With its curved brim and tall crest, the morion is one of the most elegant open helmets ever made. It is the helmet of 16th-century pikemen, town guards, and the soldiers of the age of exploration. For LARP, it is a great choice whenever your character needs to see, hear, and talk freely while still looking every inch a soldier.
In this article, we look at where the morion came from, how it relates to the kettle hat and the cabasset, and how to use it for your character. For an overview of all medieval helmet types, see our guide to Types of Medieval Helmets.
What Is a Morion?
A morion is an open-faced combat helmet that originated in Spain and was used from the beginning of the 16th to the early 17th century. It usually has a brim and a crest, or comb, running from front to back. The brim often curves up at the front and back, giving the helmet its typical boat-like profile.
Typical features of a morion are:
- a rounded skull with a high comb from front to back;
- a brim all around the skull;
- an open face;
- on many examples, cheek pieces and rich decoration such as etching on parade versions.
History of the Morion
The morion's shape developed from an older Spanish kettle hat of the 15th century. Its name is usually traced to the Spanish morrión. A similar helmet, the cabasset, was worn in the same century and also came from Spain; sources disagree whether it came before the morion or was adapted from it. Both were typical of infantry in the pike and shot formations of the 16th century.
The morion appeared at the time of the Spanish exploration of the Americas, and explorers such as Hernando de Soto and Coronado may have supplied them to their foot soldiers in the 1540s. Later, it became a favorite of town and palace guards. Surviving examples include a late 16th-century morion associated with the Munich town guard and decorated morions by the Milanese armorer Pompeo della Cesa from about 1585 to 1590.
Morion, Cabasset, and Kettle Hat
| Helmet | Period | Main features | Wearers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kettle hat | 12th to early 16th century | Brimmed steel hat, no tall comb | Medieval infantry, also mounted men |
| Morion | Early 16th to early 17th century | Brim and a crest from front to back | Pikemen, guards, soldiers |
| Cabasset | 16th century | Closely related open helmet from Spain | Pikemen, infantry |
Pros and Cons of a Morion for LARP
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Fully open face: best vision, hearing, and speech | No protection for the face |
| Elegant, recognizable silhouette | The brim can catch on a high collar or bow string |
| Comfortable for a whole day of play | Renaissance style, not for early medieval characters |
| Great for roleplay-heavy characters | Less intimidating than a closed helmet |
Which Characters Fit a Morion?
- Guards and watchmen: a polished or decorated morion for palace and city guards.
- Pikemen and soldiers: a plain morion for infantry units. See our Landsknecht collection for armor to match.
- Officers and nobles: a decorated morion keeps the face visible for command and roleplay.
- Explorers and adventurers: characters from a world of sailing ships and new continents.
- Clerics and inquisitors: an open, ornate morion lets the face and voice carry authority. See our Witch Hunter collection.
Our Morion Helmet
Our Flower Knight Morion Helmet takes the open shape of the morion and covers it with engraved floral ornament and a silver finish. It is an original design of our team, cast from polyurethane reinforced with fiberglass, painted by hand, and weighs about 1 kg. It fits a head circumference up to 65 cm and comes with padding. It is part of the Flower Knight line, with matching breastplates, pauldrons, bracers, tassets, and greaves, and it is a natural choice for the Flower Maiden set, which comes without a helmet. Color changes are free.
Order a Custom Morion
Want a classic Spanish morion, a cabasset, or a morion with your own etched ornament? We can make it to order, in your colors, much lighter than steel. We usually start with a 2D concept, then a 3D sculpt, and then make the mold and the helmet. Tell us your idea on our Custom LARP Armor page, or see our Group Orders to equip a whole guard. All our helmets are in the LARP Helmets collection.
Related reading: the morion developed from the kettle hat and was worn alongside the burgonet.