I can imagine medieval battles being pretty loud with all the bashing, metal-ringing, screaming and dying, so not being able to hear so well might be of some advantage.

what we need is to interview a real crusader from the past so we can ask him these questions

"We will invade Jerusalem at noon" The entire army: 4:53

So are you telling me that the scene of monty python in wich arthur, the king of the britons, bashed the flat top of the helmet of the black knight and stunned him is somewhat realistic?

"The best choice for fighting Saracens and beheading heretics!" -Your friendly neighbourhood crusader

2:36 I like when he starts wearing this helmet and braces it with his thumb. It looks like a medieval reporter out in the field. News anchor: "We now go to our reporter out in the field, Alfonsus. Alfonsus." Alfonsus: "Thank you Pierre. As you can see the sun is beating down on us and many of the crusaders are suffering from heat stroke." Pierre: "I can tell. I'm feeling a little parched myself from watching you out there." Alfonsus: "Couldn't agree more. We will be taking Jerusalem fairly soon so hopefully when you hear from us again it will be from Mount Zion. Back to you Pierre." Pierre: "Thank you Alfonsus. I like the enthusiasm. Deus Vult and hope to hear from you soon."

2:19 - I'll take this one, please. - Anything else? - Jerusalem.

Ah, so you've got a chess piece, Swaggersouls, and the Whiterun guard. Fascinating.

Maybe the flat tops were used to cook flapjacks on campaign.

"It doesn't ring like a bell because it's got my head stuffed in it." I want that on a tee shirt now.

Blacksmith: "if you experience any problems with this design of the helmet, let me know." Crusader: Doesn't tell the blacksmith about his broken neck. Mystery solved.

" I don't need to look up for my father in heaven looks for me DEUS VULT!!!"

"Hypotesis: the flat helm design was so that they didn't mess up their trendy flat-top haircuts" Every warrior will tell you: style>protection

0:57 PRAISE THE SUN

Maybe the flat tops were quicker to produce for the large amounts of soldiers

Theoretically, it might be economically cheaper and easier to produce flat-top helmets than rounded or sugar loafed designs. After all, the flat-top you show here appears to be just a flat-piece of steel riveted onto a fairly simple bucket design, compared to the others which all appear to be one piece. Perhaps black smithing techniques improved to the point that manufacturing sugarloafs and complete helmets became easier and thereby cheaper, so the flat-top was retired as a result?

My thoughts as an amateur historian and armouro on flat top helmsr: If you could afford a helmet, you were probably a nobleman, and a knight. If you were a nobleman and knight, you probably were on a horse. Mounted knights dont get hit with heavy melee weapons on the top of the head too often, it is more likely to be a hit from a polearm or lance. Therefore, the flat top helm that is horrible for foot combat works well enough for mounted combat

Ever since I was a little kid, these have been my favourite helmet designs from an aesthetic perspective.

Me: **watches mordhau video once** KZfaq: THAT'S WHAT YOU NEED

2:40 Oh..Hello there,i will stay behind to gaze at the sun 🌞 The sun is a wondrous body Like a magnificent father If only i could be so grossly encandecent

I can tell you one advantage of the flat top helmets. They look really fucking cool.

In case of a sudden Crusade, which helmet you would advice me to get?

Instruction unclear. I ended up cooking pancakes on the flat top helmet

All i think of is SwaggerSouls

2:37 when you want to make a video but you have to DEUS VULT at 5

The flat toppers were probibly a bit Easyer to make

You have to remember that as a knight, you're on horseback and when you're riding a horse charging the enemy, you're not looking up or down very much anyway. You look ahead of you.

Now brothers.... Now we know what kind of helmets we need to retake Jerusalem!!! ✊🏼❤️

The flat top doubled as a drinks tray.

2:20! so incandescent.

Polnareff approves the final message. I will make a helmet tall enough for his dope haircut.

