Emperor Trajan

I knew about 2 of these in the video but the rest I did not know about

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYzfKiIWN4g]5 Historical Misconceptions Rundown - YouTube[/ame]

Thegn Ansgar

A major misconception that he makes in the video "That horned helmets were a bad idea" namely because a huge majority of cultures did use horned helmets and did not appear to suffer the effects that he gives them.

The reason why any culture might not use horned helmets is because they didn't use them. Not because of any apparent (which is not entirely true) disadvantage of them.

The same can be true of having a beard or long hair, and yet many people also wore long hair and beards into battle. But those too can be pulled and act as levers to control you and hold onto you while they slit your throat.

Bart Dale

While there may have been a few cultures using horned helmets, the huge majority did not. The Romans, Greeks, Persians, Vikings, Chinese, etc., did not wear horned helmets, so I don't know where this huge majority you claim comes from, based on ancient pictures and actual examples the vast majority did not have horns on their helmets.

I agree, though, that his reasons why the Vikings wouldn't have worn horns on their helmets are speculative. While they might have had a slight disadvantage, they could have provided others by making the wearer look more fierce and threatening.

I didn't know about Naopoleon not being so short - 5' 7" isn't all that short.

dreamregent

Depictions of horned helmets exist in Egypt...notably worn by the Shardana in a scene on the exterior wall of Medinet Habu. It's not clear where they are from, though. I'd like to see the source for the claim that anyone thought the earth was spherical in 5000 BC. To my knowledge, that concept was unknown until the Classical Greek era.

Thegn Ansgar

The Chinese certainly had helmets that were similar to horned helmets (although they're more properly described as "winged").

The Egyptians wore horned helmets as dreamregent stated.

The Mycenaeans had horned helmets, as did the Hittites and other Anatolian warriors. The Celts wore them, and Germanic soldiers are depicted on the arch of Constantine as wearing horned helmets. Migration period Swedes have been shown with helmets that resemble horns (though they are stylized snakes that protrude from the side of the helmet reminiscent of buffalo horns). Indo-Persian warriors wore horned helmets. Sargon of Akkad is depicted with a horned helmet on the stele of Naram-Sin, as are other Akkadian helmets on the Seal of Adda.

The Romans did have winged helmets. As seen in this example of a Phyrgian helmet. Which would incidentally also apply to Iron Age Greeks as well.



Bronze age Sardinia has figures which depict warriors wearing horned helmets.

And then various different samurai also wore horned helmets.

Davidius

The Sea Peoples seem to have worn them.

Scaeva

While the Vikings didn't wear horned helmets, some other cultures did. And without the problems the author attributes to them.

The Celts in particular were known for elaborate head gear.












I wonder if the horned helmet myth about the Vikings might have originated with people assigning to the Vikings, cultural traits of the ancient Celts.