BURGONET

burgonet, or burganet (from fr. _bourguignote_, burgundian helmet), a form of light helmet or head-piece, which was in vogue in the 16th and 17th centuries. in its normal form the burgonet was a large roomy cap with a brim shading the eyes, cheek-pieces or flaps, a comb, and a guard for the back of the neck. in many cases a vizor, or other face protection, and a chin-piece are found in addition, so that this piece of armour is sometimes mistaken for an armet (_q.v._), but it can always be distinguished by the projecting brim in front. the morion and cabasset have no face, cheek or neck protection. the typical head-piece of the 17th-century soldier in england and elsewhere is a burgonet skull-cap with a straight brim, neck-guard and often, in addition, a fixed vizor of three thin iron bars which are screwed into, and hang down from, the brim in front of the eyes.