MovieChat Forums > Prince Valiant (1954) Discussion > Vikings Wearing Horned Helmets

Vikings Wearing Horned Helmets


From research on the internet, it appears that Vikings did not wear horned helmets, at least not in battle, where it would be more of an encumbrance than enhancement of their battle paraphernalia. A classic case of stereotyping perpetuated by Hollywood and media. This link would explain it in detail:

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2189/did-vikings-really-wear-horns-on-their-helmets

Of course, taking into account that this movie was produced in 1954, one can scarcely fault producers and such for perpetuating the myth, for monetary reasons.

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This was rectified only a few years later in The Vikings.

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Actually I think that the blame is on Wagner and his opera costumers back in the day

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Hollywood always took some liberties with history. It's likely for example that in the time when The Ten Commandments was set that most of the former slaves didn't wear sandals. A lot of people back then went barefoot. In fact later the Romans provided their troops with sandals as part of their equipment because they weren't cheap to afford when you consider they didn't have modern manufacturing processes, so I tend not to worry about vikings having horned helmets in the movies and other such. I mean all the knights are tall and what most would call handsome in this movie but in real life people come in varying heights and not everyone is movie star handsome either. One movie that took some risks on that is The Black Knight (with Alan Ladd in the title role) which was also made in 1954. Many point out he was older than his character (and not 6 ft + either) and claim he was miscast, but I think it adds a touch of realism myself. So I don't worry about the occasional inaccuracy like horns on helmets. Technically in the time King Arthur would have lived knights didn't even have much chain mail much less plate armor but you often see the knights in plate armor anyway.

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We definitely know now -from archaeological findings- that Vikings never wore horns on their helmets. That is accurately shown in the 1958 film The Vikings starring Kirk Douglas. But back in 1937, when the first Prince Valiant comics came out, there was a different perception. And this film stands truly to its original comic roots. So here we have Vikings wearing horned helmets, no matter how ridiculous they look in them.

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