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

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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.

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NUFC editor for WhatCulture.com/NUFC. History graduate (University of Edinburgh) and NCTJ-trained journalist. I love sports, hopelessly following Newcastle United and Newcastle Falcons. My pastimes include watching and attending sports matches religiously, reading spy books and sampling ales.