Helmet 1: DEUS VULT! Helmet 2: DEUS VULT! AVE MARIA! Helmet 3: DEUS VULT!! AVE MARIA!! *powerwolf in the name of God intensifies*

Could the flat top have been an attempt to mass produce the helmets, and so use less materials? I don't imagine it'd save much, but hey, churn out 10 flat topped helmets, and perhaps you've saved enough metal to make an eleventh one, with all those conical tops you've not been making! Perhaps to the detriment of the troop, but as you mentioned a blow DIRECTLY to the top of the head probably wasn't particularly common.

Everyone who has written "deus vult" quotes good classical Latin, but not the common phrase of the crusades. The contemporary exclamation was "deus lo vult". The people spoke medieval Latin.

2:17 my personal favorite

People need to remember that these great helms were worn on top of a round helmet often called a skull cap. The helmet on top didn't need to be round to deflect the blow, and you can't pierce both. The second helmet was there in case you needed to remove your great helm for better visibility or other reasons. They were worn on a cord so they could be slung over the shoulder went not worn, so you wouldn't lose it. Their main purpose was deflecting lances and other heavy blows in the initial charge, and removed if necessary afterwards.

2:35 praise the sun!

So... not wearing a helmet in battle appears to be a stupid idea, because any blow to the head is sure to kill you. But... wearing a helmet in battle also seems like a stupid idea, since you can't see or hear properly, and it's hot and heavy, and it hampers your breathing quite a bit, and puts strain on your neck... Huh... I'm lost. Medieval fashion is a lot harder to wrap your head around than I figured...

When the Orochi Heavy attacks but you've already charged at him from across the map

Thumbnail should be like: *“Select your fighter to take back the holy land”*

So they were so worried about potential eye injuries that they decided it was best to blind themselves with armour. Clever.

LINDYBEIGE! (Triumphant music) - Gotta love that. I currently live in Israel and I did a bit of studies in history and archaeology here over the years. I can tell you that on hot summer days, I never, ever, fail to think about what it must have been like for crusaders wearing full armor in this country. I cannot actually fathom the heat stress they must have been under wearing all that steel. It must have literally felt like being in an oven. What stuns me even more, when I think about it, is how much _more_ of a shock it must have been to the Crusaders who came over from Europe. They had never even conceived of heat and humidity this brutal. It truly must have been a living hell for most of them in the summer (Well, for those in full armor. Most soldiers couldn't afford full armor of course).

Meanwhile in the distance: *DEUS VULT*

It is so fun to watch you just nerd out in these videos!

2:15 "Ah, hello. You don't look hollow, far from it."-Solaire of Astora, Dark Souls

Let's go fight in the desert dressed in chainmail that heats in the sun and with massive toasters on our heads! Huzzah!!

2:15 praise the sun 🌞

I love your videos on helmets! Hope we get to see more!

Conical metal is harder to smith. Flat tops were easier and thus cheaper.

Helmets generally are quite bothersome. Try sprinting with a modern military helmet. But ofc having no helmet would kinda suck once you get an arrow stuck in your eye

2:34 Son, have you been reading heresy recently?! UNACCEPTABLE!!! *cocks remington with religious intent*

2:15 as soon as it came into frame PRAISE THE SUN

DEUS VULT! END THEM RIGHTLY!

Were the flat topped helms perhaps easier to make? The flat plating requiring less time and skill to produce thant the arched, point-topped helms that came before and after?

1:17 - it’s probably a advantage to not the ground, imagine while you fighting you accidentally step on the head of you dead friend which few minutes ago he was still alive .

I have a flat top. Your very right about blows to the top. Although a blow on the corner/edge or the top is very dampened. Just my 2 bits. Love your show.

no wonder knights had PTSD. you would end up really Claustrophobic in that gear.

you look badass in these helmets lindy

0:30 bet they had full blown conversations with themselves.

The flat helmet is considerably easier to manifacture than the latter type. So, my speculation is: - they started with a cheap design, but gradually realized that the enemy was strong and investing in better armor was worth it. - Crusades were becoming more frequent, thus the industry to back them up grew as well and made complex designs affordable.

did you think about making a modem prototype helmet, using your knowledge, and testing with cardboard helmets... then make a helmet that you feel addresses problems you have come a cross...?

