A reproduction of the Gjermundbu helmet's distinctive 'spectacle' guard, the eye-and-nose protection that gives this famous Viking Age helmet find its nickname.
The Gjermundbu helmet is the most famous Viking Age helmet in existence, discovered in 1943 at a farm near Ringerike, Norway, in a richly furnished 10th century warrior burial that also contained the only complete mail shirt known from the Viking Age, alongside a sword, spearheads, and riding equipment. It is often described as the only complete Viking helmet ever found — worth being precise here: the surviving original is actually a reconstruction assembled from around seventeen to twenty fragments, representing perhaps a quarter to a third of the full helmet, mounted onto a supporting frame. What makes it exceptional is not literal completeness but that it remains the only Viking Age helmet whose full construction method is understood in detail — a rounded cap built from four curved plates, joined by rivets, with a distinctive 'spectacle' guard protecting the eyes and nose. Fewer than five Viking Age helmet finds are known worldwide (Gjermundbu, plus fragments from Denmark, England, Sweden, and Ukraine), making this an extraordinarily rare survival. The original is held at the Museum of Cultural History, Oslo, Norway.
Deepeeka's reproduction emphasises this distinctive spectacle-guard construction, part of our Viking heritage range.
Use for:
- Living history and re-enactment display
- Museum-style display on a stand
- Norse-themed home decor and collections
- Historical events and living history fairs
- Film and theatre productions
- Collectors of early Medieval helmet forms
