The Mysterious Horned Helmets of Bronze Age Europe
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- Опубліковано 25 чер 2024
- Horned Helmets of the Bronze Age. Figures wearing horned helmets are depicted in Scandinavian rock art, on stelae in the Iberian Peninsula, and menhirs on Corsica. And horned helmets feature on statuettes from Zealand, Sardinia, and Cyprus, on wall decorations of the Sea People on reliefs in Egypt before the Bronze Age collapse, and on the Mycenaean Warrior Vase.
Clearly, horned helmets were widely distributed during this period of the Bronze Age.
But why? What do they mean? And are they connected in some way?
In this video we’re taking an epic voyage through the European Bronze Age in the 12th century BC from Scandinavia to the Iberian Peninsula and across the Mediterranean to the east in search of the horned helmets of traders, warriors, kings, and gods.
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Video Chapters
00:00 Horned Helmets
0:54 The Veksø helmets
03:36 The Horse Twins and Twin Chiefs of the Nordic Bronze Age
04:47 Horned Chiefs in Scandinavian Rock Art
05:46 Bronze Age Rock Art of Galicia
07:31 Iberian Warrior Stelae
08:47 Bronze Figurines of the Nuragic Civilization
11:15 Sea Peoples Images at Medinet Habu
13:16 Horned Helmets of the Near East
14:26 Bronze Figurines from Enkomi
15:36 Bull Iconography of Minoan Crete and Mycenaean Greece
16:06 Horns at Dendra and the Mycenaean Warrior Vase
17:08 Central European Trade Links
18:25 The Meanings Behind Horned Helmets
21:39 Interconnectivity in the Bronze Age
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Completely unrelated question.
What was the event that preceded and Started the Viking era.
Hypothesis, the development, or introduction of improved farming methods, AND the adaptation of Braccia to these improved farming practices increased the population density and the specialization of skills to lead to both the Long ship, iron and navigation.
@@CaucAsianSasquatch Charlemagne colonizing & christianization. See danish kings Sigfred and Gudfred.
Just got the audiobook for book one of the gods of bronze …. This channel is what convinced me …. I really look forward to them. As an aside …. Have a look at the band Heilung and what they bring to life of the Bronze Age (and they play the U.K. in Dec !!)
The Iberian warrior stela again ownership. Why bury it? Change of ownership?
Can you do the 'handbags' please? I'd like to see what you can find out abut these things. They are in the hands of so many different cultures from around the world they deserve more attention.
The idea of Bronze Age kingdoms having two chiefs sounds very similar to the Spartan system where they had two kings who were supposed to check each other's decisions, or even the Roman system where they had two consuls, the idea of one being able to veto the other if they were about to make a bad decision. Perhaps this is the Bronze Age roots of those systems? I think you've built a fantastic case for Bronze Age Europe being a cosmopolitan culture, if there was long-distance trade from Britain to the Middle East and a shared warrior-aristocrat culture between the kingdoms, like you were saying, the young warrior from one kingdom going to serve as a squire in another king's retinue, and finding these horned helmets distributed so far and wide, I'm just blown away by this portrait of the European Bronze Age culture.
The Bronze Age is looking more and more like the Conan the Barbarian universe. I can just imagine the swole bronze horned warriors with bronze swords fighting snake men in deep tombs when I see all those small horned statuettes.
Yeah this is why I set my novel series in the Bronze Age.
Conan was originally based in an analogue of Post bronze age collapse Europe. I love this era as well. I've started writing a novel set in the Bronze Age Collapse and focused on Egypt and Mycenae as major players with my main characters being Sea Peoples.
The Riddle of steel. Steel as in Conan age is highly priced. As its setting is in the end of bronze age. Funny enough, the blacksmith society approve this "Riddle of steel" as a part of actual history. Since the first gen of blacksmith, due their limited metalurgy knowledge, wondered why some irons are more shiny and hard than the other.
@@jonpaul3868 steel didn't come about in Europe until the late middle Ages or the early Industrial Revolution. Blacksmiths couldn't get they're forges hot enough to melt iron until this period, that's why they hit the hot iron with a hammer, to beat out the impurities. The Japanese accidently discovered how to make steel around 1,000 AD by their method of melting the iron and it fell into the carbon rich charcoal. Steel is made by mixing carbon into the iron, something that was unknown to the West until the industrial Revolution introduced cast iron smelting processes using giant sized crucibles where they first were able to melt iron.
@@3rdeye671 i believe there are some findings of ancient steel from before 1750AD. Mainly in Anatolia, India and China. But yes the knowledge and capabilities for making steel were not really present or known before the industrial revolution. Perhaps made rarely by a secluded grandmaster or by accident. Maybe it was a close guarded secret like Greek fire or Roman concrete that was lost in time.
It's a shame the Bronze Age is so much underrated, underrepresented and overshadowed by the following ancient world in all kinds of media.
Although it's obviously a period full of wonders and mysteries!
It reminds me of the Paleozoic which doesn't get equal attention as the Mesozoic.
Thanks for this wonderful channel!
What are you talking about, the Paleozoic always seemed to be THE go-to when I was growing up.
Fun fact: more treasure has been found from bronze age Scandinavia than viking age Scandinavia by a lot
Mesolitic, before, we merely know how to do a axe or a spear, after we have basicaly neolitic technology without harvests
Check out the Cucuteni Tripillia culture of the Balkans, source of the Thracians, Pelasgians, Gauls, Phrygians, Sintians and Phoenicians, aka Celts. Oldest civilisation on earth, at least 8000 years old, and connected to the Zodiac, all the Major Religions, Gobekli Tepe, and Stonehenge, along with ties to North American Tribes such as the Algonquin, Adena, Maya, and Aztecs
What do you mean by "underrated, underrepresentated and overshadowed?
