related fragments is that although they are in the same tradition as the Vendel period helmets, both form and constructional methods have been simplified. In particular, the construction of the cap has been modified by the addition of a central circular plate linking the major structural elements. This feature occurs also on the intact helmet from Kiev (Figs. 563-4), which is made of subtriangular plates meeting at the apex where each is fixed by a single rivet to two oval plates, one inside and one outside the cap. At the lower ends every alternate subtriangular plate has a bulbous extension to each side with a rivet passing through it, fixing the plate to its neighbors. Unlike the Gjermundbu helmet, the Kiev helmet does not even have small concavities in the edge as part of the eyeholes, and there is no evidence for attached facial protection. The only concavities in the cap edge are for the ears. There was apparently no protection for the neck. The lack of facial and neck protection suggests that the helmet was worn over a leather or even mail garment which would have provided this protection." (pp. 1127-8)

Comments:

This is the most complete surviving helmet from the Viking period. There are several substantially complete pre-Viking helmets from the Graves at Vendel, Valsgarde and Ultuna but as to truly Viking period this one is the best. The Kiev example has one section separated from the rest and is held together with several restoration washers. The Gjermundbu helmet is highly fragmentary being only slightly more than one quarter of a complete helmet. While the provenance is fairly weak, I am certain that the helmet would easily withstand the scrutiny of any scientific tests to which it was subjected.