Part of this however is simply incorrect. The sugarloaf was just a variant of the Great Helm, it was not the dominant helm, even into the 14th century. So-called bucket helms remained in use for about two centuries, probably the most well documented example of a late Great Helm is the Black Prince's armor. Instead they developed a stacked, staggered skullcap in the 14th century, a slightly conical top that bled into an angle before reaching the main face-plate. Lloyd also forgot to mention that Great Helms, at least the two that he showed, were not primary helmets, but secondary helms. They were worn over a metal skullcap in that era, and typically worn just in the charge. After the charge they'd whisk them off, remaining connected to their bodies by metal chain. Thereby they could properly fight with a sword, and would slap the helmet back on their heads when the protection was needed, such as against arrow fire or spears.

Flat top designs were due to being only afforded by the nobility, who was fighting mounted and a blow to the top was not a concern. Low visibility/hearing as well, as they only needed to ride and the clatters of horse hooves was loud enough to reach them. The pointy-read design evolved as they started to fight dismounted more often, as they found their heavy cavalry often sabotaged by light cavalry of the enemy.

I love your content, please make more

DEUS VULT

A reasonable guess as to why crusaders used flat top helmets inbetween uses of rounded tops is the rounded tops in many cases had to be hammered into shape which was long hard and expensive work while simply riveting (for lack of a better word) metal to metal at an angle was very easy and cheaper to make

Swaggersouls knows everything about that

I need one of that after I watched KZfaq rewind

Since you generally dont seem to be fond of this helmet type (fully enclosed), could it be for intimidation? Creating fear in the enemy that are unable to see your face? Even in this video i have difficulties seeing your eyes and youre not even moving. I'd like to see the face of my opponent, i mean you can tell a lot about what is going on in your opponents mind aswell, by seeing his face, looking him in the eyes. Does he look exhausted, is he actually intimidated by me fighting him fiercely? I never LARPed, but i would imagine that in fighting (like in playing poker) eyes and facial expressions can tell you a lot about the enemies mindset and it can help predicting his movements (sure his movements alone help with that, too). Or did the Saracens like to shoot a ton of arrows? So the crusaders though, well, we might not be able to move in this stuff, but at least we dont receive critically arrow hits. Plus, on a horse you're movement is quite hindered already... and your horse is probably doing the hard work all alone, anyway (trampling them down). I know that was bit later, but the Teutonic knights also looked very mystical in their helmets. Some wore horns on them (according to pictures that i've seen in books and on google). That might explain the flat top design, as in, it's easier to attach a (3D) miniature of Lord's banner emblem (a bear, a swan, bull head, wings, feathers, you name it), just like the Teutonics did with their horns? I'd rather have a flat top, than having to bend or carve the miniature bottom, in order to fit it on the conic helmet design... just some thoughts, i didnt do research.

Just a quick note for those wondering if these aren't too heavy: It really depends on how long you wear them, and in any case is a risk-reward equation. To a horseman staring a lance in the face would possibly prefer a heavier helmet. My modern example would be a Russian helmet from the early '90s, the Altyn. Designed primarily for breach-and-clear runs by the FSB, it came with a welding-glass like visor and weighed a *ton.* Operatives repeatedly stated they could only wear the damn thing for about an hour. The thing is this; there were two variants, a titanium and an aluminum alloy. Every man given the choice took the heavier helmet, reducing his ability to move and see but at the same time bettering his chances of eating a 7.62 Russian and living to tell the tale. For a lancer, the situation is similar: they don't face constant danger in a melee, they face a short sharp burst of violence and as such a heavier helmet that you can later take off is a small price to pay for increased safety.

*things i've learned and retained from this man's videos.* "looking down is very important"

Lindy pulls out the helmet with the smaller eye slits that prevent a spear or sword from being stuck right into your face "I like this one considerably less, I can't see"

This video is pretty Vult. Nice job, and keep fighting Saracens!

I would personally take what Lindy's saying about eye-slits with a grain of salt. I've seen examples of the second and third helmets with far bigger eye holes.

I love the flat tops they look so cool. Not that I have a preference... Also nice helmet collection. Edit: Also very interesting points on visibility not something I've ever really considered.