Never heard of The Old Testament, The Iliad or the Egyptian Kings? Bronze Age has probably been more studied and popular than any other historic era.
It is probably so common that you don't react when you hear it referenced.
I think it's just the opposite. Now we start to get a bit about other periods and because it has always been about Egypt, Greece and middle east it seems overwhelming, though it's really still very little in comparison.
Having studied the bronze age collapse quite a bit, that was a surprisingly enlightening video. I feel like parts of the story just became a lot more visible
Truly weird how despite how long ago it was, the human culture as a whole is pretty much almost always connected one way or another. Someone really should make a comprehensible timeline videos with all the cultures we know going through time together.
It is simply how fashion works and spreads through commerce and tourism. It works like that today and it has been working like that for ages. One example of this is how jeans fashion has spread through the entire world thanks to commerce and globalization. Before the 50s the world was divided into how men and women used to dress. Men and women in the Middle East and other undeveloped countries at the time dressed differently than people in the United States. When jeans started to come in the 60s and 70s the fashion spread first in the United States and then to other parts of the world until using jeans became a common use of clothing for both men and women in the entire world no matter where you go. Even in Africa using jeans is the common standard of casual clothing today. Perhaps in the Bronze Age using bronzed horned helmets was the standard of military armor for all soldiers in most civilizations in the Bronze Age. Is like today's soldiers clothing. Is practically the same-looking clothing in every part of the world no matter how developed or underdeveloped the country is. And this also applies to weaponry and technology overall. Almost all country's armies today have tanks, jets, and all sorts of heavy artillery thanks to global commerce.
@@karonga629 The only part I'll object is your stance on how widespread the technologies of those times are. Although people did trade from half the world away at that time, most are still independent and/or self-sufficient (unless you're include the times of famine) and hence although some may import bronze armors and weaponry, it will not look the same unless it is make with a specific function in mind.
@@ghostagent3552 Trust me when I say that civilizations were way more economically connected than you think. One kingdom may have provided food for another kingdom that didnt produce food at all. That type of import - export exchange.
@@karonga629 Like I said, I'm opposing your stance on it being "the same-looking", I didn't say that they weren't economically connected in a major way.
Let's all agree on, "Levi's & Strauss" smashed it, & showed the world how to bring, sexy back, yeah!
With how ideas are shared worldwide...think quantum entanglement, true story. 🧐🤯
"...There is nothing new under the sun..."
Hermes/ Thoth
Your mention of the hero twins in Indo-European mythology and the association of them with travelling and journeys/quests is interesting. The Navaho of the American South-West have a similar myth of twin heroes who journey to the place of the Sun (who was their father) and from him they receive knowledge and weapons to defeat monsters who are terrifying the lands in which the Twins live.
Wow
Wonder if there were some ancient brother-explorers that were told as history until became myth? 🤔
Something to think about anyway
Mayan mythology has a very similar story too. It’s probably a myth common to almost all human groups
If I had had you as my professor in college, this would’ve been far and away my favorite class!
They won't teach you the real deal in collages just create sheep to say the same garbage they already said so people don't find out the people they trust know nothing.
I've waited a long time for a very detailed video about the Bronze Age horned helmets.
Finding this made me so happy.
Thank you and I'm glad to hear it but I wouldn't say it is "very detailed" would you? We have a lot of ground to cover! I intend to make follow up videos focusing on specific aspects - let me know what you would like more info on. Cheers.
@@DanDavisHistory Perhaps I chose the word poorly. I was thinking of how the other videos I've seen, they kind of brush through the horned helmets really quickly. Whereas you took the time to bring up the different cultures and sites that had horned helmets.
Still, I do look forward to those follow up videos.
@Ravens that Fly with the Nightmare Eyes thank you.
@@DanDavisHistory More detail than most can muster good sir.
Great job mate. This videos got me reading more on Nuragic civilization. Ancient stone structures is a real interest of mine.
Thank you. Yeah they're amazing. Some of the reconstructions look like a cross between an Iron Age Scottish broch and a medieval castle.
@@DanDavisHistory You've got me thinking and maybe believing experience and memory can be transferred genetically. What a lovely word "Broch"
@@DanDavisHistory and thanks for giving me a great idea. now i'm going to build a broch beehive!
My comment most probably sounded like spam and got removed apparently, a weird spam about sardinian communities lmao
in Balearic Islands its exist the same structures, calleds Talayots, they were the same people in ancient times
The Shardana were possibly the majority of the reason for the Mediterranean horned helms, as the more we learn about the collapse, the more it seems that they were connected with the Mycenaeans.
Not from bloodlines but through alliances, as the Greek sphere of influence formed settlements all around the Med, from the Iberian peninsula and southern France around the coastline, both north and south (but more predominately the north).
Eric Cline's book 1177 goes into things quite deeply, and helps bring together many ideas regarding tribal interconnection and the reasons for the Bronze-age collapse.
Yeah I've read that. I'll make videos about the collapse at a later date.
Saw from another UA-cam channel that the gods in ancient Sumerian we're the only ones at that time with horned helmets.
@@YOGITHABEARv2 If only the video that you are commenting on would dispel that rumor.
