The burgonet helmet was a Renaissance

Renaissance

The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...

-era and Early modern combat helmet

Combat helmet

A combat helmet or battle helmet is a type of personal armor designed specifically to protect the head during combat. Helmets are among the oldest forms of personal protective equipment and are known to have been worn by the Akkadians/Sumerians in the 23rd century BC, Mycenaean Greeks since 17th...

. It was the successor of the sallet

Sallet

The sallet was a war helmet that replaced the bascinet in northern Europe and Hungary during the mid-15th century. Some sallets were close fitting except at the back of the head where they extended and formed a pointed tail. Some Italian ones followed the shape of the neck, and had an additional...

.

It came into popularity towards the end of the 16th century. Commonplace throughout Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

, the burgonet was accompanied by plate armour

Plate armour

Plate armour is a historical type of personal armour made from iron or steel plates.While there are early predecessors such the Roman-era lorica segmentata, full plate armour developed in Europe during the Late Middle Ages, especially in the context of the Hundred Years' War, from the coat of...

 and worn by cuirassier

Cuirassier

Cuirassiers were mounted cavalry soldiers equipped with armour and firearms, first appearing in late 15th-century Europe. They were the successors of the medieval armoured knights...

s, demi-lancer

Demi-lancer

The "Demi-lancer" or demilancer was a type of heavy cavalryman found in Western Europe in the 16th and early 17th centuries.-Characteristics:...

s and hussar

Hussar

Hussar refers to a number of types of light cavalry which originated in Hungary in the 14th century, tracing its roots from Serbian medieval cavalry tradition, brought to Hungary in the course of the Serb migrations, which began in the late 14th century....

s. It was a light helmet, open-faced and decorated with one or more metal fins on top. Though typically open faced, a falling buffe

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 lamés, retained in place by spring catches, which could be lowered for better ventilation and vision....

, a sort of visor that was drawn up rather than down, could be used.

The Border Reivers

Border Reivers

Border Reivers were raiders along the Anglo–Scottish border from the late 13th century to the beginning of the 17th century. Their ranks consisted of both Scottish and English families, and they raided the entire border country without regard to their victims' nationality...

 were very fond of burgonets until the introduction of the morion

Morion (helmet)

A morion is a type of open helmet used during the 16th and early 17th centuries, usually having a flat brim and a crest from front to back. The morion, though generally identified with Spanish conquistadors, was common among foot soldiers of European nationalities, including the English; the first...

 in Elizabethan times, and as a result reivers were often called steil (steel) bonnets. Burgonets were also a popular helmet type among the Polish winged hussars

Polish Hussars

The Polish Hussars were the main type of cavalry of the first Polish Army, later also introduced into the Army of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, between the 16th and 18th centuries...

, where they took many different forms, often featuring a nasal bar or facial guard.

The burgonet was common among the mercenary Swiss

Swiss mercenaries

Swiss mercenaries were notable for their service in foreign armies, especially the armies of the Kings of France, throughout the Early Modern period of European history, from the Later Middle Ages into the Age of the European Enlightenment...

 infantry

Infantry

Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...

. These were pikemen who could defend themselves against cavalry

Cavalry

Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...

 (and perhaps took helmets of this form as trophies). Following the appearance of the Adrian

Adrian helmet

The M15 Adrian helmet was a combat helmet issued to the French Army during World War I. It was the first standard helmet of the French Army and was designed when millions of French troops were engaged in trench warfare, and head wounds became a frequent cause of battlefield casualties...

 and Brodie helmet

Brodie helmet

The Brodie helmet, called Helmet, steel, Mark I helmet in Britain and the M1917 Helmet in the U.S., was a steel combat helmet designed and patented in 1915 by the Briton John Leopold Brodie...

s, and the Stahlhelm

Stahlhelm

Stahlhelm is German for "steel helmet". The Imperial German Army began to replace the traditional boiled-leather Pickelhaube with the Stahlhelm during World War I in 1916...

, in the First World War

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

, the Swiss

Switzerland

Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

 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 large closed-face helmets.
• Encumbrance—Closed helmets were very bulky and heavy. It could be hard for the wearer to see, breathe or turn his head while wearing one. The burgonet, however, was light and had an open face; this gave an advantage in offense.
• Protection—The burgonet was not as protective as heavier helms, but still afforded some protection. Having an open face could be remedied with a falling buffe.

External links

• Spotlight: The Burgonet (myArmoury.com article)