What comes to mind when you think of a Viking? One of the first images that comes to mind is a terrifying helmet with two horns. However, the story of the Viking helmet is even more complicated than that.
Many historians believe that the characteristic horned helmets were not worn by Vikings. In fact, there have been so few Viking-era helmet discoveries that it's probable the powerful Norse warriors didn't wear helmets at all.
So, what did these warriors put on before going into battle? And how did the legend of the Viking helmet with horns begin in the first place?
The Viking era lasted over 800 years, until around 1050 C.E. Then, various tribes of Nordic warriors began invading European cities and towns. Stories of their aggression, lack of "civilization," and brazen disrespect for Christianity swiftly spread.
According to accounts of the first known Viking attack in 793, a monastery in Lindisfarne was "spattered with the blood of the priests of God [and] despoiled of all its jewels," and the Vikings "trampled on the bodies of saints in the temple of God, like excrement in the street."
The invaders were clearly something to be dreaded, but did they wear horned Viking helmets?
Sometimes. Vikings are frequently represented in contemporaneous depictions wearing basic round helmets. At times, they're shown bareheaded — and without a helmet at all.
In truth, no Viking helmets, horned or otherwise, have ever been discovered. Despite the fact that fragments of them have been uncovered in areas such as Denmark, researchers have only discovered one preserved such helmet.
This helmet was discovered in a warrior's grave in Gjermundbu, Norway, in 1943, accompanying a full suit of chain mail. But why has only one been discovered?
It's probable that Vikings didn't wear helmets very often. It's also possible that Viking warriors were not buried with their helmets. In any event, there aren't a lot of Viking helmets in Europe. Archaeologists have never discovered a Viking helmet with horns.
So, how did Vikings gain the reputation of fighting in battle with horned helmets?