Eric Cline has many great books, that one is a great read. The Sherden were indeed major players in the collapse. They were involved in many major battles of the era including Kadesh and both Egyptian invasions around 30 years apart. So they remained a power to be reckoned with for at least 3/4 a century. I'm pretty sure that by the wording at Medinet Habu, the Sherden were decidedly dealt with by the Egyptians after 1178 though.
Thera Eruption
Very interesting. Here in spain they recently discovered that the famous warrior's stone stela were nearly always in relation with mines of metals. It looks like an indoeuropean lord, warrior or army, used that Stones to said "Be carefull, here I am", or so. Mostly of them were moved from their original sites, but we have hundreds.
I've seen a few of the stelae in the museums of Extremadura and western Andalusia. I attended a lecture on the copper-age Valencina mega-site last year at the Museo Arqueológico Nacional in Madrid last year, and I visited the Tarteso exhibition in Alcalá de Henares last month.
this is simply one of the best channels on youtube imo -- will patreon support when a little more financially sercure in a few months. Incredible work thanks for doing all this synthesis so carefully.
Thank you very much! I certainly wouldn't want anyone to support on patreon unless they can easily spare it. It's also great when people support by sharing the videos with their friends and on social media, that makes a huge difference.
Cheers.
I wish I could financially support too cos, same (you said it a bit better than I could've, however!!)
I'm from the future and I hate to tell you guys but...
@@Vicus_of_Utrecht this legit just reminded me to do this so I did haha
Thanks for the fascinating video. I think it's interesting that during the Hellenistic age cultures outside of Greece adopted Greek style helmets and armour like in North Africa, Italy and parts of the Middle East. I wonder if that was also the case in the Bronze Age, with many different cultures deriving their horned helmets from a single original culture or civilisation through trade as your video states. Maybe it was Mycenae or the civilisations of the Near East that kicked off this trend.
I remember reading that samurai helmets from 16th century Japan also had horns attached but they were manufactured from lightweight materials that were lacquered. Perhaps Bronze Age helmets didn't have real animal horn attached to them but were made from other materials (maybe wood, leather?) Which would be more practical for combat as they'd be lighter in weight and would be less likely to snag on an enemy's weapon.
Oh, that's where you got your twin characters from. One was God born and one was mortal born. Interesting video. I love this kind of thing.
Yes and actually Herakles in Greek myth had a mortal twin brother.
@@DanDavisHistory Wow, twins again. Like Romulus and Remus and the Hero Twins of Meso-American religions. Twins must have been good luck for parents in these cultures.
@@madderhat5852 twins were usually considered a bad omen, as it is an unnatural birth.
😳😮! Fascinating. And I’m a twin
Twins would have been a somewhat dangerous event. Even with single births, there was a high death rate. Plenty of religious rituals around birth. They’ve found a woman who died giving birth to triplets in a grace in England during the Roman occupation. I wonder if the Godborn/mortal born has anything to do with which one came our first. And then the second. Jacob and Esau also famous twins.
My national pride rose up to 1000% when I saw the map with polish text (12:37)
Poles have proven their heroism. Much respect.
@@SchoolforHackers Thankfully my ancestors (from my knowledge) did not have to prove their heroism in a way the others had to, thanks to luck. We don't have many tragic/heroic (in polish culture one often implies the other) stories in our family.
@@hubertk7363 May it always be so! 🤞
One has to wonder how these horned helmet motif and practical examples evolved into the Iron age. The Gundestrup cauldron has a depiction of a man wearing a helmet very similar in design to those uncovered at Vekso. Perhaps gods such as Pan and cernunnos are part of a much older tradition. There is even a horned Viking depicted on the tapestry fragments located on the Oseburg ship burial, showing that the wearing of Horns may have persisted in Scandinavia. Those this could instead be depicting the 'spear dancer' motif
Yes indeed.
It's a representation of Venus in the Morning and the evening
According to prof Garrett Olmsted, the god on the Gundestrup Cauldron is Cu Chulain from Irish Myth. The cauldron being brought up from Thrace perhaps, being made for the Celtic patron/tribe who had their version of the Tain Myth.
Yes the stag itself is linked with the sun.
But the horns on the head are representational of the rescent shape of the inner planets - Venus and mercury, and the moon.
According to him, on the cauldron the god is a representation of the planet mercury at night, and the cauldron as a whole is depicting scenes from the Irish Tain myth.
One can trace these motifs and myth sources all over the Info European world, along the trade routes and even back to Sumeria
I've wondered about that myself and I think that a bronze sword would be damaged by the horns on a helmet before it made a direct hit but when iron was invented it wasn't as easily damaged so the horns fell out of favor but I could be wrong who knows
@@missourimongoose7643 I think it is wrong to assume that every item used in warfare was 100% practical. These were deeply spiritual and superstitious people who had a deep culture, full of symbols and meanings. We know that some Norse Warriors called berserkers and Úlfhéðnar would enter battle dressed as Animals. From a purely utilitarian standpoint this has no benefit in battle. But from a psychological and mythic standpoint it might have helped to embolden the warrior and to frighten his opponent.
I would think that Horned helmets were more about psychological advantage, likely holding mythic/spiritual symbolism as well.
I think the lack of iron age horned helmets might be more to do with preservation. Iron is far more perishable and unlikely to survive. Maybe an iron version of the the Waterloo helmet existed but corroded to dust.
I was thinking, running with the idea that kingship in the Nordic Bronze Age was a diarchy, maybe similar to the Cherokee War Chief/Peace Chief system, so that the long horns could be reserved for the priest-king (magnificent, unwieldy, decorative), while the shorter horns were for the warrior-kings (tactical, battle-ready symbolism). Also, while I have you here, maybe the Minoan labrys is a symbolic, regionally stylized version of the 'wielding two axes' thing? Fun stuff!
