Jason reminds me of a medieval James May. He can make anything super interesting by dint of his own charisma. Well done sir.

I started laughing. You were worried that you couldn’t see through the helmet… then I saw the horse’s forelock covering his eyes.

12:45 - *"A Knight never goes into battle without other people - to support him in his endeavors."* Wise words for Knights. Don't get ahead of yourselves in your endeavors - remember your team.

Jason, will you consider making a video on period travel as it pertains to horses (and mules and the like)? Such as, how much of the horse's food and drink would you need to carry with you (as compared to the horse foraging from fields when resting), and how much would that cut into its potential load for carrying other things? What other major considerations are there, such as the crenel bells that you covered before?

I love how Talos paws the ground so eagerly. Such a great horse; I am certain that King Richard would have loved him as much as he loved his Fauvel.

"You have to remember what's on the ground" - that puts everything in perspective. It's easy to understand why cavalry had to charge and retreat. If they would hand around, people on foot would get to them and the cavalry would possibly not see what's even happening! Great to see you back, Jason!

Thanks for the reminder that most objects from history are not an "ultimate" form but rather represent transitions in development and how to deal with a problem. This form of helmet may be iconic, but it is a great example of how helmet design was still a work-in-progress.

Love how Jason is so experienced at wearing medieval helmets, he can discuss the intricacies of design and using them day-to-day and for specific tasks. Anyone else would notice the enclosed experience but only know what it is like compared to a bare head, not other designs of period helmet or what they would be like to wear over the course of hours or on multiple different days. A unique insight and one hell of a horse too.

Your horse was just DYING to run around. Just waiting for you to tell her you're ready. What an amazing creature

I have a rounded spangenhelm with a faceplate of the same period and after a time I could definitely feel the weight imbalance in my neck. I imagine they did just get used to that, but I actually riveted a small lead weight inside the rim at the back to balance it and that massively improved the comfort of it over time. What I find most extraordinary is that all this stuff was worn in the heat of Palestine during the crusade. It’s hot at the best of times…

Your speech about feeling enclosed but not really claustrophobic does remind me of when I had to put on a motorcycle helmet for the first time. It really felt like half my vision was suddenly gone. On a car, a simple glance was enough for me to see everything around me. On a motorcycle I have to physically move my head to be able to see anything. You really don't realise how much you rely on your peripheral vision until you no longer have it. When going down the stairs I have to fully look down because I can't tell where my legs are, when normally I can text on the phone while walking down a flight of stairs. I don't envy the knights of later medieval periods who had even less vision than me, AND had to fight like that.

From what we know of King Richard's battles such as Arsuf and Jaffa he usually lined up most of his army for battle but held back a reserve force of knights that he led personally. Once the battle began in earnest he would lead this reserve to wherever the fighting was fiercest. I imagine that once the orders had been sent and the troops committed there was little opportunity for anyone to change his mind so the tunnel-vision and poor hearing wouldn't be too big an issue from an army commander's perspective.

I know it's probably a thing that needs to be trained out of him, but it's so adorable to see Talos pawing the ground like "Come on! Walkies!" when you're talking about the helmet. Give him and all your horses some extra love. They're very good boys and gals.

I love how Talos paws at the ground. "C'mon Jason Let's go!" is what I imagine he's trying to convey.

Great video but I had to laugh when Jason said "I would normally wear chain mail" in much the same way I would say "I usually wear jeans and a T-Shirt".

Medieval combat must've been unbelievably brutal and I often think if I could have had the courage to wage war in those times. I'm a US navy submarine veteran and I guess I always felt more comfortable with the idea of a relatively quick death by torpedo and crushing ocean depths 😂 Excellent video as always, you are definitely a national treasure of your country and the world of learning lost knowledge of medieval life. 🖖Ps love the design of the helmet, its creator is talented indeed!

