Viking warriors did not wear horned helmets. Although there is some evidence that these types of helmets existed for purely ceremonial purposes during the Nordic Bronze Age.

The myth of the horned helmet has been around since ancient Greek and Roman scholars wrote about northerners who wore horns. However, it was made popular by costume designers of Wagner’s Nibelungenlied opera, who put horns on the vikings to make them look more fierce, according to some accounts. The popularity of this opera meant that horned helmets soon became synonymous with vikings.