# Origin of "Vikings wearing horned-helmets" myth?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-vikings-wearing-horned-helmets-myth/480541>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 9, 2009, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-vikings-wearing-horned-helmets-myth/480541 "2009-01-09T16:46:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-vikings-wearing-horned-helmets-myth/480541/1 "2009-01-09T16:46:39Z")

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I have heard that there is no historical evidence that the Vikings actually wore the stereotypical horned helmets. But where did people get the idea that they did? Any info about this myth would be appreciated.

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**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-vikings-wearing-horned-helmets-myth/480541/2 "2009-01-09T17:18:20Z")

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I’m guessing [drinking horns](http://www.jelldragon.com/drinking_horns.htm) were found in gravesites along with [helmets](http://www.scandinavianheritage.com/images/p32-viking-helmet.gif).

Doesn’t take too much imagination to piece those together if you don’t know that much about the days of yore.

And now I fully expect someone to prove me completely wrong.

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**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-vikings-wearing-horned-helmets-myth/480541/3 "2009-01-09T17:23:11Z")

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[The Master’s minion speaks](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2189/did-vikings-really-wear-horns-on-their-helmets):

> [@](#):
>
> Who started the idea that Vikings wore a pair of horns on their helmets in battle? Ancient Greek and Roman writers got the ball rolling. They described the inhabitants of northern Europe wearing all manner of outlandish things on their heads. For example, Plutarch described the Cimbri, the likely ancestors of at least some of the Vikings, wearing “helmets, made to resemble the heads of wild beasts,” horns included. Diodorus Siculus had earlier described a similar habit of the Gauls, who were a Celtic rather than Germanic people. The Gauls, he writes, wore winged helmets or helmets with horns or antlers or whole animals attached.

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**Author:** ![Satellite\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Satellite\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satellite_Guy)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-vikings-wearing-horned-helmets-myth/480541/4 "2009-01-09T17:25:54Z")

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> [@gytalf2000](#):
>
> I have heard that there is no historical evidence that the Vikings actually wore the stereotypical horned helmets. But where did people get the idea that they did? Any info about this myth would be appreciated.

[The Viking Answer Lady](http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/armor.shtml) is wonderful, isn’t she?

BTW, The **Straight Dope** is cited on her page. Kicks ass, doesn’t it?

S^G

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**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-vikings-wearing-horned-helmets-myth/480541/5 "2009-01-09T17:26:40Z")

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Nevermind, beaten to the SDSAB punch. 🙂