HEADSTALL, that part of the bridle which goes over the horse’s head.
HEAUME, Fr. A word derived from the German, which formerly signified casque, or helmet. The heaume has been sometimes called among the French salade, armet, and celate from the Latin word which means engraved, on account of the different figures which were represented upon it. The heaume covered the whole of the face, except the eyes, which were protected by small iron bars laid cross-ways.
The heaume was not only worn by the chevaliers or knights when they went to war, but also at tilts and tournaments. It serves as an ornament or helmet in coats of arms and armorial bearings. Various appellations have been given to this piece of armor, such as habillement de tête, covering for the head, casque, helmet; and under Francis I. it was distinguished by the name of armet. It does not resemble the morion, the salade, or headpiece, the pot, or bourgignote, burganet, which were worn only in the infantry. The heaume, as we have observed above, covered the face. There was an opening opposite to the eyes which was guarded by small iron bars, or latice-work, and was a kind of visier. The heaume, or helmet, is still preserved in heraldry, and is a distinguishing mark of nobility. In tournaments, the helmet was presented as a prize of honor to the most active champion, because it was the principal piece of defensive armor; but a sword was given to the assailants, as that was an offensive weapon.
HEBDOMADIER, Fr. The person whose week it is to be on duty.
HELEPOLIS, in the ancient art of war, a machine for battering down the walls of a place besieged. The invention of it is ascribed to Demetrius the Poliorcetes. Diodorus Siculus says, that each side of the helepolis was 450 cubits broad, and 90 in height; that it had 9 stages or floors, and was carried on four strong solid wheels, 8 cubits in diameter; that it was armed with huge battering rams, and had 2 roofs capable of supporting them; that in the lower stages there were different sorts of engines for casting stones; and in the middle, they had large catapulta’s for lancing arrows.
HELICOMETRY, an art which teaches how to draw or measure spiral lines upon a plane, and shew their respective properties.
HELIOID parabola, is a curve arising from the supposition of the axis of the Apollonian parabola, being bent into the periphery of a circle, and is then a line passing through the extremities of the ordinates, which converge toward the centre of the circle.
HELIOSCOPE, a prospect glass to view the sun. The glass is colored in order to weaken the radiance of light.
HELIX, a spiral line.
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