Friday, February 17, 2012

Helmets Worn in Foot Combats at the Pass of the Fountain of Tears, 1450

This shows the range of helmets and neck defenses chosen for foot combat at this deed of arms. Where de la Marche and Chastelain differ I give Chastelain's description second (thus).

Pierre de Chandios: basinet, visor closed
Jean de Boniface: Italian armet (basinet) with black plumes
Gerard de Rossilon: round salade (chapel de fer of ancient fashion) and a haussecol of mail. At this time the haussecol seems to have been a defense for the throat and lower face. Chastelain's Chronique descibes one example that covered up to the bottom of the mouth. ...en teste n'avoit que une sallade sans visiere, parquoy le visaige estoit tout a nu, excepté que desoubz la gorge avoit une housecoule de maille qui le couvroit jusqu'a la bouche.
Claude de St.-Helene (St.-Bonnet), called Pietois: salade and barbute (bevor) Modern readers are most familiar with barbute as a term used to describe a type of helmet, popular in italy in the 14th and 15th century, that left the beard visible. De la Marche, like other contemporary French writers, uses the term differently, to describe a piece of armor that would cover a beard.
Aymé Rabutin, lord of Espiry: salade with a visor and short bevor. He throws aside the visor just before the fight.
Jaques d'Avanchies: visored salade with the visor raised and gorget (of strong mail) for the pollaxe fight, Italian armet with a grand bevor for combat with sword, that is to say estoc d'armes
Jean de Villeneuve, called Passquoy: war salade and a haussecol
Gaspart de Dourtain (Gaspar de Curtain): basinet, visor closed
Jean Pientois: salade and haussecol of mail (chapel de fer and a high bevor, coming almost to the eyes)

Jaques de Lalaing: basinet with a closed grand visor for the sword fight, otherwise in a small round salade with a small haussecol of steel mail.

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