The Knights in Shining Armor of Paris: Pinoy Explorer Gregg Yan Gives You a Glimpse of France’s Musée de l’Armée

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The Great Helm was forged from premium steel, designed to protect its bearer from swords, spears, axes and arrows. The fact that it was heavily dented and scarred means it already did. This is no movie prop or replica – it’s the real deal. I imagined its bearer tiredly donning it on a cold, muddy, rainy European battlefield and gazing forlornly at a mass of armored men and horses about to close in for God, country and whatever else drives men to war.

I went to Paris with one mission – to find Knights in Shining Armor. Not the Romantic kind – but the kind that bludgeoned each other silly with swords and maces. I found them and more at the Musée de l’Armée or Army Museum of Paris.

Covering the martial history of France – which ranges from losing to the Romans at Alesia in 52 BC, to losing to the English at Agincourt in 1415, to losing to the Vietnamese at Dien Bien Phu in 1954 – the museum has everything from Napoleon’s stuffed horse (no, really) to WWI tanks. It is also the final resting place for Napoleon Bonaparte himself – perhaps the modern world’s greatest military leader, whose battlefield presence was said to equate to your army suddenly having an additional 40,000 men.

As a student of history, I’m particularly drawn to the era of medieval knights, where a man’s mettle was measured by his ability to wield a sword. This glorious era – of armored men riding horses – ended with the invention of the machinegun, which could riddle men and horses – armor and all – into Swiss cheese.

With over 2500 pieces, the museum’s medieval collection is vast – from beautiful breastplates to gorgeous gorgets, to arms and armor literally fit for kings. There were even barded suits of armor for horses, plus flanged maces with integrated, single shot pistols hidden right on the hilt (very Warhammer 40K).

Exploring the museum for two days, I was transported to earlier times – the highlight being a room filled with ordered, shiny rows of weapons and armor for knights and footmen.

Soon I found myself gazing at another helmet, this time a huge tournament helm used by knights for jousting. I tried to imagine its bearer being transformed into a faceless, metallic war machine – but I couldn’t.

Each helmet, each suit of armor here was worn by real men – men who weren’t afraid to wage war in the bloodiest, most terrifying way possible – up close, with hacking implements. These men were real warriors, Knights in Shining Armor, who donned skins of steel and iron to protect those who could not.