Even though fighting on horseback was a key-signifier of a knight on the battlefield, we know throughout medieval history knights have been routinely used as elite heavy infantry as well (during certain periods more routinely than others). Therefore we need to be careful about referring to knights exclusively as cavalrymen (I am not saying that you did that). Knights were essentially the professional warrior-class (which by ancient European tradition was also interlocked with belonging to the political elite). Knights were not a type of military regiment. When you were in dire need of elite heavy infantry during the Middle Ages, you had your knights dismount, even as early as the Norman knights of the 900s. We have a particularly interesting example from the First Crusade where the crusader camp is under attack, the knights then form a ring around the camp to protect both the camp followers AND the common footmen.

Knee to knee cavalry charges with vision impairing helmets makes sense in the same way as ancient Greek and Macedonian phalanx and medieval pikemen do. Some lovely insights by recreating and testing 👌

It’s interesting how wearing personal armor hasn’t really changed over the centuries. In the modern military, when one is completely decked out in Kevlar body armor, helmet, MOPP gear, and gas mask, one’s mobility and field of view is almost as restrictive as medieval armor. Of course, that’s all driven by the need for armor to fit the human form, but as they say, some things never really change. Thanks for another fascinating viddy! Happy New Year! 🤙🏼🌹

As someone whose main occupation is to ride horses (modern english style but still horses), I admire how well trained your horses are and how you‘re able to communicate with them while still upholding the historical accuracy. Great quality channel!

So nice to leave 2021 with an wondrous history lesson from Jason. Well done, and thank you. Happy New Year, everyone!

He's back I'm so happy. Thanks for the video I hope life is going well and you have a happy new year

I still think he is the most qualified and capable person of making a really good medieval video game. There is probably no money in it or demand for it, but a guy can dream. I know, kingdom come is basically what I just described and it was great.

I remember that type of helmet from illustrations - not just medieval ones but Victorian ones where they seem to be open-faced. After all, the romantic maiden in those knightly Victorian romances must be able to see the face of the knight to whom she give her heart ... It's great to see wonderful Talos in action - and, ahem, is that a brand new gambeson you're wearing? A Christmas present, perchance?

Faceplate helmet is also depicted in "Manuscript BNF Latin 11534 Bible" (location Bibliothèque Nationale, source manuscript miniatures), estimated also around 1185-95. (Since Richard was almost never on the island it probably was a continental thing, but from where exactly..) Paradoxal choice when conical helmets existed around the same time (with faceshield too), still from depictions they seem to become widespread (with some enhancement decades later), and common explanation is as you say the "rarity to get a straight hit on the top", which makes sense along that this version is probably simpler design to produce. (so easy it was even my very first piece crafted)

Another consideration is the fact that most iconography and historical artifacts that remain and/or were produced may have been or were representations of the top 1% of “high fashion” on the battlefield. Take the battle of Visby for for example (in contrast) with the very much dated equipment. How much combat did King Richard physically partake in while wearing a helmet of this style if any at all? Sometimes the newest, shiny object isn’t always the best but it still gets everyone talking as you similarly put. As a self-proclaimed military history enthusiast, I’m always curious as to the efficacy and efficiency of certain pieces of gear and equipment so it’s always nice to hear someone else’s perspectives and opinions on the matter. Thank you for all that you do.

You have done so much for the proliferation of the knowledge of medieval history.

It is both amazing, beautiful and scary seeing you on Talos galloping around, the helmet sure gives a bit of a ominous look, and i can completly understand why was cavalry so useful, because you need really well trained men to stand a charge of a great lord like that with his riders behind him, that shows how morale and a good captain is very important.

Love the aesthetic of this helmet, not overly complex but has a simplistic rustic style. Nice one mate very informative vid as always 👌

Awesome insight, at least us healthcare workers with our claustrophobic N95 masks have vision. Thank you for bringing us some joy in these tough times.

i never thought horses could be this cute, he seems quite excited when he tap the leg lol

11:35 I remember when I was a full year in the army, we wore helmets almost daily, and for long hours. It felt like nothing, back then. But when I now come back to my yearly exercises, the helmet weighs heavy. So there definitely are muscles you can gain or lose.

This guy is living the dream - Thankfully, he is more than happy to share it with the rest of us! Talos is one handsome lad. He also seemed pretty eager to charge into battle!

very glad to see another one from you, and an interesting one as well. Thank you!

8:20 I love the sudden transition from scary knight to a guy in a goofy hat.

