Did Vikings wear horned helmets ?
It is Halloween, and you don't know what you want to be. You are more of a history type of guy. Last year you did a knight, before a king, and before that a prince. You are just lost in your thoughts while your teacher calls on you and asks you to explain something about a Viking question. Then you figured out what you wanted to be, a vampire , to change things up. To be real, he was going to be a Viking, but wasn't sure if they wore horned helmets. Did Vikings wear horned helmet? Lets pop the balloon to find out!
Who are the Vikings?
The Vikings are Norse people from Scandinavia, present day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. They were best known for raiding and trading settlements in Europe and North America. Viking came from Old Norse word víkingr, which means raider. Most of these people are explorers, farmers, traders, and of course, warriors. They had many motives which included, over population, unifying kingdoms, wealth, and opportunities for trading.
Did Vikings wear horned helmets?
No, the Vikings did not wear horned helmets. This myth came in the 1800’s, when German designer Carl Emil Doepler, made costumes for the Wagner’s opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen. He depicted that they wore horned helmets, with this idea based on Native Americans and the Bronze age. Archeological evidences claim the helmets were made out of Iron and goes around the nose. Horns on the helmet would be impractical since it could get caught on trees or other objects.
Fun Facts
The Vikings were known for their great hygiene from grooming, to using tweezers. Most Vikings settled things peacefully instead of raiding. The giant wolf in Harry Potter , Fenrir Grayback, was based on Viking mythology.
Sources
Smithsonian Magazine – "The Horned Helmets Falsely Attributed to Vikings Are Actually Nearly 3,000 Years Old"
Britannica – "Vikings"
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Viking-people
History.com – "Vikings"
https://www.history.com/topics/exploration/vikings-history
National Geographic Kids – "Vikings”
