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Vikings have a fierce reputation: the scary, powerful, and hairy pillagers of history. But were they all muscular, sword-swinging bearded dudes with horned helmets and a disregard for human life?
From their fighting prowess to Viking gender roles, we're going to be tackling some myths and misconceptions about Vikings. Join host Justin Dodd in an endless pursuit of the truth.
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Misconceptions About Vikings | Mental Floss
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0:00
In 1876, German theatergoers were abuzz about a hot new ticket in town. Titled Der Ring des
0:05
Nibelungen or The Ring of the Nibling, Richard Wagner's musical drama played out over an astounding
0:11
15 hours and portrayed Norse and German legends all vying for a magical ring that could grant them
0:17
untold power. To make his characters look especially formidable, costume designer Karl
0:22
Emil Doppler made sure they were wearing their trademark horned helmets. The whole thing made
0:26
the cast look like a herd of stampeding bison. It's a miracle no one lost their eye. You know
0:31
these 19th century German theaters didn't have actors' unions. Over time, horned helmets became
0:36
practically synonymous with Vikings. But wait a second. Did Vikings actually wear those trademark
0:41
horned helmets, or was that simply a figment of someone's overly active imagination? Since this is
0:46
a video about misconceptions and I'm Justin Dodd, who loves pointing out historical inaccuracies
0:52
you probably know where this is going. Before we really stick it to Doppler
1:03
let's talk about what we mean when we say Viking. From the late 8th century to the middle of the 11th century
1:09
Scandinavians were scanning the seas and sailing to whatever parts of Europe they could
1:12
Modern-day Russia, Iceland, even Greenland and Newfoundland outside of Europe were among their destinations
1:19
Their reputation for mercilessness has made them infamous in world history. Or you might just know them from Hagar the Horrible, the beloved comic
1:26
strip character who was a Viking but kept all the savagery off-panel. Hagar, what kind
1:31
of hijinks will you get up to next, I swear? Vikings wore horned helmets. It was fiction like Hagar that helped reinforce the myth that
1:39
Vikings went out to plunder and pillage while wearing helmets with horns on them. In fact
1:44
most any portrayal of a Viking you see in the media today will feature this headgear
1:49
but the historical record does not support horned helmets, especially not in battle
1:54
Viking helmets were typically made of iron or leather, and it's possible some Vikings went without one altogether since helmets were an expensive item at the time
2:01
In fact, archaeologists have only uncovered one authentic Viking helmet, and it was made
2:05
of iron and sans horns, which some historians and battle experts believe would have had
2:10
absolutely no combat benefit whatsoever. Horns probably would have just gotten caught in tree branches. Ridiculous
2:18
So where did Carl Emile Doppler, our influential costume designer, get his idea for horned helmets
2:24
There were earlier illustrations of Vikings in occasionally horned, but more often winged
2:28
helmets, and he may have also been inspired by the idea that Norse and Germanic priests
2:33
wore horned helmets for ceremonial purposes. This was centuries before Vikings turned up, though
2:38
Some historians argue that there is some evidence of ritualistic horned helmets in the Viking
2:42
age, but if they existed, they would've been decorative horns that priests wore, not
2:48
something intended for combat. Composer Richard Wagner was not all that pleased with this turn of events He did not want his opera to be mired in cheap tropes or grandiose costumes Wagner wife Kasima was also irritated saying that Doppler
3:01
wardrobe smacked of provincial tastelessness burn. That was probably an awkward opening night
3:07
actor party. So how did Doppler's rendering of Vikings become the enduring one? Der Ring des
3:12
Niebelungen went on tour. The production traveled through Europe for years in the late 19th and
3:17
early 20th centuries. Other artists were inspired by the look of the musical and began using Viking
3:21
helmets in their own depictions, including in children's books. Pretty soon, a horned
3:26
helmet was standard Viking dress code. Hagar, you amused us with your pithy takes on married life
3:31
but you also lied to us. It's a complicated legacy to leave
3:35
All Vikings had scary nicknames. When tales of Viking action spread throughout Europe
3:40
