All the evidence suggests that the Vikings never actually wore helmets with horns, and there is no explanation as to where this image came from. All we know about horned helmets is that they were used in religious ceremonies in Northern Europe in the first millennium.

Another misconception about the Vikings is that they were wild-men with unkempt hair and beards. In fact, the Vikings were very much preoccupied with grooming, and not least the tending of their hair and beards. The comb maker was a highly specialised artisan, and, given the huge number of combs found by archaeologists, we can assume that his wares were popular indeed. A Viking never went anywhere without his comb, he used it, and he lost it.

The combs were made out of stags’ antlers and from the antlers of elk and reindeer. Some of the combs are plain, while others are finely decorated, the finest examples even featuring bronze inlays. But it wasn’t just hair and beards that were groomed – the Vikings’ nails and ears were kept clean, as we can see from the finds of necklaces which bear finely crafted silver nail and ear cleaners.

In fact, the Vikings loved every form of pomp and finery, a penchant reflected in almost all their possessions and equipment – the garments, ships, weapons, sleds, buildings, monuments, wall hangings – are all decorated with their distinctive ornamentation.

The prosperous Vikings bore jewellery made of precious metals and gems wrought by skilled craftsmen. Silver was the main metal, but gold was also used for garment clasps, pendants and bracelets and the jewellery was decorated with the finest filigree work. Even the ordinary Viking’s need for jewellery was well served by the veritable mass production of metal jewellery and glass beads that went on.

Nationalmuseet in Copenhagen, Prehistoric Museum, Moesgaard near Århus and the Ribe Viking Museum (Museet Ribes Vikinger) offer a good impression of what the Vikings looked like.