Yes that is certainly plausible. There is a theory that the Mycenean "wanax" was the high king, a semi-divine or at least holy leader and there was a "lawagetas" who was the royal war leader. Proponents of this theory suggest something similar (or indeed the same) is seen in Nordic BA society.
It's been argued that the hooked "beak" at the front of the Vekso helms and the Fogdarp horse yoke twin figures is also another expression of the axe symbol. The twin figures from Zealand (as seen in the drawing) each originally held a ritual axe - more double axes.
All this will require another video of course but it's fascinating.
@@DanDavisHistory There is also the undecided position of the Basilius in pre Archaic Greek society. Later Greeks used it in their government structure but it was a very old word for Tribal chief and essentially filled the same role as Wanax.
The labrus is a Sextant, for noting the positions of stars for the purposes of navigation, put on the ground the Fixed angle between the hilt and the back edge of the blade gives an azimuth for whatever major star is at that point, giving the user the information needed to determine the direction of travel. They're also found in North America at the same time as red ochre burials, the oldest graves in Nth America around 4000 -2000 BC
Warriors wouldn't be wearing horned helmets in actual battle though.
@@Cobbido why not? The Greek hoplites & Roman officers had plumed crests on their helmets going into battle. The depictions of the Sea Peoples shows them arriving or in battle wearing their horned helmets.
Do you think these Horned helmets would be removed and they went without head protection into battle? Where would they stack all the helmets, in a little pile while their enemies waited for them to be properly attired, like wearing a hat at the dinner table, do you think it would be bad manners to wear into battle?
Most battles were shield wall to shield wall or phalanx to phalanx so the horns may offer protection to sideways aimed sword swings, but most of the danger lay in the groin/thigh region where a thrust would cut the main artery and the victim bleed to death in less than a minute.
Some months ago you made a video that I commented on. It had made me think about an article I read many years ago about similarities between Bronze Age carvings in Sweden and parts of the eastern Mediterranean. (I cannot remember if Iberia was mentioned in it.) Very interesting subject. In school when I grew up the north was considered an isolated and primitive part on the far outside of the civilized world. Good to see that archeology and history has improved. This was just what I needed on a Monday. It was a real treat watching. Thanks! 🙏🏻
There are two horned helmets… that reminds me of a quote from American dad: “Can’t I have two hats?”
Your videos are getting better and better, I would love to hear more about bronze age scandinavia! I recognized the image you used from Håga Mound instantly even though I haven't been there for a years and years, since I went there so many times during my childhood. I grew up 2km from there and did not have a single clue that it's one of the most amazing archaeological finds from the bronze age, and learning more about the period now makes me feel really connected to home and the (pre-)history of my region. So thank you so much for this!
Thank you, great to hear it! Yes it's an amazing site. There is so much more to say about the Nordic Bronze Age, I will certainly make more videos about it.
"As for the Cimbri, their foot-soldiers advanced slowly from their defences, with a depth equal to their front, for each side of their formation had an extent of thirty furlongs; 7 and their horsemen, fifteen thousand strong, rode out in splendid style, with HELMETS made to resemble the maws of frightful WILD BEASTS or the HEADS of STRANGE ANIMALS, which, with their TOWERING CRESTS OF FEATHERS, made their wearers appear taller than they really were; they were also equipped with breastplates of iron, and carried gleaming white shields. For hurling, each man had two lances; and at close quarters they used large, heavy swords."
The problem with the horns-are-impractical argument is that as soon as you literally believe in magic and the gods, it's not impractical at all. Perhaps they believed the magical benefits outweighed the risks of having them?
The impractical-argument falls through on all levels as soon as one observes humans being human. The Japanese wore Sashimono, grenadiers of all nations huge bearskin caps and everyone with a shiny helmet put a plume or a crest on it whether they fought at the walls of Troy or the fields of Waterloo. When it comes to cool vs practical, cool always wins, just look at the Bersaglieri who rolled up in Afghanistan still wearing black feather plumes on their kevlar helmets.
In a sword battle no one is trying to grab anyone's helmet
@@uncannyvalley2350 True, although by medieval times the helmet was a target for shield slams and hitting with the pommel of the sword. Not sure about antiquity though.
I see a problem with that logic.
Firstly, beliefs - in gods, magic (hate to break it to you, but the world rulers are occultists. Don't believe me? Check their secret frats. Skull and Bones is not for you or I.) Is mostly a matter of culture and basically morale.
Morale is VITAL. No spirit, no fight.
Sure, you can disbelieve in magic but unless you are Crom style, you *at minimal* would acknowledge the shamanism of the era.
Like.. you can call BS on the Sea God but you would not be let on any Nature fearing crew's ship, I imagine.
These taboos persist to today. The initiation of crossing the equator is still a drag pangent on the ship, with women rarely allowed.
My emphasis being, you'd be ridiculed if you didn't adopt or respect at least, one Cult or another.
They all existed on natural principles. You can't deny the Sun, moon, wind or stars exist. The sea or seasons.
Now, I had a funny thought due to the lack of field testing. How does anyone know these helmets weren't maybe, back heavy? They spent potentially millennia using and homing them.
We've had modern tech for a century or less. Most haven't tried on current era war gear. What if the horns better balance the helmet, hm?
Short horns are more reasonable. Wilder minded men may even know, surprise, how to use them in battle.