they were sometimes accompanied by ferocious-sounding nicknames. Eric the Strong, Eric the Merciless
3:46
and Eric the insurance claims adjuster are just a few that we made up. But these kinds of nicknames
3:51
did exist. They may have been a handy way to refer to Vikings with reputations for being
3:56
hardcore because Viking surnames were in short supply. If you wanted to separate yourself from
4:01
others with the same name, you needed a nickname. But plenty of Vikings also had less intimidating
4:07
labels. Take, for instance, Olver the Friend of Children. Sweet, right? Well, actually
4:13
Oliver got his name because he refused to murder children. Whether that name was bestowed upon him
4:18
by grateful villagers or by Vikings mocking him for having a moral code is not known
4:23
You want more Viking nicknames? We got em! Halthdon the Generous and the Stingy with Food
4:29
was said to pay his men very generously but apparently didn't feed him, leading to this
4:33
contradictory nickname. Ragnar Harrybreeches was said to have donned furry pants when he
4:38
he fought a dragon, as one does. Other unfortunate but real Viking names include Ulf the Squint-Eyed
4:44
Eric Ale Lover, Icestein Fowlfart, Skaggy the Ruler of S**t, and Colbeen Butterpenis. While the
4:51
historical record is vague on how these names came to be, the truth is never going to be as good as
4:56
whatever it is you're thinking right now. Vikings had Viking funerals. When someone like Colbeen
5:02
Butterpenis died, it would only be fitting that they were laid to rest with dignity. And if you
5:06
If you know anything about Vikings from pop culture, you know that meant setting them on
5:10
fire and pushing them out to sea. While that is extremely metal, it's not accurate
5:15
Vikings had funerals similar to pretty much everyone else. When one of them died, they were often buried in the ground
5:22
Archaeologists in Norway uncovered one such burial site in 2019, where at least 20 burial
5:26
mounds were discovered. The lead archaeologist on the site, Raymond Savage of the Norwegian University of Science
5:31
and Technology, told Atlas Obscura that, quote, We have no evidence for water-born Viking funeral pyres in Scandinavia
5:39
I honestly do not know where this conception derives from, and it should be regarded as
5:43
a modern myth. Normal burial practice was that people were buried on land in burial mounds The flaming ship myth may have come from a combination of two real Viking practices Vikings did sometimes entomb their dead in their ships although the vessels remained on land where
5:58
they were buried. And they did sometimes have funeral pyres. At some point in historical records
6:02
someone may have combined these two scenarios and imagined that Vikings set ships ablaze
6:07
before sending them out to sea with their dead still on board. These are probably the same people
6:12
who are responsible for painting murals on the sides of their band's vans, but we cannot confirm
6:16
that at this time. Another Viking fact? Those higher up the community's hierarchy, like respected
6:21
warriors, would get bigger burial mounds than others. Vikings would even bury entire homes
6:27
or use them as morgues. Viking burial sites have also revealed one other misunderstanding about
6:32
these proud pillagers, that they didn't like to have a quiet night in once in a while. Many Viking
6:37
burial boats that were later examined by archaeologists were found to have board games that
6:41
were placed with the dead. The boards and pieces were made of ivory, bone, glass, whalebone, or
6:47
amber and included games like nefetafel, which was a little like chess. In life, the games were
6:52
probably used to pass the time on boats. In death, they may have been buried with people to help
6:57
Vikings pass the time in the afterlife. Vikings were experienced and trained combat soldiers
7:02
When I say the word Viking, you probably imagine a large and formidable individual swinging a sharp
7:07
weapon at someone's head before taking their valuables. While it's true Vikings were violent
7:12
they weren't necessarily the most experienced or talented warriors of their day. In fact
7:17
they were mostly normal people who decided plundering would be a great side hustle in the
7:21
gig economy of Europe. Historians believe Vikings were made up mostly of farmers
7:26
fishermen, and even peasants rather than burly Conan the Barbarian types. They were more like
7:31
live-action role players than seasoned combat veterans, but, you know, with pointier weapons
7:36
Considering that the coastal villages they attacked probably didn't put up much resistance
7:40
one could be a Viking and not even have to fight all that much
