Celesta - The Archer's Helmet
Finally got around to purchasing an archer specific helmet to add to my medieval kit. I prefer the bascinet which better fits the historical time frame of my gear but opted to purchase the celesta simply due to availability and price. Known as the archer's helmet it was a simpler variant of the sallet that was preva!ent in the15th century and used through out Europe.
Archer's were typically the poor cousins of the medieval battlefield in terms of pay and armor but their lot had improved by the 1400's. By the 15th century veteran archers and crossbowmen often had basic armor usually a mix of gambesons, mailes, coats of plate, jacks, brigadines, helmets and some plate. It could be a mixed bag of protection either inherited, scrounged from the battlefield, purchased or granted by the Lord's armouries.
It was always a matter of balance between protection and mobility. Archers and crossbowmen were expected to join in melees during a battle but also needed to be less restricted in both vision, hearing and movement to facilitate their prime purpose of loosing arrows or bolts into opposing cavalry or men at arms.
The celesta helmet offered archers a decent level of head protection without restricting vision as it did not offer cheek or neck protection like it's predecessor - the open faced bascinet. The stylized upturned tail was generally smaller and less pronounced than the sallet but afforded some rear neck protection from downward strikes from horseback.
In design the celesta was quite basic which probably was intentional as it would be easier to produce and less expensive. I am not sure if they would have had integrated suspension systems included or if wearers would have simply relied upon and used padded caps and/or coifs of padded cloth or mails.
In terms of comfort my celesta is fairly lightweight being constructed of 18 gauge steel. Historical examples generally would have been more robust using 14-16 gauge steels. When combined with a padded cap and maile coif the weight increases but remains surprising comfortable.Vision and hearing remains unobstructed and does not interfere with drawing or anchoring the bow.
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Archer's were typically the poor cousins of the medieval battlefield in terms of pay and armor but their lot had improved by the 1400's. By the 15th century veteran archers and crossbowmen often had basic armor usually a mix of gambesons, mailes, coats of plate, jacks, brigadines, helmets and some plate. It could be a mixed bag of protection either inherited, scrounged from the battlefield, purchased or granted by the Lord's armouries.
It was always a matter of balance between protection and mobility. Archers and crossbowmen were expected to join in melees during a battle but also needed to be less restricted in both vision, hearing and movement to facilitate their prime purpose of loosing arrows or bolts into opposing cavalry or men at arms.
The celesta helmet offered archers a decent level of head protection without restricting vision as it did not offer cheek or neck protection like it's predecessor - the open faced bascinet. The stylized upturned tail was generally smaller and less pronounced than the sallet but afforded some rear neck protection from downward strikes from horseback.
In design the celesta was quite basic which probably was intentional as it would be easier to produce and less expensive. I am not sure if they would have had integrated suspension systems included or if wearers would have simply relied upon and used padded caps and/or coifs of padded cloth or mails.
In terms of comfort my celesta is fairly lightweight being constructed of 18 gauge steel. Historical examples generally would have been more robust using 14-16 gauge steels. When combined with a padded cap and maile coif the weight increases but remains surprising comfortable.Vision and hearing remains unobstructed and does not interfere with drawing or anchoring the bow.
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