In your answer to Thad in San Antonio “Did Vikings really wear horns on their helmets?” I attempted to comment on that one specifically, but the link which promised to let me address it lied. It goes back a few years, so maybe that explains why the answer is no longer open. However, there is nothing worse than old ignorance, therefore I must address it this way.
You couldn’t sound more like some racist kid, who hates the Celts and other cultures because his own identity stock is in being a Viking warrior descendent! If so, that is pathetic enough, but your statements also happen to be wrong. The Celts did not wear winged or horned helmets into battle any more than the Vikings did, although (just like the Vikings) they were known to wear at least one of these (wings in their case) in ceremony. In battle, Celtic warriors were the least likely to wear any fancy headgear, as they believed that any armor (and even clothing) was for sissies. They may have worn some freaky, scary body paint, otherwise they fought bare-assed! They scared the piss out of the Romans, so they must have scared the Vikings too (who were always much better at invading than conquering).
As the author of the Staff Report, I am perplexed. I do not believe I stated or implied that Celts wore horned helmets in battle. The Celtic horned and winged helmets were, like the Germanic ones, purely ceremonial as far as I know. It has been a couple of decades since anyone called me a kid and nobody has ever accused me of being a racist. And no, I am not a Viking spawn. I am a quarter Scottish and an eighth Irish and a zeroth Scandinavian. Most of the rest is English and there may be some back-door Viking mixed in there, but if so I’ve never seen evidence of it.
Welcome to the Straight Dope Message Boards, MadThinker. I would like to suggest (strongly) that you look over our Rules and Etiquette. We do not allow personal insults to be directed at other posters on our boards. You’re new, so you’re forgiven, but please be aware that we try to conduct civil discussions, politely, without insulting others. OK?
Also, the “Comment on this Answer” link took me here to the Message Boards, so I’m not sure why yours didn’t work?
And, finally, reading over that Staff Report, I find no suggestion that the Celts wore winged helmets in any situation other than religious/ceremonial, as with the Germanic.
I’m sure he expected it to take him to an existing thread on the specific column, like a blog, rather than a generic link to the board for a “do it yourself” thread.
I gotta say, Irishman, the image of basketball players wearing horned helmets almost made me spluff my coffee on the keyboard. Thanks for helping start the day with a smile!
My mind has created a horrifying image of Larry Bird painted in woad going downcourt. Thanks a heap…
OP should try thinking when he’s not mad. A column about Viking stereotypes interpreted as a slur on Celts? … the Heck?