Horned Helmets
Did the Vikings really wear them?
The once popular motif of the 19th century depicting vikings in horned helmets has fallen out of style in recent years. Many historians claim that these horned helemts would be simply impractical in battle. And I certainly have to agree, at least as they are commonly depicted, however we should note that horned helmets were in fact both worn and actually used in battle, mainly during the Bronze Age.
The Bronze Age horned helmet tradition was very well covered in this Dan Davis video if you want the full picture, but I will summarize some important points.
Groups of sea people such as the Sherden are depicted by Egyptians multiple times in battle wearing helmets with horns and other ornamentation, and so saying that any horns were completely impractical is not at all true. However, we do seem to see some distinction in these cultures between the larger, more ornamental horns, sometimes depicted as worn by deities, and the shorter more practical horns depicted on statues of warriors.
Of particular note to the potential of these helmets among Vikings are the Veksø helmets of the Nordic Bronze Age, believed to be related to the Divine Horse Twins. These were made in the same manner as real battle helmets, however to my knowledge there is no evidence these were used directly in battle.
It should be first noted that neither the single found full Viking helmet or any of the many Vendel helmets have any kind of horns. There are also no recorded accounts of Vikings with horned helmets, either in their own sagas or among observers. There are however, certain findings of note that may indicate at least something resembling this practice.
Most notably are the many examples of the “Horned Spear Dancer” motif found throughout the Vendal and Viking periods, a piece worn on the front or top of the head, a form very similar to that of the modern “horned helmet”. However, certain depictions such as those on the right make it clear that this was actually worn as a headdress, not a helmet. (For more information on this topic watch this video)
Perhaps the most convincing piece of evidence for real viking horned helmets is this piece of the Osberg Tapestry, depicting what appears to be a man with a horned helmet. Was this a depiction of a real warrior with a horned helmet worn into battle? A ceremonial item? An artistic choice, or depiction of Odin? I’m not sure there will ever be a satisfactory answer to this question, but it does mean there is at least some possibility such a helmet really did exist, and was worn into battle by a Viking chief.
To finish with my personal opinion, I find the modern horned helmet depictions to be quite ugly in comparison to their ancient counterparts, and much prefer instead the winged helmet motif.
Written for iFunny on December 14 2022