E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898.
Helmet,
in heraldry, resting on the chief of the shield, and bearing the crest, indicates rank.
1
Gold, with six bars, or with the visor raised (in full face) for royalty!
Steel, with gold bars, varying in number (in profile) for a nobleman;
Steel, without bars, and with visor open (in profile) for a knight or baronet;
Steel, with visor closed (in profile), for a squire or gentleman.
“The pointed helmet in the bas-reliefs from the earliest palace of Nimroud appears to have been the most ancient… . . Several were discovered in the ruins. They were iron, and the rings which ornamented the lower part … were inlaid with copper.”—Layard: Nineveh and its Remains, vol. ii. part ii. chap. iv. p. 262.
“The pointed helmet in the bas-reliefs from the earliest palace of Nimroud appears to have been the most ancient… . . Several were discovered in the ruins. They were iron, and the rings which ornamented the lower part … were inlaid with copper.”—Layard: Nineveh and its Remains, vol. ii. part ii. chap. iv. p. 262.
