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The Valsgärde Helmets

Owners Note1: After received my copy of Dominic Tweddle's "The Anglian Helm from Coppergate," I've gained alot of information on Pre-Viking helms and a whole new insight on some issue's dealing with them. I highly recommend obtaining a copy of the book if you are interested in any of the helms listed below.  Most of the information below came from said book, but it is still worth buying! Better pictures of the originals and their line drawings are on the way! Contact me with any questions you may have regarding any of the info below!  --Halvgrimr

Update: I have learned that the term "Pressblach" is sometimes applied to the copper alloy  plaques on these helmets. I am told that Dave Roper, at the Hoard,  makes them in the correct manner- he carves the pattern, makes a die and then beats the bronze over the die with a leather hammer. Unfortunately, he doesn't show all his work on his site but I am told his casting are some of the best around.

Uppland, Sweden and the surrounding area has produced twelve helmets from the Vendel period (this includes the Vendel, Valsgarde and the Ulltuna helmets), eight of them are intact or reconstructable. There is no absolute consensus on the dating of the Valsgärde/Vendel graves, between them all they range from AD500 to the mid 10th century.  Since they are so broad, if I have documentation I've included the dates attributed to them. As stated previously, the Vendel graves are totally separate (in an archaeological context) from the Valsgärde graves, ie the are from two separate areas in the Mälar(en) Valley. But even though they are separate there are obviously cross culture influences. Any information on the subject/area is welcome, please contact the site owner with details. 

Valsgärde 5 Helm

 

The helm consists of a brow band, a nose-to-nape band, and lateral bands make up the rest of the framework. The holes that are left are filled with a sub-triangular plate and behind this a sub-rectangular area filled with woven metal strips riveted together to form a section of lattice like work (click on the woven area on the pic to the right to see a close up of the actual thing.) The sections were originally slightly separated so that the open work effect was showcased (It has been suggested that these areas were also suppose to be decorative by the enhancement of wearing a colored leather or textile cap underneath). Unlike other helms found at Valsgärde, V5 doesn't seem to have had any sort of check plates to protect the major blood vessels behind the jaw. Hinged metal strips that hang  from the edge of the cap protect the  back of the neck, and may have continued around to make up for the lack of check plates but little evidence of this has been found.  As with most of the other helms at Valsgärde, it was the face mask to protect the eyes and nose. The cap is missing the shallow concavities for eye holes that other Valsgärde helms have.  The eyebrows of this helm are individually made and seem more triangular and contoured, not hatched. They end in profile heads that are turned up and back, with their long jaws touching the upper edge of the brow. There is a high rounded crest with an axial spine that ends on both end in and animal head terminal, the front resting between the eyebrow pieces. The body of the cap is covered with the normally associated "copper alloy foils framed and held in place by strips held in place by copper alloy . It is dated to the mid/late 7th century. It is considered a Group B1 by Arwidsson's classification.

Valsgärde 6 Helm

The helm is composed of a low cap with shallow concavities forming part of the eyeholes, a nasal and a face mask made op of two curved strips. One links each side of the nasal with the cap forming the rest of the eyeholes (sometimes called an ocular.) The basic Valsgärde-like framework of the helm is the standard brow band, nose-to-nape band and lateral bands BUT the way the interstices are filled is much different. The V6 has three "Y" shaped strips and an open work sub-cruciform like device is arranged in an elaborate open-work pattern filling in each of the gaps. The is also evidence of the addition of copper alloy strips to the open work. Protection for the neck and checks is provided with a mail curtain that is hung from the caps edge and lower part of the ocular. The prominent crest has a median spine and ends again with animal heads on both ends. This is combines with eyebrows that are contoured, not hatched, and end in animal heads that are backward looking and in profile. The areas of the brow band, the nose-to-nape band, and the lateral bands are covered by decoration in the form of the "copper alloy foils framed and held in place by strips held in place by copper alloy rivets" system common at Valsgärde. It too is dated to the mid/late 7th century and is considered a Group B2 by Arwidsson's classification.

(I am currently building a reconstruction of this helm. Preliminary pictures of the Mark I version of this helm can be seen here.)

Valsgärde 7 Helm

The helm is composed of a low cap with shallow concavities forming part of the eyeholes, a nasal and a face mask made up of two curved strips. One links each side of the nasal with the cap forming the rest of the eyeholes (sometimes called an ocular.) The basic Valsgärde-like framework of the helm is the standard brow band, nose-to-nape band and lateral bands BUT the way the interstices are filled is being researched. Protection for the neck and checks is provided with a mail curtain that is hung from the caps edge and lower part of the ocular. The prominent crest has a median spine and ends again with animal heads on both ends. The head at the front is inlaid with garnets (see pic above). This is combined with eyebrows that are contoured, gilded, inlaid with garnets and end in animal heads that are backward looking and in profile. The whole helm is covered by decoration in the form of the "copper alloy foils framed and held in place by strips held in place by copper alloy rivets" system common at Valsgärde. It is dated to the early/mid 7th century and is considered a Group B2 by Arwidsson's classification.

Valsgärde 8 Helm

The helm is composed of a low cap with shallow concavities forming part of the eyeholes, a nasal and a face mask made op of two curved strips. One links each side of the nasal with the cap forming the rest of the eyeholes (sometimes called an ocular.) The basic Valsgärde-like framework of the helm is the standard brow band, nose-to-nape band and lateral bands BUT the way the interstices are filled is much similar to the V14.  The V8 employs parallel strips running down from the nose-to-nape band to the brow band. Protection for the neck and checks is provided with a mail curtain that is hung from the caps edge and lower part of the ocular. The prominent crest has a median spine and ends again with animal heads on both ends. This is combines with eyebrows that are hatched and end in animal heads that are backward looking and in profile. The whole helm is covered by decoration in the form of the "copper alloy foils framed and held in place by strips held in place by copper alloy rivets" system common at Valsgärde. It is dated to the mid/late 6th century and is considered a Group B2 by Arwidsson's classification.

1. Tweddle, Dominic. The Anglian Helmet from Coppergate. Council for British Archaeology 1992