The Gjermundbu helmet (Wikimedia Commons) The museum also points out that horned helmets would have gotten in the way in battle, and caused problems on warships where space was so limited.

The helmet has been on view at England's Preston Park Museum since 2012. Chris Caple / Durham University. During the ... (The other was found in Gjermundbu, Norway, in 1943).

The Viksø helmets, as the pair is called, were discovered in 1942, buried in a peat bog near Copenhagen. They’re made entirely of bronze, including the twisted, bull-like horns.

The only Viking age helmet ever found, the Gjermundbu helmet unearthed in Ringerike, Norway, bears a resemblance to a Batman mask—sans pointed ears. Also, no horns, points out Barraclough.

The Gjermundbu helmet was found in 1943 broken in fragments. It has since been restored and on display at the University of Oslo’s Historical Museum. Photograph by Berit Roald, NTB Scanpix ...