A large, heavy piece of medieval armor that covered the entire head and face, often used in tournaments and warfare.
From Old French 'heaume,' likely of Germanic origin. The word entered English through Norman French after 1066 and referred to the distinctive great helm used by medieval knights.
Heaumes were paradoxical—they offered great protection but were incredibly disorienting, restricting vision and hearing so much that a knight could barely sense his surroundings. They represent the extremes of medieval armor design philosophy.
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