[A Senefelder]

I have discovered more on the funerary achievements at Henry's tomb, and it does seem that some of the items were 'disturbed' during the Reformation, and there are certain reservations whether the helm and the sword are actually his or perhaps replacements. One reference even claimed there was a dent in the helm received at Agincourt, which seems odd as this was a jousting helm, not a combat one.

This would suggest that these 'hooks' were probably fixtures attached to helms which had become funerary achievements in churches tombs, much as the case with Henry V's helm.

In an article in "The Connoisseur" (1902, Vo. 3. p.38, unnamed author) it notes that armour found in churches has often been tinkered with and adapted to funeral purposes even when not necessarily belonging to panoply of the interred.

Jim this is certainly a possibility as it was far from uncommon ( I have also heard of some speculation regarding Henry's helmet ). I owned one example ( 17th century ) and have handled two others ( late 16th or 17th century ) that were replacements to go over much older tombs. They were all of 17th century type, and varied from well made to quickly assembled but all three shared one thing in common, a certain degree, greater or lesser of nonfunctionallity. These three were all made when armour was still in use, granted when its use was begining to wane, and all three lacked some functional aspect. Henry's helmet in construction and weight is consistant " for use " albiet for jousting in that period. If the helmet is indeed a replacement, the vast constructional difference between it, in relationship to use, and the much later replacement examples i've handled leads me to wonder if , Henry's indeed is a replacement, it might not be a " working helmet " of similar period, perhaps during Henry's living memory, put to that purpose? The difference in construction, especially when put into context, the late examples i've handled are replacing pieces over tombs already several hundered years old, and are maintaining " tradition " and appearences, the practice had effectively ceased years and years before by that time. The earlier examples, Henry's, The Black Prince et al, when the practice was the norm and a real expression of a mans accomplishments are of functional contstruction. I think your idea that Jean's may infact reflect exactly the later lends itself to the idea.

My only other thought on these clips or " hangers " on the back is that they may simply be something that falls into the same catagory as the " rondel " on the back of 15th century armets. No one is really 100% certain what they were for, the most prominent theory being that they were to protect the strap of the wrapper defense buckled over the front of the helmet from being cut, but still not complete certainty. Mayhaps these clips, which do not appear on all surviving great helmets ( indeed i'm personally unaware of any early eamples which have it, only 14th century fully developed types, which of course given the small amount of surviving material is far from conclusive )have a use that remains to be determined although the idea of suspension for use as a funnery achievement is certainly a very practicle idea ( especially given the not insubstantial weight of this type of helmet ) in much the same manner as the current thought on the purpose of the armet rondel. This would be exactly the sort of thing that makes the hobby fun and interesting, it makes one think, it makes the mind work to solve the little mysteries that come with each new aquisition, playing a little Sherlock Homes to nail down " whats it do", " where and when did it come from ".