Like goring opponents, and knocking attacks away, as animals do.
You have to think like them, not like now. They also favor spears and axes, which can catch a horn or lob one off. If you get past the shield.
Again, my issue to you and others is if you think believing in God is impractical; there are no atheists in fox holes. What is impractical in a cushy life has no bearing on what is essential to survive, say, a multi year siege that spills over into a military migration.
Otherwise most things are impractical. Why start a family if you were to be adrift after sacking a Troy or Egypt?
The question itself hinges on a mind set. It's either practical to have progeny and a homeland or it's practical to drown yourself at sea to avoid hardships and society imposed responsibilities. To a Stoic, the entire war effort is impractical. Try saying that to a Spartan, they practiced practicality with a survival of the fittest mind set.
Personally I find it a bit offensive people insist being materialistic is the same as being practical.
Being spiritual is practical in all but the most carefree of times, and people with little to no ethical, moral bearing tend to bring the most inhumane times to humanity.
Like, seriously, mainstream BS or not, learn from history especially recent history.
That includes Ms Mermaid and Starbucks. America uses Roman symbology that should have died out back in the days of the Normans.
I'm 'talking' to you through a black mirror. Literally.
The thing is magic exists in the realm of energetic happenings free of tools. Technology is based on tools, and how to use them or other skills.
Not for nothing but I once pointed at an annoying fly, with a stern intention, and it dropped dead. In the middle of a DnD game. Middle of the table.
And Quantum Sciences actually explain how and why that is possible.
Mind over matter, my dude. Placebos cure some people too.
Should look into resonance and how to levitate matter by frequency, such as the stone gardens.
The person who cries sorcery is more ignorant than the one who can break glass with their voice, because only one of them understands the reality of the causality.
@@jairoukagiri2488 CERN. hi-tech alchemy.
What if the common thread across cultures was Aurochs, which were great powerful bulls! The wearer saying, "See, I am a great powerful bull too!"
Thank you so much again for an excellent overview. Some of the rock art shown tells you where images of the devil and demons came from. Horned combat helmets depicted seem small enough to be worn safely. Many medieval knights had huge complex crests for display frequently made from papier-mâché so very light and easily discarded or safely lost in jousting. There is speculation that the disk worn between the horns on some Shardana meant they were Egyptian allies. It always intrigues me how closely the Odyssey fits into that time period and invasion of Egypt. Also horns as such are frequently related to the rays of the sun the symbology being gradually lost or transformed. Thank you again
I grew very close to where those helmets were found . Always been fascinated by them , so this video was right up my alley 👍 thank you.
You missed an important bronze age horn,found in the hundreds in Cornwall and Ireland,which lends an interesting twist to what people were thinking,and that is the finely cast horn(known as the lizard)from Cornwall and elsewhere,it is a sophisticated musical horn made of sheet bronze,in very variable shapes and sizes.dont know if it's just a theory that they were used in war,the biggest being the calix (probably spelt rong),the other high art of the bronze age was the couldren,apparently coming from the steps /Mongolia but has parrallel's in the west,some interesting points to investigate,in relation to teck,mobility,custom ,craft,and economics
@13:05 The same argument could be made for the German Pickelhaube Helmet or many 19th century helmets that were very ornate in their design, yet many were used in both parade and in battle, albeit often with some ornamentation removed. 💂🏻♂️🥁⚔
Yes indeed.
no joke I was wondering about this stuff the other day so great timing. also love your books
Awesome. Thank you.
Bro me too such a coincidence, i got this on recommended
What if the "small horns" are boars tusks?
Could make sense given how they are known to be used in helmets in bronze age europe, and have a symbolic connection to warriors as well
Our Nordic ancestors were quite in on the scene you consider the proliferation of Baltic Amber found around the Mediterranean in the bronze age.
The Bronze Age Scandinavian Twin King hypothesis calls to mind the twin kings of Sparta. The Nuragic and Sardinian stone towers are reminiscent of Scottish Brochs.
The second that I saw that I thought immediately of the brochs as well. The time period makes a connection not beyond the realms of possibility.
If the Egyptians made the Sherden as if nothing, emptying their lands and enslaving their persons... then its possible that some Sherden, if they were from Sardinia, escaped into the Atlantic Bronze Age Complex which they no doubt traded with.
Did not the first Spartans come in to the area from somewhere else? Perhaps from somewhere further north?
I am so grateful to whoever decided to put their future archaeological wonders into bogs that preserved them for centuries.
In my opinion those exquisite head gear is all about the recognition of the user.
They were all covered by theyr shields an even helmets, so visible head gear would make easy to identifie each individual in the field.
Early Bronze Age was the time in witch the "Warrior Nobility" idea seems to have originated in the Mediterranean region, so, being recognized while doing some great deeds in battle could be vital to theyr cultural and social stuctures.
Also, receiveing some "divine assistance" would never be turned down, so, they would honor the gods by briging a simbol assossiated with them to battle.
Like it was for the samurai, a warrior nobility that rised in Japan much later, that used those crazy "Kabuto" helmets, some of wich had Shinto, Buddhist and, at least one that I have seen, Christian simbols.
OBS.: the last one I have only seen one picture on-line, no references associated to it, so I don't know if it is true or a fake one.
I tend to lean on such explanation as well. Ancient cultures had strong need to display status through material objects. Just take romans for example displaying their role in political or state organisation by wearing different styles of fibulae or decorated belts each giving a kind of "rank" for everybody to see at first sight.
@@johannkunstel The differing crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt come to mind, also.
