Did Vikings Wear Horned Helmets?
The Myth Viking warriors wore horned or winged helmets. The Truth There is no evidence, archaeological or otherwise, that Viking warriors wore any type of horns or wings on their helmets. What we do have is one single piece of evidence, the ninth century Oseberg tapestry, suggesting a rare ceremonial use (the relevant figure on the tapestry may even be that of a god, rather than representative of real Vikings) and plenty of evidence for plain conical/domed helmets made mainly of leather. Horns, Wings and Wagner I’m sure we’ve all seen them, pictures of large, hairy men with horns sticking proudly out of their helmets as they rush to rape and pillage. It’s so common it must be true surely? Well, no. Years of excavations, coupled with studies of images, have yielded no evidence for the common use of horned or winged Viking warrior helmets. So where has the idea come from? Roman and Greek writers referred to no