Every time I see the intro I think of Lancelot charging the castle in Monty Python's Search for the Holy Grail. I love it.

I used to wear a flat topped great helm when I did reenactment. It was comfortable to wear and I didn't used to feel I was getting hit on the top of the head too often. In fact, downward blows, I found, were less likely to hit your shoulders when wearing a great helm as blows didn't deflect close to the body. This did put stress on the helm though and it would pop it's rivets very regularly.

From my experience, as an armored fighter you instinctively learn to move your head and body in order to see. Eventually you get used to it and not much escapes your sight.

Holy crap that horse is gorgeous.

Love how Talos shows his impatience with his hooves on the ground! 🐴

Bro. You are doing the Lord's work of saving and rediscovering all this knowledge and spreading it to future generations. Best wishes and my family look forward to following you and your crew's videos for 2022.

That horse is an absolute unit! I bet a fully clad knight riding a mount with barding would have been severely intimidating

Really gives you an appreciation of how much training and practice knights must have had. Also how much assistance was required would have been provided by one's retinue both on and off the battlefield.

Absolutely one of the coolest medieval helmets

Showing "face" and surviving any random arrows from the battle might have been the main goal.

Recently read about William Marshall, First Earl of Pembroke who served 3 kings! I thought of you often when reading about him. Taos, as usual is simply grand.

That's a beautiful mount you have there. Eager to please and very well behaved.

"This helmet was made for me by Graham of Greenleaf" is such a lovely medieval-sounding sentence xD

Interesting. We often think of how form follows function but less of how function follows form. This helmet was optimized for a cavalry charge but that also imposes restrictions. If you happen to be wearing this helmet, your only good option is to charge and if the situation isn't appropriate to a charge, you'll be at a large disadvantage. Obviously if you expect a different situation you can change helmets, but the fluidity of a battle doesn't always allow that.

Thank you! Finaly someone on KZfaq defends the flat-topped helmet. Everyone on internet always cries how the design is bad, becuase if you get hit directly over the top of that helmet, all the force of the impact would go into your neck, your vertabrae. But I always thought that the likelyhood of you getting hit like that is extremely small, because any weapon strike from the top would far more likely hit the top's edge first. Which happens to be the strongest part of the helmet. And maybe the reason these great helm predecessors are flaring out at the top is to make that angle even more prominent. So in a way, it may have been some form of a sword repelent, since you'd be guaranteed to get a notch in your blade if you try do hit that edge. And let's not forget, in this time period people mostly fought with one-handed weapons, since we know shields were used. So even if you do somehow get hit directly on the top of the helmet, the force of such one-handed impact would hardly be substantial enough to cause severe neck injury, certainly not when using a sword or an axe. A good mace or a dane axe hit could certainly make a difference, but still, beucase of that angle, very unlikely to land properly.

it's one of my favourite helms of the period because of it's crusades popularity and look when in full mail. As well as its extensive presence in illuminations. The only medieval helm I own. I need more to my collection lol

I just discovered this channel and I look forward to watching the many videos you have already posted over the years. You earned my subscription.

Talos is like "Yeah cool helmet stuff, let's go already!"

Good to see you return; its always so cool to see the evolution of mideival warfare.

Talos made me laugh. Him digging at the ground ready to go was adorable.

I imagine medieval knights watching this video and seeing your horse "Jesus! What is that giant monster!?"

This is an absolute gem of a channel. I'm just sorry it's taken me until now to come across it. As someone with no real knowledge of the medieval period, but a significant interest in it, I find your videos to be perfectly pitched. Very many thanks for the effort you're taking to produce these.

Very nice enclosed helm! As a late 13th century reenactor myself, I knew that the vision below the oculars would be the biggest thing. It was for me as well when I had my Dargen Helm made. I don’t think it was done until late 13th early 14th century where retention chains would fasten the base of the helm to a point on the wearer - Belt or chest. That allowed the knight to take off his helm without it becoming lost or falling to the ground.

That stamping of your horse added so much to your video. Magnificent.

the closed face of the helmet seems to be more indicative of protecting against projectiles, when visors became a thing it's common to see knights and men-at-arms ride with the visor down but have it be opened in the actual melee

Beautiful helmet, beautiful horse.

