Horned helmets, commonly associated with Viking costumes, are a myth. Vikings did wear helmets in battle, but without horns, though some Viking Age artwork suggests that horned helmets may have played a role in ceremony or been associated with the gods. The misconception of the horned helmet began in the 1800s, when Scandinavian artists created images of Viking warriors wearing horned helmets in their artwork.
Ships were essential to the success of Viking exploration. They enabled travel along coastlines and across the North Atlantic, allowing Vikings to reach distant destinations such as Greenland, the Americas, and Constantinople.
The shield was an important - and often prestige - piece of war gear in the Viking Age, but the brightly painted round shield has also become a widely recognised symbol of the Vikings in popular culture.
Thor's hammer is the 'superweapon' of the gods. It was created by dwarfs at the instigation of Loki, and is characterised by an unusually short handle.
