Those horned helmets were not a thing
You hardly ever see a Viking in a painting or a film without one of those enormous, horned helmets. However, historians concur that wearing them is highly implausible for historical Vikings. They would have been extremely inefficient for this war-hardy tribe and would have given them an advantage in close-quarters fighting. So, from where did they originate?
Well, most likely it’s due to Carl Emil Doepler, a 19th-century costume designer. He created the costumes for operas with a Norse theme. He invented the horned helmets, maybe influenced by the garb worn by Germanic priests during rituals, and for some reason, they stayed.
Those Horned Helmets Were Not A Thing
They sold ‘unicorn’ horns
The idea that Vikings were essentially aggressive, cruel pirates is considerably overdone. While they performed their fair share of pillaging, their primary roles were as dealers and astute businesspeople. They traversed the world, sourced Middle Eastern silk and spices, and then traded them for exotic goods like unicorn horns. Yes, Vikings purposefully stole narwhal tusks and passed them off as unicorn horns. There were plenty of wealthy, eager purchasers to con since unicorns were thought to be real, magical animals.
They Sold ‘unicorn’ Horns
