What name is given to the Viking Age helmet found at Gjermundbu in Norway?

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The Viking Age helmet found at Gjermundbu in Norway is called the Gjermundbu helmet.

The helmet was discovered in 1943 in a richly equipped burial at Gjermundbu, near Haugsbygd in southern Norway. It is generally dated to the tenth century and was part of a grave containing weapons, mail armour, and other military equipment. The helmet is made of iron and has a rounded cap, a prominent brow band, and a distinctive spectacle-like face guard.

The Gjermundbu helmet is important because it is the only substantially complete Viking Age helmet known from Scandinavia. Several other fragments have survived, but complete helmets are exceptionally rare. Its design demonstrates that Viking helmets could provide meaningful facial protection without having horns.

The popular image of horned Viking helmets is a modern invention rather than an archaeological fact. No Viking Age helmet with horns has been securely identified. The Gjermundbu example instead represents a practical type of protective headgear used by an elite warrior.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026

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