I think you are right. What you said is well depicted into omeric poems.
Perhaps the dual kingship is reflected in the story of the Danish kings Roar (Hrodgar) and Helge who divided the kingdom between them, so that Roar became the landbased "peaceful" king whereas Helge became the seafaring warrior king.
This is so fascinating. It’s your best video yet. It’s like a peek through the door into a lost world; a fascinating period when the desire to acquire metals was causing all these different societies to interact with one another.
Tacitus calls the divine brothers in the sacred grove of the Naharnavals "Alcis" and identifies them with the Roman Dioscuri. "Alcis" probably goes back to the (unprovable but reconstructed) North Germanic *algi- m "elk" and in Gothic it also means "sanctuary, protection" (cf. all Norse place names ending in "-alh").
The twin brothers Vidarr and Vali are brave warriors (Vidarr kills the Fenris wolf and Vali Hödur at Ragnarök, thus avenging the deaths of Balder and Odin) and represent the morning and evening redness or a new dawn.
In Solarljöd 55 the brothers bring up the sun stag:
"The sun stag I saw coming from the south
Led by two on the bridle;
On the field stood his feet,
His horns lifted to the sky."
Gylfaginning 29:
"Vidarr is the name of one who is also called the silent Aesir. He has a thick shoe, and is the strongest after Thor. In him the gods trust in all dangers."
With his thick shoe, Vidarr kicks the Fenris wolf on the lower jaw, thus killing it. This is reminiscent of a fight between a hoofed animal (thick shoe) and a wolf.
Gylfaginning 30:
"Ali or Vali is called one of the Aesir, Odin's son and the Rindr. He is bold in battle and a good shooter."
And maybe the tips of the Horns represent a spear or an arrow.
Curwen, is that you?
@@alexanderren1097 No
@@vanrensburgsgesicht4048 Yeah good point. You're post is too short
Thank you for this video. I must say, video is simple, easy to understand with best commentary and images also with reasonable background music. Please keep it up.
Every time someone says horns were impractical as part of a warriors headgear, I think of the Winged Hussars.
In theory, those 'wings' are utterly impractical and cumbersome. In practise, well.....
Your production, and the research it must have involved, amazes me. Fascinating and well done. Love it
Hi from Sardinia. I also have horns, but I’m not a warrior. It’s my wife’s fault.
😂😂😂😂😂, you are not alone
Dan, you did it again!!! You are an amazing storyteller. Thank you.
Thank you, I appreciate it.
By far my favorite time in history. I'm lucky to have been able to experience some of these places as a ten year old kid and the experience was not lost on me to this day. I'm 55 now.
Thanks for the great video! Finally something i can listen to without an overly dramatic cadence driving me insane.
This is very interesting. We can see a glimpse of that time period with the puzzle pieces that we have.
Another awesome video! I really enjoy these, and I can’t wait for another book !
Works over and I can finally watch this! Thanks Dan, I really appreciate all your work
Something interesting to remember about cow horns is that both male and FEMALE aurochs had horns. Aurochs (Bos primigenius) are an extinct cattle species, considered to be the wild ancestor of modern domestic cattle. The aurochs were widely distributed in North Africa, Mesopotamia, and throughout Europe to the Pontic-Caspian steppe, Caucasus and Western Siberia in the west and to the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga in the north. Their fossils have been found in the Nile Region dated right up to the Roman age. Many female gods (like Hathor and Nut, the heavenly cow goddess), have been pictured with horns on their heads. Many domestic female cows still have horns, but they are removed.
Not watched it yet but I know it'll be good stuff. Always is. Cheers Dan. You should do a live q and a!
Another very interesting video Dan. I hope this channel becomes an even greater success than it already is. You really get me daydreaming , respite from the world ...
Thanks Alastair. That's what I've always aimed to do with my fiction - glad I can achieve similar with video too. Cheers.
Speculation that the purpose of the metal overhanging the nose was only for intimidation was probably made by a gentleman that had never been in hand to hand combat and had their nose flattened. As I have, I would design a helmet that provided some protection from such.
As always, fabulous historical detail, story telling, loved it!!! Thanks 🌟🌟
Thank you very much, Olina.
You might be interested in the work of Seth Fleishman, who runs the 'World History By A Jew' channel, he looks at things from a predominately Jewish perspective, and has many interesting insights to aspects resulting from forensic linguistic similarities between cultures.
Love the Bronze Age Dan. I just found your channel........ because I had watched and read Search for the Trojan War by the fabulous Professor Michael Wood. I saw the horned helmut from Cyprus or rather Alayisha. (?) There are so many wonderful history channels amidst all the crap. I love History with Cy, History Time, Pete Kelly and now you! Thanks for a great presentation and content.
So much great information! A dissertation! I will watch and rewatch. Thank you.
Fascinating as always. Thank you for making this excellent production.
Thank you very much.
Great video! I'm particularly interested in the Hittites, in two weeks I'll be filming Hattusa 🎥 Thanks and greetings
Awesome! Good luck, hope it goes well.
@@DanDavisHistory Thanks :)
TAKING ANOTHER
Dan Davis Deep Dive
There hasn't been a war run this badly since Olaf the Hairy, King of all the Vikings, ordered 80,00 helmets with the horns on the inside. Black Adder Goes Forth, Episode 16.
Great information. Amazing craftsmanship in these objects.
Fantastic Dan really enjoy your content , could listen for hour's thanks for your work. History could not be made more enjoyable.
