12 Historical "Facts" That Simply Aren't True
5. Vikings Did Not Wear Horned Helmets... This Detail Was Added By Richard Wagner's 19th-Century Opera
Just about every single viking that appears in popular culture nowadays seems to be wearing a horned helmet - yet there have been no archaeological findings ever discovered that support this fashion statement.
In fact, between the late-8th and late-11th Centuries, vikings either wore leather strapping across their heads, helmets minus the horns, or simply no head-gear at all - and the horns have been added to their image in the last couple-of-hundred years.
It appears that the misconception has arisen from performances of Richard Wagner's opera "Der Ring de Nibelungen" from 1786 onwards. The costume designer for the very-first showing of the opera chose to use horns in the production, possibly confusing viking dress with that of early European settlers.