This helmet was based on the helmet thought to have belonged to Jaroslav Vsevolodovich, the father of Aleksandr Nevski, found on the site of a battle in which Jaroslav was defeated in the early 12th century, and where he presumably abandoned it.
NOT being as ostentatious as Jaroslav, I have not included the huge gilt bronze ikon of the Archangel Michael on the front, or the smaller ikons just below the spike. I did, however, duplicate as well as I could the decorated browband. This is made from thin brass sheet overlaying the actual steel browband, with patterns embossed into the brass from behind in imitation of those shown on the photographs of the original.
The construction of the helmet is different.The original seems to have been forged from a single piece of steel. I made mine as a frameless spangenhelm, in the style known as "Great Polish", where the plates are rivetted to each other with the joins at 45 degrees, so the four plates themselves are at the front, back and both sides of the helmet.
The construction of the nasal is somewhat different, being made from a single piece of 3mm (1/8") steel, with the raised ridges etc formed into the nasal. I have since discovered that on the original these are made of extra layers of metal rivetted on. The nasal is characteristic of several from this time and place, in that it curves first out and then back inward toward the face, giving it a very unusual look to western eyes. |