The Divine twins were Mediterranean Niolithic or Sardinian noblemen, Sea People warrior Mediterraneans that conquered the Whole of the North, the East, West and South.
Truly fascinating, thanks for making this video!
I have have seen so many ignormouses spouting about how the horned viking helmets are a myth and that vikings never wore horned helmets. Well just because you find three viking helmets without horns, that proves nothing. I would not be at all surprised if some vikings did use horned helmets.
I really enjoyed this fact packed well produced video. I'd love to see a video about the Nordic Bronze Age grave mounds from Thy and older megalithic passage graves and dolmens from the island of Mon.
Thank you. Okay I will see what I can do.
@@DanDavisHistory Thank you Dan!
This was a fascinating video. Your content is amazing, thanks for making it!
Thank you very much, I appreciate it.
Great video. Thank you.
Love your videos, so glad I found your channel!
the baltic sea including southern scandinavia had contact with the mediterrianian civilizations, the proofs of that is the amber that is found in egypt, mycene, crete, and so on, was of baltic origine. and the burialcustoms and the rockcarvings of brozeage southern scandinavia and the southern mediterranian is as similuar to each others that it is clearly intercultural exchange.
Bronze is mix of copper and tin. Sources for these two metals are so far away from each other, bronze age could not exist without trade routes for them. Bronze age world was very connected.
I'd be very curious to hear your thoughts about the ancient Maltese temple-building cultures and the mystery of the "cart ruts" there. Whether Malta has evidence of horned-helmet warriors, I have no idea.
I would also like to point out that in both Solar Deer representations, the large sun is paired with a Buck that has a VERY prominent rack, while the small sun is paired with a deer with a smaller rack as well; is this perhaps indicative of hunting/rutting seasons? Perhaps the best hunting for deer was when the sun was at its zenith in that location?
I love it when we're told ancient artifacts were lost. Can't we be honest and say they are currently in private collections? Someone had sticky fingers.
I would also point out that the artist, art style and community that knew of this art work had to be small, if not the same person.
*speaking of the rock carvings
If Frey and Freya are a god pair, then would it not be reasonable that Njord would have been paired with Njärd? Could Njärd and Nerthu be the same? As I understand it, Njord has a strong association with the sea and Nerthy has a strong association with earth. Maybe some strata of culture and perspective was to divide the world into sea and earth rather than heaven and earth? And maybe this perspective is where the bogland becomes sacred, as being both. Aja, I know that Frey and Freya are titles, not names, anyway, I still like the symmetry.
I watched a season or two of Vikings before I lost interest. I recall it as being utterly stupid and ignorant in many things. But I remember that they had made water prominent in the pagan temple, like little canals. I thought that was a good idea, a neat speculation.
Fascinating video! To me, the long horns with little bulbs at the top look very similar. Also, the Galician and Scandinavian stag-deer motive must be connected. But I think you walk a perfect balance of showing connectivity and not making unfounded assumptions. Then again, it would be interesting to see people putting hard narratives forward because those are easier to shoot down, and then other can make other hard narratives that are shot down and over time a skeleton of narrative might emerge :)
I know it worked this way for the ancient Irish. The Otherworld associated with the afterlife was viewed as being under the ocean and was generally associated with water.
The same stands for Asturies. In fact, last year two horned helmets were found in a cave in Ribadesella. The Atlantic was connected since very early in time. I still remember a 'cigua' I could see in the Archaeological Museum in Edinburgh. It was catalogued as 'pendant'. It is clearly what in Asturies is called 'cigua', a fist with a special position of the fingers. Most Asturians have Baltic DNA.
Bulls especially the Auroch were both worshipped and seen as a symbol of strength among many cultures so it's a good possibility that ancient these Kings and warrior wore horns to represent this bull like strength, the higher status the bigger the horns.
For what it's worth, and maybe nothing, the female deer and moon drawings remind me of a recent conversation with another person who knows wildlife. We were discussing mating season for local deer. Theoretically I know the correct calendar time but the deer do not perform on schedule. A friend said he thinks the onset of mating is dependent upon a moon cycle in October. That makes a lot of sense.
What might this mean for Bronze Age people? Deer congregate in herds at mating time and they are likely to have their minds on other things than being cautious.
What the heck with the stick figures that look like the have a sword stuck through the pelvic area? In some ways it looks phallic and in others it just looks fatal.
Some of them are phalluses yes.
Samurai had CRAZY helmet decorations with everything from sunbursts to crescents crazy lion mane 80's hair styles to whole-ass dragons to, yes, horns. Sometimes people just gotta show off lol
They confuse your enemies. You run towards them shouting MOO!! and by the time they realise you're not cows rushing to provide free beef you're in the middle of 'em hacking 'em down. What could possibly go wrong?
Another fine informative film Dan, keep up the excellent standard,
Thanks Geoff, appreciate it.
Regarding twin chiefs, I wonder if Spartan two kings might have been a relic of that or if they were an unrelated development.
Do you think the depiction of Vikings in horned helmets could come from mistakes about the age of an item by early archeologists? That seems possible to me at least
I don't think the horned helmets was an mistake done by archeologist, more a mistake done by artists. If you look at an artist work, you will be able to date the style quite well. I don't think the artists intentions was to accurate make a picture of an event, but rather make a picture wich engaged the viewer. Horns on a helmet is quite spectacular, so why not use it? And since we all copy each other, you only need one source to start a trend.
Fascinating and compelling. Thank you sir.
Almost all gold artifacts from Ireland is made from british gold and more and more items on the continent.
