Visor (armor)

"[3] The first recorded European reference to a helmet's visor in the Middle Ages is found in the 1298 will of Odo de Roussillon, which speaks of a heume a vissere.

In his account of peacetime jousts at Saint-Inglevert, French chronicler Jean Froissart provides an example of visored helmets being used in tournament.

Castilian chronicler Fernao Lopes describes such a situation taking place in a 1387 joust, wherein one knight held his shield "so that only his right eye was visible.

"[6] While the account displays a strong propagandist tone, it suggests that stray arrows could penetrate a visor, presumably by striking in the opening provided for the wearer's vision.

Muslim chronicler Imad ad-Din depicts Christian crusaders "with raised visors amid the swords" at the Battle of Hattin in 1187.

Visors played an important role in Late Medieval and Early Modern literature, allowing for a dramatic reveal of a character's identity.

Fourteenth century klappvisier , an early form of visored basinet
Example of a sixteenth century double-visored sallet