7:44
You can blame this fierce rap on the one squad of Vikings that actually fit the bill
7:48
Known as Berserkers, these particular Vikings worshipped Odin, the god of war and death
7:53
and took Odin's interest to heart. Some Vikings were said to have fought so fiercely that it was as though they had entered a kind of trance
8:00
If they were waiting around too long for a fight to start, it was said they might start killing each other
8:05
Unfortunately, having an attack squad of incredibly violent soldiers could sometimes backfire
8:10
on Vikings who were more into strategy. When Olav Haraldsson was fighting in the Battle of Stickelstad in 1030, he put a group of
8:17
berserkers in place to hold the line. Instead, they went berserk and attacked, losing the battle and paving the way for one Leroy Jenkins
8:25
So while it's true not all Vikings were LARPers who would've been just fine with the foam
8:29
sword, the majority just wanted to make a quick buck, and relatively few went berserk in battle
8:35
Vikings were dirty, smelly, and gross. Have you ever stopped to think about what a Viking must smell like
8:40
All that time at sea all that sweat dirty clothing and lack of hot water Depictions of Vikings would have you believe that they smelled like a marathon runner armpit Don fall for it Vikings were actually fond of manscaping Archeologists have unearthed a significant amount of personal grooming
8:57
products over the years that belonged to Vikings, including tweezers, combs, toothpicks, and
9:02
ear cleaners. Vikings were also known to have bathed at least once a week, which may not
9:06
sound like a lot, but when you're in 11th century Europe, it basically qualifies you
9:10
as a germaphobe if you knew what germs were, which you wouldn't. The point is, these were clean people
9:16
or about as clean as you're going to get without a body wash and a loofah on hand. Vikings put so
9:21
much attention on bathing that Saturday was devoted to it. They called it Laugerdogger
9:26
or Bathing Day. They even had soap made from animal fat. Hygiene was only one aspect of their
9:32
routine. Vikings put time and effort into styling their hair, and sometimes even dyed it using lye
9:37
Their beards were neatly trimmed and they were also known to wear eyeliner. All of this preening
9:42
was said to make Vikings a rather attractive prospect to women in villages they raided
9:46
as other men of the era were somewhat reluctant to bathe. Sure, a Viking could decimate a community, but they were also ready for the nighttime club scene
9:55
which may have involved actual clubbing, but you get what I'm saying. Grab a random depiction of a Viking battle and it will probably feature a ton of dudes
10:05
And it's true Vikings had a very nuclear family approach to domesticity
10:09
Women were expected to focus on housework while the men went to the office
10:13
And by office, I mean murdering people with axes. But considering the times, Vikings actually had a fairly progressive approach to gender roles
10:21
Women could own property, challenge any kind of marriage arrangement, and even request
10:25
a divorce if things were not working out at home. To do so, at least as one story tells it, they'd have to ask witnesses to come over
10:32
stand near her bed and watch as she declared a separation. Bingo! Instant divorce. If a woman's
10:38
husband died, she assumed the role of head of household. One woman, odd-the-deep-minded
10:43
organized the migration to Iceland, where her spouse passed away. I say passed away like he
10:48
wasn't killed in bloody battle, but he was. I'm just trying to keep it respectful. In addition to
10:53
having a relatively high degree of independence, Viking women were also known to pick up a weapon
10:57
and batch some heads on occasion. The historical record of a battle in 971 CE
11:01
says that women had fought and died alongside the men. A woman who donned armor was known as
11:07
a shield maiden. Once again, so metal. They were trained in combat and not to be underestimated
11:14
According to legend, over 300 shield maidens fought in the Battle of Bravalir in the 8th
11:19
century and successfully kept their enemies at bay. One of the most notable shield maidens was
11:23
a warrior named Lothgurtha who so impressed a famous Viking named Ragnar Lothbrok
11:27
he of the hairy breeches that he became smitten and asked for her hand in marriage. Honestly
11:33
better than most rom-com plots I've seen recently. That's it for all the positive Viking PR for
11:38
today. Let us know which board game you'd like to be buried with in the comments below
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