Happy 2022 Jason! I appreciate Talos getting first credit, he’s such a gorgeous fellow. Do you take him out for a ride after filming so he can shake out the energy he clearly has to spare? Best wishes and I must refer you to Tasting History with Max Miller… he does a brilliant job with period food. I think of the episodes you did on what the various social classes ate and have been meaning to share that with you. Take care, be well and prosper in the New Year.

Very handsome horse. So patient and well trained at standing still. He's just pawing the ground and wants to get going!!!!! Lol.

i love that the horse just wants violence and keeps taping the ground XD

I love every one of Jason's videos. It's great to see his passion for the medieval period and to learn from him! But what i love even more....are Jason's horses. Talos! What a fantastic well-trained creature! And what a great name! Looking forward to the next video!

14:25 when you mentioned that I think there’s another factor that’s should be mentioned and that’s the phycological factor that this helmet has for being enclosed for both the knight and the enemy. Being the rider, it gives you more confident about your protection, which will result in being more aggressive in battle without doubt. Just like American Football player mentality compared to Rugby player. It gives a certain type of confident of being anonymous by hiding your face when going into battle just like wearing a hoodie today. Another good factor that it has and has been used in the past in other civilizations (even today), is the use of being a phycological weapon itself. Not being able to read one enemy face, mouth, and eyes is something that demoralized the enemy. Roman Calvary, Samurai, Persian Cataphract, and other more have used face mask or face covering in a way to demoralize enemy combatants. From Nasal Helmet to fully enclosed would’ve have been a shock for many people, especially for the common infantry. Give. The context. No doubt why Crusader Charges where highly feared in Muslims accounts, as they themselves where used to the nasal helm due to the heat.

“‘Tis but a scratch.” 😁 I’ve been calling that “the black knight helmet” until now.

Very pleased to have discovered your channel! Your willingness to experiment and curiosity about all these subjects is fascinating. In this case, I came across fictional descriptions of Richard's troops vs Saladin's some 60 years ago. I have seen many types of armour covering centuries but your demonstration here really brings to life and corroborated that fictional account. I've done some of my own research in other areas and gained much appreciation for how innovative earlier folks around the world were. Really enjoy watching you work so well with your horses! Talos is a stunner. Have not seen all of them yet so looking forward to more of their appearances. Am especially fond of the Mule with No Name. Thank you for making these videos.

Always grateful for more of this channel. Thanks Jason and team for the great content.

Thank you and Talos for this awesome video! Talos is such an amazing and well trained horse! He's a really good boy.

It's nice to see you on screen again. I hope that the New Year is good to you and yours.

Big win for the youtube algorithm reccomending me this. Love it

Are we going to get more war mule videos?? Does he have a name yet?

armor, horses, practical examples. smaaaash the like buttom

These videos are excellent. On an unrelated note, the introduction cracks me every time

This is one of the better channel on YT about these topics.

You make an excellent point about the top of the helmet being flat. I would wager bladed weapons would take significant damage from the reinforced cornered top. The edge it creates and in particular the double plate from the top and side plates would even break some blades. Especially in a combat scenario where an already damaged sword from rigorous combat would be more likely. Would be an interesting thing to test! See how much damage a bladed weapon would take from a direct heavy strike to the top of the helmet. I would watch that for sure! Love your channel!

From this video it's clear how scary armored cavalry must have been in medieval periods. Imagine a bunch of fully armored knights/soldiers on horseback charging at you, you'll either going to hold real tight to your spear/pike, or run off. I think I'd do the latter :D

I love how ur horse is all chocolate brown except it's 2 white feet. Looks like it stepped in a bucket of white paint but only on the one side. :) Such a beautiful and cute horse 😀

(10:50) He's so cute when he paws at the ground! 😊

Great video Jason! I always wondered how mounted knights could actually function on the battlefield wearing full helmets that restricted hearing and vision. Having ridden horses myself (not in combat of course), I can't imagine finding a way around in the chaos of battle on a horse with what is essentially a steel bucket with eye slots on my head. As you say, the knights didn't go into a battle alone and were highly specialized for the frontal charge. Light cavalry on the other hand seems to have preferred more open-face helmet designs since their role on the battlefield was different, often being limited to scouting, skirmishing, and hit and run tactics.

