Morion Helmet

A morion helmet is an open helmet that was used in the 16th and 17th century. The morion helmet was often used by foot soldiers in various European countries. The morion helmet is usually associated with Spanish conquistadores. The helmet was inexpensive to manufacture and this alone helped with popularizing of the helmet. The elites who wore the helmet usually wanted to distinguish themselves from other soldiers by engraving the helmet to display their affluence and their esteem. The morion helmet was also called a comb morion helmet as it had a characteristic comb (crest) that strengthened the helmet. Later versions of the helmet featured cheek guards and also removable faceplates.