Did the Vikings wear horned helmets?

This is a bit of a personal pet peeve, but I think it's also a very significant phenomenon. What other myths do we take for granted and accept unquestioningly?

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[mjonas10]

it´s kinda ironic that the most famous viking attribute is the horned helmet when in fact vikings didn´t where any such. there´s thousands of viking findings here in sweden and not a single helmet found has had any horns on them

[nnocturne]

Exactly. It just goes to show that we should question even those things we take for granted.

Heia Sverige!!!

[claudevancack]

Omg, someone who claims to have an interest in vikings yet is an extreme leftist homosexual supporter, if this is not a great contradiction then I do not know what is.

[nnocturne]

I do support gay rights and I am a liberal, yes. And my academic expertise is Scandinavian history at a postgraduate level from one of Britain's leading university medieval history departments.

These notions are not incompatible. I don't see the problem. What is yours?

[nnocturne]

Hehe, exactly. Danish vikings were pussies anyway. ;-)

And what have the Danes ever done for us (apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, and public health)?

[nnocturne]

Scandinavian medieval history is what I studied at university (both BA and master's). I love the stuff. And, yes, I do agree with your conclusion. The default position however should be that horned helmets didn't exist until they can be proved to have existed. Sounds a bit like an argument that we use re: god, isn't it? ;-)

[Articscape317]

For anyone who stillwsatches this in 2k12. The reason why they thought there were horns on the helmets was because they often found a helm and a horn in their grave. The horn was never attached to the helm. Infact it was used to drink from.

[TOMHYLE88]

There are AFAIK three origins for the horned helmet. One is that multiple rock art sites both native and middle eastern (showing invasions) depict Eastern European warriors with horned helmets in the bronze age. Another is that horned helmets have been excavated from Scandinavia that are considered to have been some kind of ceremonial accessory rather than military gear. Third is that there were cheap helmets made out of horn plates. plate and scale armor were invented in horn and waxed hide.

[theend1245]

What? they wore no Horned helmets ?? this is Blasphemy !! this is madness !!

[Unker47]

I ALWAYS ASKED MYSELFFFF I DON'T LIKE HORNED HELMETS, I PREFER LONG HAIR AND LONG BEARD LOL

[KammeratGak]

Yeah, vikings had no horns in the helmets, It's a fabricated corporate myth.

They -blew- horns.

[jannevellamo]

Horned helmets look cool. Very barbaric. That's the only reason. In reality, if somebody in battle hits you in the horn, your helmet either falls off, breaks your neck or the horn itself comes off, as there is no way in hell to properly mount it on a curved piece of metal. Still, don't we all just love stereotypes?

[ploothable]

@legocrazy4554 Because it's their strongest stereotype. It's not true, however, just like the horned helmets.

[legocrazy4554]

@Malmen15 why do you stereotype that Americans are stupid

[legocrazy4554]

@th3planetsghost they did not have horned helmets not a single one has been found

[TumiofDOOM]

@th3planetsghost

To a certain point, yes. But they must have been reasonable and at least decent at tactical thinking to some extent since there is some mention in the sagas about them working as mercenaries for various kings and lords.

I personally think that the whole "raging mindless barbarian" thing was probably something they tried to make themselves seem like to make others fearful of them. An early form of psychological warfare.