The dsnish chariot pulling the sun disc is. Perfect match.
Also archeologist are scratching their heads why the items were not made out of irish gold considering the mines on the doorstep.The same for continental items.
The horns could be symbolic of the age they lived in. The bull represents Taurus and the ancients knew more about astrology and constellations then we think.
Good point
My 2 cents... the helmets identifies your unit, origin and function. It's definitely a WAG.
I can see horn length and arrangement, or lack of horns, indicating rank too
I wonder what hitting one of those horns with a bronze sword would do to it?
@@missourimongoose7643 Said every experimental archeologists.
Helmets were mainly used for protection from projectiles like arrows but mainly against sling shots.
Most battles were phalanx to phalanx and it was impractical to strike at the head as this upset the cohesion of swiping out with your shield and thrusting to your diagonal opponents, aiming for the groin, upper thigh where the main artery is and if cut you bleed to death in about a minute.
Thrusting to the head wasn't practical as it wasn't as easy to kill or disable your opposite enemy. Also swinging a sword in an arc was too hard due to the compactness and tight formation required for fighting in phalanx or shield wall formation.
In WW1 and WW2 and even today soldiers still wear helmets even though a bullet easily penetrates the thin steel. They mainly worn to protect against shrapnel from exploding bombs.
I've often wondered why thick iron shields aren't used in modern warfare, even though soldiers are given helmets which don't stop a bullet, a few men could carry a wide thick iron shield forward and plant it in the ground and form some protection for men to run up to and hide behind. They would be very advantageous in seaborne beach assaults like the D-day Normandy invasions.
The Victoria, Australia bushranger Ned Kelly who wore a full suit and helmet of cast iron, the only way that 20 men could bring him down was by aiming at his unprotected lower legs. Makes you wonder why this type of protection in the form of a large shield is not employed to support beach assaults where there is no land formations to offer protection, soldiers get cut down in there 1,000's trying to get a few yards up the open beach head. Same in WW1 coming out of the trenches, whole brigades were gunned down no more than a few yards beyond the trench. Makes you wonder why they persisted in this tactic for several years when millions were slaughtered without any gain in territory. A heavy iron shield carried by three men may have got halfway or further and it's such a simple solution. But maybe they wanted to cull the population instead.
The deer drawings look like the constellations of Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, which are important for navigation by the stars. It is safe to assume that a seafaring culture would have used the stars to navigate and made symbols of the constellations.
Brilliant video flows really nicely
Thank you for this well done, educational video for breakfast!
Interesting stuff. I wonder if the balls on the tips are meant to represent the sun and moon? The disc is so apparent in most horned motifs, seems weird to be lacking. I think in later periods where melee combat is more close up and personal, horns lose practicality beyond being an identifier for commanders. When most of your combat is spear and shield with swords being sidearms, having some flair on your helmet is less a concern as something to hinder you.
That being said, I've read a lot recently of peat finds that were deliberately placed as sacrifices. Some very valuable things often too... I would guess they were exaggerated and ceremonial. Probably specifically designed for sacrifice.
HORNS: an early form of intimidation.
Great video; I love the clues on the bronze age collapse !
Very interesting talk. Thanks...history never gets old.
North of Corsica / the orrean Culture lies the area where the Etruscan people lived.
Their helmets were somewhat similar.
The “Etruscans” (or rather, their political power) came to Corsica long after (600-500 bc) the Bronze Age and didn’t properly stretch (The Etruscans were in the eastern part of the island) throughout the area of the Torrean civilization (Southern Corsica).
Panels on the Sutton Hoo helmet also depict twinned warriors wearing what looks like horned helms, but are actually stylised birds. In 3D carvings of the same these are not on a helm, but fly directly from the head, thus they're thought to represent Odin's ravens: Huginn (Thought) and Muninn (Memory). It seems that Iron Age peoples (and maybe earlier) had a sense of what facility could be lost when one side of the brain is injured.
How did I miss this specific video I was hoping you'd make??? Fantastik, thank you for your awesome content, it makes my day always!!!
Thanks!
Your content and delivery are superbe. Many thanks for your sharing.
Another outstanding presentation. Thank you sir. Have you read any of Joseph Campbells work re: heroes journey or mythos themes? 2nd question; Are you familiar with astrotheology? The twins representing Gemini, and the bull horns representing Taurus, might this indicate the transitional period of precession between the 2 astral ages?
Hi,
Mithra is the bull's killer and he is refered as the sun, so a single character. I completely understand your question but not sure that there is some link between these two. Just my opinion.
@@theoutsider2638 Hi,
Divine Twins and the Bull are shared motifs from beyond the cult of Mithras, pre-existing the roman religion by quite a long time. Bobba didn't even mention Mithras to begin with.
@@jordanhallmark1784 Hi sir,
I quote : "might this indicate the transitional period of precessions between the 2 astral ages?". I was answering to this, and I said no but that doesn't necessarly mean that I'm correct.
Romans have depicted those myths and stories, with paints and sculptures, and Mithra is destined to be the bull's killer (And not without a bit of pain), the transitional man. Single man. The transition to Aries, the ram, the time of men and mortal gods.
In the sky Orion's constellation is standing toward the Bull. Again he's single.
So does Geminii is an important constellation ? Yes maybe but I doubt in this case.
Good evening.
God you do good content. Definitely one of my favorite channels. Much love Dan
Thank you very much.
The way these armour pieces and helmets are put together… it reminds me of the sea people descriptions from ancient Egypt
Man I am genuinely impressed by this. Fantastic job
Thank you very much.