Morions & burgonets

Morions & Burgonets, suitable for events such as the April 1st celebration of Brielle and the Battle of Grolle. 

The 17^th century was a very eventful century. For this reason, we offer a wide range of 17^th century clothing, weapons, and helmets such as the morion and burgonet. Morions were used primarily by infantrymen, just like pikemen's helmets. They were worn all over Europe because they were so functional. The brims provide protection against falling projectiles. The helmet offers a maximum field of vision. Morions are also impressive and therefore command respect. These helmets were often decorated with feathers.

The burgonet, the last knight helmet

The burgonet appeared in the early 16th century and was known for its distinctive round helmet shell, pronounced front edge, and elegant crest running from front to back. Thanks to the open front, soldiers could breathe freely and have a good view around them, which made the helmet particularly popular among cavalry units such as cuirassiers and demi-lancers. The helmet was often combined with a falling buffe, a hinged faceplate that provided extra protection when the situation demanded it. Throughout Europe – from Swiss pikemen to Polish hussars – the burgonet was a familiar part of military equipment.

Morion

The morion is an open helmet type that became particularly widespread in Europe in the second half of the 16th century. It is most associated with Spanish infantry, especially the famous tercios, but was also widely worn by English, German, French, and Italian troops. The helmet is recognizable by its high, often slightly pointed crest and the wide, upward-curving brim on both sides. This shape offered protection against lateral blows while the open design provided sufficient visibility and ventilation during marches and combat. Morions were usually hammered from a single plate of iron, but in cheaper versions, they consisted of multiple riveted parts. From around 1550 to the early 17th century, the morion was almost standard equipment for pikemen, archers, and harquebusiers. The helmet also had ceremonial variants: richly engraved and gilded morions were worn by royal guards, such as the Yeomen of the Guard in England and the Swiss Guard in service of the Vatican. Although the morion was eventually displaced by more enclosed helmet types, its silhouette remained one of the most distinctive shapes in early modern military equipment.