One reason for the emergence of the popular yet inaccurate depiction of the Viking-horned helmet may very well be tied to the fact that very few helmets of the Viking Age have been preserved. An exception was discovered in 1943 during excavations of a Norwegian farm at the Gjermundbu burial site, located near the town of Haugsbygd, Norway. After puzzling together the nine broken pieces to recreate the only known complete helmet artifact, archeologists have dated the Gjermundbu Helmet to about 970 AD.¹

The Gjermundbu helmet lends itself to those who study the Viking Age in that its existence alone provides us with invaluable information on the harsh nature of Norse raids and battles. This helmet was undoubtedly designed for defensive combat as evidenced by the hoard of various other Norse weapons, as well as its means of protection of the skull and ears by a horizontal rim, vertical strips, and iron plates secured with rivets.² These characteristics of the Gjermundbu helmet are quite similar to the styles of earlier, pre-Norse helmets that have been recovered in burials, suggesting that this design was passed down for many generations. Most historians agree that it is helmets such as this one that should be the face of Norse combat, and that the image of the horned helmet is fictional.

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