I got this in my recommended today. Not regretting it.

Flat is easier to make and it will take less materials.

I think one consideration for the second helmet is that it would block out more sunlight which for a crusader from mainland Europe is a real benefit in the middle east, similar to eskimo goggles if you know what those are.

3:33 The previous one also looks like it'd absorb much more impact from some downwards strike, like one of those pick weapons they had could just pierce through. A pointy helmet looks much better against one of those.

Having fought in both the the great helm and the sugarloaf, you get use to the visibility fairly quickly. After using them and going to a t-cut Barboot, spainghelm or a norman helm you feel like you have spidey sense.

To the people who disliked: "Repent Sinner!"

The 2nd one for swag

2:34 SON ARE YOU STUDYING IN THERE!!!

on horseback, fighting infantry, how often is a footsoldier gonna be able to attack the top of your head? as knights started fighting on foot more often,they noticed the flat top was breaking the neck

what can you say about phrygian helmets?what's going on with the smurf like thing?

Is it possible that theyd use different hemlets for different stages of a battle ? One for a cavalry charge ? Switch if theyre de-horsed ? One for skirmishing etc etc ? If your in a cavalry charge , your probably gonna get clanked by anything including the horses and weapons beside you and need extreme protection . Then if your squire is still with you , ye chuck away the big helmet and are handed one more suitable for a melee ?????

Or perhaps sugar load helmets promote glancing blows to slide down and take your shoulder or arm or neck while the flat top just makes the force distribute across your shoulders because it wouldn't just hit you right on the head. It was not the solid hit that ended up being the problem but glancing ones that then took your appendages and also life. But by the reintroduction of the sugar loaf the supporting armor was better.

Memes aside thank you for making this very educational and interesting video talking about the helmets of this time period

The German Tiger tank was a boxy thing, too, with no sloping angles at all. They rediscovered sloping armour from the Russians, which inspired the Panther tank. So these concepts, clearly, can be forgotten and rediscovered. The flat top helmet may perhaps have gotten in style because not only was it easier to make, but it offered all the protection you realistically wanted - and, after all, like the Tiger tank, you can compensate lack of sloping armour with added thickness. Another point which is perhaps not so important to consider with small objects such as helmets, but which is of great importance for bigger objects such as tanks, is that sloping armour requires more metal due to having a larger surface, meaning if you have two tanks with the same armour thickness, one built like a box and the other with sloping armour, the one with sloping armour will be significantly heavier, and have a lot to say for fuel consumption. For helmets, however, I doubt the weight difference would be noticeable except on a scale.

Am I the only one who shouts with the lego-man ? LINDYBEIGE.

I like this video. It helps choosing what helmet I should pick for LARP. Despite sugarloaf obviously seeming the best, I’m wanting a bar it’s helmet. It’s pretty much the same thing just with a visor. That would allow very easy speech. Thoughts?

Here's a thought on flat-top helms; there is significantly more empty air between the head and the helm. This may have provided some benefits when it came to cooling, but ultimately was not efficient enough to make it worth the drawbacks of the style. I wonder if there is another development that made them willing to make the shift, such as going from woolen to cotton arming caps.

Now I know why in Game of Thrones they always took off the helmets to speak unless they had one of those open faced helmets.

Those Crusaders were complete badasses. No wonder Saladin's men were so terrified of Richard the Lionheart.

love your content

Crusader helmets were just epically cool looking!

Wife: I wanna put on something sexy tonight you know to make the bedroom more fun Me: I hope it is what I think it is Wife: doesn’t put on armor Me: I want a divorce

They look so much bigger than the head. Are they supposed to fit snug or be bigger than the head?

That's hell of a helmet and sweater combo.

I'd figure that the flat top experiment was more likely a matter of production thing from various possible reasons. I would go between the need for faster production or lack of means to produce the angled top ones. Which may be a shortage of trained blacksmiths, a shortage of proper tools or even a knowledge availability regarding the technique to do it efficiently in the numbers needed for a war. So basically it's probably tied to the required expenses for a war.