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Markus Fischer




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PostPosted: Tue 25 May, 2021 6:20 am    Post subject: Horns on Viking Helmets         Reply with quote

Does anybody know where the misconception of horns on viking helmets did arise from?
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Bill Grandy
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PostPosted: Tue 25 May, 2021 7:21 am    Post subject: Re: Horns on Viking Helmets         Reply with quote

Markus Fischer wrote:
Does anybody know where the misconception of horns on viking helmets did arise from?


While I don’t know for absolute fact, it seems to have started with 19th century opera, and the image became fixed in people’s idea of what Vikings should look like.

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Anthony Clipsom




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PostPosted: Tue 25 May, 2021 9:06 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Prehistoric figures of men in horned helmets had been found in Scandinavia in the 18th century. Perhaps, with the hazy idea of prehistoric chronology, these gave the idea of horned Vikings, which was built on through art and opera in the 19th.century?

These are from Grevensvænge in Denmark


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Tim Lison




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PostPosted: Tue 25 May, 2021 9:06 pm    Post subject: Re: Horns on Viking Helmets         Reply with quote

Markus Fischer wrote:
Does anybody know where the misconception of horns on viking helmets did arise from?


We know for sure that Hollywood didn't make it up, they don't do anything original! Lol.
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Dan Howard




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PostPosted: Wed 26 May, 2021 4:04 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Horned helmets were pretty common in the Bronze Age in Europe, the Aegean, and the Middle East. Later, they turn up in Asian cultures such as Japan.
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Sean Manning




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PostPosted: Wed 26 May, 2021 7:33 pm    Post subject: Re: Horns on Viking Helmets         Reply with quote

Markus Fischer wrote:
Does anybody know where the misconception of horns on viking helmets did arise from?

This Straight Dope column from 2004 cites one scholarly article and one popular article. I'm not sure where to find something similar in German.


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Jonathan Blair




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PostPosted: Thu 27 May, 2021 2:32 am    Post subject: Re: Horns on Viking Helmets         Reply with quote

Markus Fischer wrote:
Does anybody know where the misconception of horns on viking helmets did arise from?

An "ancient" source of horned Viking helmets.



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