March 21, 2014

Five Funny Friday Helmets

Helmet #1 for your Friday viewing pleasure. It’s a real helmet – you can buy the Helmodo for just $984.

There are likely a lot more contenders for the funniest helmets of all time than we even imagine. For helmets go back a long way, the oldest known being those of Assyrian soldiers’ helmets of 900 BC.

Assyrian soldier’s helmet – looks like a Hershey’s Kiss but likely doesn’t feel like one when wearing or when coming in battle contact with one.

Helmets have been made from everything from heavy metals to boar’s tusks, from leather to straw to cork. From ancient times helmets to yesterday, helmets are all about protecting the head and brain, and also about looking good.
The Romans wanted that sideburn protection, and they wanted to look fashionable on the battlefield, too.

Practicality does play some role in the evolution of helmets – why else have chopsticks and rice bowl integrated?

Looks like a metal crab, functions as a portable picnic set. From Japanese Edo period.

Fashion, including helmet fashion, is a fickle business. But it’s nice to know that the entire ‘put a bird on it’ fashion thought to originate in Nutcase’s hometown of Portland, Oregon, actually can be traced much further back.

I Love Lucy puts a bird on it – circa 1957. Happy weekend!