A kettle hat, also known as a war hat, is a type of

helmet A helmet is a form of protective gear worn to protect the head. More specifically, a helmet complements the skull in protecting the human brain. Ceremonial or symbolic helmets (e.g., a policeman's helmet in the United Kingdom) without protect ...

made of

iron Iron () is a chemical element with Symbol (chemistry), symbol Fe (from la, Wikt:ferrum, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 element, group 8 of the periodic table. It is, Abundanc ...

or steel in the shape of a brimmed

hat A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...

. There are many design variations. The only common element is a wide brim that afforded extra protection to the wearer. It gained its common English language name from its resemblance to a metal cooking pot (the original meaning of ''kettle''). The kettle hat was common all over

Medieval Europe In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

. It was called ''Eisenhut'' in German and ''chapel de fer'' in French (both names mean "iron hat" in English).

Characteristics and use

Though similar brimmed helmets are depicted in illustrations of the Carolingian period, their use seems to have disappeared soon after. In the late 12th century, alongside the development of the enclosed helmet, the brimmed helmet makes a reappearance in Western Europe. Also in the 12th century the brimmed helmet begins to be depicted in

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

art, and it has been suggested that it was a Byzantine development. Early examples were made in the spangenhelm method, of a skull composed of framework filled with separate triangular plates, to which a brim was added. Later kettle hats were raised from a single piece of iron. Of a simple design requiring less time and skill to produce than some other helmet types, it was relatively inexpensive. It was worn most commonly by

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 ...

, however, it was also used by cavalry and even men-at-arms. The wide brim gave good protection against blows from above, such as from cavalry swords, and was very useful in siege warfare as the wide brim would protect the wearer from projectiles shot or dropped from above. It could be worn with or without a mail coif, or later a mail

standard Standard may refer to: Symbols * Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs * Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification Norms, conventions or requirements * Standard (metrology), an object th ...

or plate

gorget A gorget , from the French ' meaning throat, was a band of linen wrapped around a woman's neck and head in the medieval period or the lower part of a simple chaperon hood. The term later described a steel or leather collar to protect the th ...

, and was secured by a chin strap. The kettle hat had an advantage over some other types of helmet, in that it did not interfere with the wearer's vision, hearing or breathing. Hat-shaped helmets were not just a European invention. Japanese ''

Ashigaru were infantry employed by the samurai class of feudal Japan. The first known reference to ''ashigaru'' was in the 14th century, but it was during the Ashikaga shogunate (Muromachi period) that the use of ''ashigaru'' became prevalent by various ...

'' infantrymen wore the '' jingasa'', a helmet shaped like the Japanese form of the conical Asian hat. Southeast Asians especially Burmese, Laotian and Siamese wore various kettle helmets. Burmese weapons and helmets

When steel helmets reappeared in

World War I 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 kettle hat made its comeback as the British Brodie helmet (often called tin hat), as well as the French Adrian helmet. These kettle helmets were also used in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

by the British, Commonwealth forces (such as Australia and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

).Bedford, p. 116 The British produced a helmet for civilian use in World War II designed to give more protection to the head and neck from above.

References

Bibliography

*Bedford, John (1968) ''The Collecting Man'', D. McKay, New York. *Connolly, P., Gillingham, J. and Lazenby , J. (1999) ''The Hutchinson Dictionary of Ancient and Medieval Warfare'', Routledge *De Vries, R. and Smith, R.D. (2012) ''Medieval Military Technology'', Second Edition, University of Toronto Press, Toronto *

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kettle Hat Medieval helmets Combat helmets

Characteristics and use

See also

References

Bibliography

External links