"How to train your Dragon" - Horns on Viking helms

Ogedei · Post by **Ogedei** » Tue Mar 30, 2010 8:52 pm

And what about those damn candy bar makers?! They need to have some corporate responsibility when it comes to teaching our youth about history.

I mean really....

http://www.canada.en.cadbury.com/OURBRA ... erbar.aspx

Baron Alcyoneus · Post by **Baron Alcyoneus** » Tue Mar 30, 2010 11:03 pm

[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/archive/9/94/20091012003655!Celtic_Horned_Helmet_I-IIBC_British-Museum.jpg[/img]

VIBBLE!

Baron Alcyoneus · Post by **Baron Alcyoneus** » Tue Mar 30, 2010 11:08 pm

[img]http://image.forumcommunity.it/3/1/8/6/0/7/0/1256057480.jpg[/img]

This actually isn't a horned helmet. Those are geese necks, and the heads are missing.

Dragon_Argent · Post by **Dragon_Argent** » Tue Mar 30, 2010 11:10 pm

Well - Finding helmets with horns on them is easy - finding VIKING helmets with horns...

Christophe de Frisselle · Tue Mar 30, 2010 11:32 pm

[img]http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/a/asterixcast.jpg[/img]

Magnus Ulfgarsson · Post by **Magnus Ulfgarsson** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:58 pm

Dragon_Argent wrote:at least it is clearly a fantasy kids film... What about movies like Pathfinder!

I worked in props for Pathfinder.

I did like the overall look of it, it was so blatantly fantasy history that it didn't bug me that much. Natives in wierd tall huts on the beach etc. Monster horned evil vikings

Cap'n Atli · Post by **Cap'n Atli** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 3:01 pm

Dragon_Argent wrote:Well - Finding helmets with horns on them is easy - finding VIKING helmets with horns...

Hmmm, Oseberg tapestry: http://needleprayse.webcon.net.au/resea ... horned.jpg

Upper left hand corner. The guy with the sword.

This is why we tell folks that, in general Vikings did not have horns on their helms.

And yes, it could be a "ritual" helm, or a "parade" helm (which term I regard as silly in any context outside of Rome or the later middle ages and renaissance); but our overall database is vanishingly small to flat-out rule it out; any depiction is significant. (One scholar lecturing at the Smithsonian tried to rule it out saying â€œit's obviously the moon behind his head." :roll:

)

There is also an Icelandic illustration, from about 1200, if I remember, showing a later helm with antlers. (Check library tonight.)

Still, they may have been ceremonial, may have been rare, never were not common, and certainly would not be a uniquely Viking attribute even if they were.

Iâ€™m still waiting for the excavation of the burials at Sticklestad to turn up about 200 horny helms!

miscreant · Post by **miscreant** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 5:00 pm

"It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings."

Dragon_Argent · Post by **Dragon_Argent** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 6:02 pm

Magnus of the Dark Wyvern wrote:
Dragon_Argent wrote:at least it is clearly a fantasy kids film... What about movies like Pathfinder!

I worked in props for Pathfinder.

I did like the overall look of it, it was so blatantly fantasy history that it didn't bug me that much. Natives in wierd tall huts on the beach etc. Monster horned evil vikings

Yeah- though not historical I liked the "look" also- It suited the films purposes to have the norse more like monsters than men. The same guy is doing the new Conan films so I suspect they will at least look very good!
- I would agrue though- that what WE (ie. people on this Archive forum) find "blatantly fantasy" and what the normal viewing public see are very different!