The burgonet helmet (sometimes called a burgundian sallet) was a

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...

-era and early modern combat helmet. It was the successor of the

sallet The sallet (also called ''celata,'' ''salade'' and ''schaller'') was a combat helmet that replaced the bascinet in Italy, western and northern Europe and Hungary during the mid-15th century. In Italy, France and England the armet helmet was also ...

Characteristics

The burgonet helmet is characterised by a skull with a large fixed or hinged peak projecting above the face-opening, and usually an integral, keel-like, crest or comb running from front to rear. Attached to the skull are substantial hinged cheekpieces which usually do not meet at the chin or throat. A flange projects from the lower parts of the skull and cheekpieces to protect the back and sides of the neck. Though typically a relatively light helmet and open faced, a

falling buffe The falling buffe is 16th century armour for the throat and lower face. It evolved from the bevor and was composed of several lames, retained in place by spring catches, which could be lowered for better ventilation and vision. It was often att ...

, a sort of visor that was closed by being drawn up rather than down, was sometimes used. Some helmets, often termed "close burgonets", were made which took elements, such as the peak, crest and falling buffe, of the burgonet and combined them with the hinged

bevor A bevor ( ) or beaver is a piece of plate armour designed to protect the neck, much like a gorget. Etymology The word “bevor” or “beaver” is derived from Old French ''baver'', meaning ‘to dribble’. This is a reference to the effect o ...

of the

close helmet The close helmet or close helm is a type of combat helmet that was worn by knights and other men-at-arms in the Late Medieval and Renaissance eras. It was also used by some heavily armoured, pistol-armed, cuirassiers into the mid-17th century. I ...

Use

Commonplace throughout

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

, it first came into use early in the 16th century and had attained its classic form by c. 1550. Accompanied by plate armour, burgonets were mostly worn by cavalry:

cuirassier Cuirassiers (; ) were cavalry equipped with a cuirass, sword, and pistols. Cuirassiers first appeared in mid-to-late 16th century Europe as a result of armoured cavalry, such as men-at-arms and demi-lancers, discarding their lances and adop ...

demi-lancer The demi-lancer or demilancer was a type of heavy cavalryman in Western Europe in the 16th and early 17th centuries. Characteristics "Demi-lancer" was a term used in 16th-century military parlance, especially in England, to designate cavalryme ...

s and hussars (

Polish hussars The Polish hussars (; pl, husaria ), alternatively known as the winged hussars, were a heavy cavalry formation active in Poland and in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1503 to 1702. Their epithet is derived from large rear wings, which ...

). The Border Reivers, of the English-Scottish borderlands, were very fond of burgonets and the morion in Elizabethan times, and as a result reivers were often called ''steil'' (steel) ''bonnets''.Keith Durham, ''The Border Reivers'' (Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 1995), 46. Burgonets were also a popular helmet type among the Polish winged hussars, where they merged with types of

lobster-tailed pot helmet The lobster-tailed pot helmet, also known as the zischägge, horseman's pot and harquebusier's pot, was a type of post-Renaissance combat helmet. It became popular in Europe, especially for cavalry and officers, from c. 1600; it was derived from ...

s (Zischägge), often featuring a nasal bar or facial guard. The burgonet was common among the mercenary Swiss

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

who were

pikemen A pike is a very long thrusting spear formerly used in European warfare from the Late Middle Ages and most of the Early Modern Period, and were wielded by foot soldiers deployed in pike square formation, until it was largely replaced by bayon ...

who could defend themselves against cavalry (perhaps taking helmets of this form as trophies). Following the appearance of the

Adrian Adrian is a form of the Latin given name Adrianus or Hadrianus. Its ultimate origin is most likely via the former river Adria from the Venetic and Illyrian word ''adur'', meaning "sea" or "water". The Adria was until the 8th century BC the mai ...

and

Brodie helmet The Brodie helmet is a steel combat helmet designed and patented in London in 1915 by Latvian inventor John Leopold Brodie ( lv, Leopolds Janno Braude). A modified form of it became the Helmet, Steel, Mark I in Britain and the M1917 Helmet in ...

s and the Stahlhelm, in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, the Swiss experimented with a "streamlined" form of the burgonet for their own national helmet, but both designs were rejected. The factors of utility of the burgonet over older helmets include: *Cost—The main factor in the decision to wear one; burgonets were significantly cheaper than closed-face helmets due to having fewer hinges and locking mechanisms required to keep typical close helms closed. *Encumbrance—

Close helmet The close helmet or close helm is a type of combat helmet that was worn by knights and other men-at-arms in the Late Medieval and Renaissance eras. It was also used by some heavily armoured, pistol-armed, cuirassiers into the mid-17th century. I ...

s were slightly heavier, and while mobility was roughly similar, it could be hard for the wearer to see, and breathe freely during combat while wearing one. The burgonet, however, was light and had an open face that gave an advantage in close quarters combat. *Protection—The burgonet was not as protective as heavier helms, but still protected most of the head. Having an open face could be remedied with a falling buffe. File:Burgonet helmet, Nuremberg, c. 1560, decorated in the 17th century - Higgins Armory Museum - DSC05687.JPG, German burgonet, c. 1560, showing the open face of the helmet. File:0 Bourguignotte - Roi Henri II - Musée de l'Armée Paris 2.JPG, Parade burgonet of

Henry II of France Henry II (french: Henri II; 31 March 1519 – 10 July 1559) was King of France from 31 March 1547 until his death in 1559. The second son of Francis I and Duchess Claude of Brittany, he became Dauphin of France upon the death of his elder bro ...

, 16th century,

Army Museum (Paris) The Musée de l'Armée (; "Army Museum") is a national military museum of France located at Les Invalides in the 7th arrondissement of Paris. It is served by Paris Métro stations Invalides, Varenne and La Tour-Maubourg The Musée de l'Armée w ...

. File:Burgonet MET DT276226.jpg, An ornate parade burgonet, workshop of Filippo Negroli, 1543,

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...

File:Moro helmet, Philippines (M. América, Madrid) 01.jpg, An ornate burgonet with cheek-guards from the

Philippine The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

Moros (c. 18th/19th century),

Museo de América The (English: Museum of America) is a Spanish national museum of arts, archaeology and ethnography in Madrid. Its collections cover the whole of the Americas and range from the Paleolithic period to the present day. It is owned by the Spanish S ...

References

Bibliography

*Blair, Claude (1958), ''European armour circa 1066 to circa 1700''. B.T. Batsford, London. *Gravett, Christopher (2006) ''Tudor Kight''. Osprey Publishing, London. *Oakeshott, Ewart (1980) ''European Weapons and Armour: From the Renaissance to the Industrial Revolution.'' Lutterworth Press.

External links

Spotlight: The Burgonet
(myArmoury.com article)

{{Elements of Medieval armor Early Modern helmets English Civil War

Characteristics

Use

References

Bibliography

Further reading

External links