In public presentations, I am frequently asked why people think
that Viking age helmets had horns. I used to joke that it was the fault of a
costume designer for a 19th century Wagnerian opera until I recently
learned that there may be a germ of truth to that notion.
However,
there is a more likely explanation. Good evidence exists for
horned helmets in Scandinavia during the Bronze and early Iron Ages, well
before the start of the Viking era. Some helmets have survived, as well as stone carvings and
sculpture (right). Perhaps during the Romantic 19th century Viking
revival, this early evidence was misinterpreted, and the notion that Vikings all
wore horned helmets became established.
