The Vikings didn’t wear horned hats, but even in Denmark images of horned Vikings are everywhere, and along with the beard the horned hat is the distinguishing feature of the stereotypical Viking. Where and when did this idea come from? Who came up with the horned Viking?
according to this site is was based on 19th century romantic revivals (Wagner anyone?) http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/armor.htm
this site suggests it it may be from a mistranslation http://www.ravensgard.org/prdunham/norsefaq.html
“The misassociation of the “Vikings” with horned helmets is reputedly due to a 19th Century mistranslation of a phrase referring to horn helmets, or helmets utilizing plates of horn. I’ve never actually seen such a phrase however”
This site suggests confusion with earlier bronze age helmets:
http://www.mnh.si.edu/vikings/voyage/subset/legend/archeo.html
“This idea may have been stimulated by confusion with Danish Bronze Age helmets, which had long, curved metal horns. When first discovered in the early 19th century, the 1,500 year time period between the Bronze and Viking Ages was not well understood, and so it was presumed that Vikings also wore horned helmets”
I never knew there were so many viking sites out there!
I remember seeing some History channel or Discovery channel program that claimed that the horned helmet first popped up in illustrations in popular 19th century British novels for young men about Vikings.
[Peter Graves]
Billy, do you like movies about gladiators?
[/Peter Graves]
SCM1001 has given the two main theories. I’ve heard good evidence for both.
John Grant, in his fine book on viking mythology, entitled Viking Mythology includes a picture of a horned god from pre-viking Denmark.
The very knowledgable re-enactors at Viking day at the Philadelphia Swedish American museum, endorese the Wagner theory.
Semi Hijack-
While we’re dealing with misconceptions about the vikings, all the pendants, carvings, etc depicting valkyries I’ve ever seen show them as thin women.
How creative.
the misconception is probably because only fat women sing opera well?
The various contributors to the Smithsonian’s Vikings: The North Atlantic Saga (2000), ed. by Fitzhugh and Ward, tend to come down in the blaim Wagner camp. But the most striking point is made in the essay by Carin Orrling: there’s really only one Viking helmet that’s ever been found, in a cremation burial from Gjermundbu in Norway (it’s reproduced as Figure 7.5). Needless to say, it doesn’t have horns.
I’m working on a staff report on this topic, but I’m still waiting for interlibrary loan to come through with one more article before I finish. Stay tuned.
The short version is this. A few Celtic and Germanic horned helmets have been found that date from many centuries before the Viking Age. There are also a few images (rock carvings, etc.) of horned helmets that are closer to the Viking Age. It appears that all these horned helmets were used for ceremonial purposes only. That they were only for show probably wasn’t clear in the 1820s when some artists of the Romantic movement started depicting Vikings wearing horned helmets. Other artists of the same period depicted them wearing winged helmets. As far as I have been able to tell, the Valkyries in the original productions of Wagner’s Ring wore winged helmets, not horned. But the use of horned helmets in later productions was a major influence on the common misconception. There was a horned helmet in the original production of his Tristan und Isolde, but I’m not so sure that had an influence. Thatt’s pretty far removed from anything having to do with Vikings. There are no actual Vikings in Der Ring des Nibelungen either, but it’s easier to see why people would make that connection.
You mean, like Maria Callas?
Or, Kathleen Battle?
Or, Cecilia Bartoli? (Okay, she did put on a few pounds lately.)
Or, Barbara Bonney?
Or, Renee Fleming?
Or, Barbara Hendricks?
Or, Sumi Jo?
Or, Roberta Peters?
Or, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf?
Or, Anne Sophie Von Otter?
Or, Kiri Te Kanawa?
Or, June Anderson?
Etc. Etc. Etc…
I think the myth of fat opera singers is right up there with that of horned vikings.
Looking forward to reading your report. I have just come back from DK, and althought I had been there on many ocassions it was while visiting a Viking museum that my husband told me that the the horned helmets were a myth. I felt ignorant. Oh well, that’s why I paid five bucks…
Bruce Daddy
It’s actually an excellent book. When sources conlict, Grant notes this and gives both versions. He gives full and detailed versions of the myths, but the writing is never dry or lifeless. In telling one story, Grant describes Thor as ‘as subtle as he was gentle’ before saying that Thor solved his latest problem through the usual manner of killing a bunch of people.
Re Reubenesque Valkyries
I’ve heard (though I have been unable to substantiate this) several times that Wagner actually wanted to use thin singers for the valkyries. But, the ideal of the time was a zaftig woman. Wagner went with the singers who were available and the image stuck.
The Vikings have had horns on their helmets since 1961.
Sorry