If the helmet design only lasted one generation, to me that suggests it was invented because it was cheaper and would be replaced by designs that were both cheaper and more effective. It also sounds like it would only be useful during cavalry charges and under missile barrages, but that seems to be true of most medieval cavalry helmets. It probably did have a simple clasp so the knight could quickly remove it before wading into a melee.

You can see why dancing was so important to being a medieval knight. The rules for balance and keeping your head up, while moving in complicated clothing were very similar.

I've been waiting for a new video from Jason for what seems like an age. And yo no surprise KZfaq decided not to tell me that there was one.

Finally, someone who realizes that the opponents of flat topped helmet wearers weren't fighting 9 foot tall people who can hit them straight down on top of the head

That was interesting. I'm guessing there must have been extensive choreography between either bunched knights or a knight and his foot to pull off a good charge. All of the mounted knights must have had similar vision and hearing restrictions. Pre-battle training and practice perhaps?

Your pronunciation of "coif" with the same vowel sound as in "boy" is the correct English pronunciation. Middle English borrowed the word from Old French in the early 1300s, back then Old French pronounced the "oi" digraph somewhat like "oy" before it changed to a "wa" sound in Modern French. So Modern English preserves a pronunciation that's closer to the original Old French pronunciation, while Modern French changed to a different one.

I get the feeling that these would have had a strung cap as part of the padding in addition to the chinstrap so you could secure it in more than one direction. Maille would probably 'lock' it in place better as well.

This helmet is a little out of my comfort zone by 100-150 years. However I do recognize the problem with chin strap placement and construction. I did notice there is an internal suspended helmet liner, is this best guess or evidence based?

While it's not the most effective design, it does look really spiffy on a mounted person.

High middle ages is my favorite time period! I love your videos about it.

I would love to see a 2m tall knight with a horse like that back in the medieval time.

I wonder if intimidation was at all a factor when choosing between a closed or an open faced helmet. Being charged by someone on horseback is already pretty terrifying but I feel like having to fight this "faceless" enemy would definitely add something to that as well

What a great, detailed review of this helmet. Very good illuminating as to the human experience of combat in those days. Just seeing the horse pawing at the ground and that expressionless helmet is intimidating, I can only imagine what it was like seeing an entire group of armored knights coming at you.

Two years ago, I was working in hospitality. When COVID started, my 9-5 schedule went to overnights working the audit shift. During those long hours I would browse KZfaq. A random suggestion popped up about medieval food (particularly the peasant meal video). After that, I was hooked! These videos brought endless joy to those slow and lonely shifts. Fast forward to today, and I am BEYOND THRILLED to see that this channel is still going strong! Blessings and wishes for all the best, not only to you sir, but also to all the viewers on this fine channel!

MrJason Kingsley, I'm so happy for your videos, I think they are at the level of the best documentaries... Please keep going!!!!

Brilliant new video on a very interesting subject, and, as ever, I love the concept of learning more about these aspects of history by actually putting them to the test

Talos is so handsome. Also, great helms like that are some of my favorite helmets visually. It's too bad they're practically a little hard to see and hear out of.

I love medieval Europe. Men and woman must have been so mentally tough back then just to survive without the comforts we have today Hola from Spain 👍🏻

Really interesting how you work through the logic of a person wearing this helmet, counting the positives and negatives to determine its value. Obviously the biggest negative is the lack of vision as you describe in detail. Two things came to mind on that end: 1) A cavalry charge must kick up a lot of dirt - maybe if I am a Knight, knowing that the men I'm fighting below are already limited in vision by the dirt kicked up, I may not be so worried about tunnel vision, might actually help in a melee, especially to have something that keeps dirt/blood/rain out of my eyes. 2) Could it be possible that the knights on the flanks of the charge were simply told to wear open face helmets? As you stated, If I have a knight to my left and right, I'm not so worried. If I'm on the far end of the charge, I think I might prefer and open helmet. I wonder if there would be any way to learn if that was ever implemented or considered?