Viking Helmet Discussion

[Berry Syedow]

Lately I

[Athos]

I do agree the horns stick out too far, but that's not that big of a deal. Just tilt the heads a bit and there shouldn't be a problem. The only place its been a problem for me is in the chess set.

I'm also not that concerned about the big holes in the helmets, because we've been given sufficient horns to fill all the holes (and then some). It would have been nice to have the plume style connection, but then we couldn't use the horns as monster teeth and other such uses.

I've also heard people complain the helmets don't fit properly and are too loose. I haven't noticed this, but then I haven't done much serious playing with my vikings yet.

Steve

[Brick Miner]

i like the viking helmet, and don't have a problem with size, horns, etc... as athos said, if the horns would have been designed to fit plume holes, we wouldn't have them for teeth, claws, etc... so you would be solving one issue, but creating another. doesn't seem like there is any advantage, as we would just be going in circles.

i have read that a few AFOL don't like the fact that the viking helmet were horned in the first place. im not sure why... it's not historically correct ??? i think the LEGO vikings borrowed a lot from the "fantasy barbarian" of pulps, etc... and i like that.

but not enough apparently, as i haven't bought any of the sets :-D

- BM

Edited July 12, 2007 by Brick Miner

[Siegfried]

Sorry to say, I liked the helmet design. I do agree that it is oversized, but most of the Lego scale is due to the incorrect proportians of the figures. The walkie talkies for example.

[Hinckley]

Sorry to say, I liked the helmet design. I do agree that it is oversized, but most of the Lego scale is due to the incorrect proportians of the figures. The walkie talkies for example.

What are you saying? That flowers don't grow up to people's belly buttons and apples aren't as big as a person's head? Next you'll say that a bird isn't half the width of a human waist and a coffee cup isn't that size of a human thigh. :-P

[Piranha]

Take a look at this Picture

What is that????

Piranha

[Norrington]

Take a look at this Picture

[say Say lam, Eneuchy, Snip Snip!]

What is that????

Piranha

That is a page from a Vikings instuction booklet, you silly-doodle! :-| J/K, I think that's just a concept type art, somewhat different from the final product. Edited July 13, 2007 by Norrington

[Starwars4J]

It would have been nice to have the plume style connection, but then we couldn't use the horns as monster teeth and other such uses.

My thoughts exactly, the "horn" has become such a used and versatile piece that it would have been sorely missed, and had much more use and versatility than a simple plume. Besides, I don't think any of the other plumes would look nice there.

I've also heard people complain the helmets don't fit properly and are too loose. I haven't noticed this, but then I haven't done much serious playing with my vikings yet.

I've noticed this, actually. It's really hard to keep anything straight with them :-/

i have read that a few AFOL don't like the fact that the viking helmet were horned in the first place. im not sure why... it's not historically correct ??? i think the LEGO vikings borrowed a lot from the "fantasy barbarian" of pulps, etc... and i like that.

Yeah, the real vikings didn't have any horns, but I don't think they had giant technic dragons either, so it's all fine :-D

[ZeekyBoogeyDoog]

I'm not crazy about the helmets; all of mine are very loose. I have less problem with the historical inaccuracy as much as the fact they can't stay on. I otherwise would not have a problem with the helmets. Of course, in my fantasy land of faeries and leprichauns I would have liked them to look like the Sutton Hoo helm or BrickForge's helm :-)

[Timento]

i have read that a few AFOL don't like the fact that the viking helmet were horned in the first place. im not sure why... it's not historically correct ??? i think the LEGO vikings borrowed a lot from the "fantasy barbarian" of pulps, etc... and i like that.

- BM

They had metal horns although most of them... Well, watch this movie (sure I could have found a picture but why not a movie? X-D) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xl_8p5H9VU If it's historically correct items you want visit http://www.brickforge.com/order.html and just the helmet http://www.brickforge.com/products/plastic...ortment_med.jpg

[Norro]

I really like the horns... as a piece. What bothers me is the holes they leave in the helmet. I leave them off in my models but still... Combined with the loose fit on the head of this problematic helmet I think it has to be one of the worst lego head covering molds.

God Bless,

Nathan

[Wout]

I like the viking helmets, maybe they are not historically correct, or the horns are not the good bow, but they are nice. They are maybe a bit to loose on the head and if they not have horns in it, it has big holes, but otherwise I like it.

I hope they will make them also in the future for some castle sets.

Edited July 13, 2007 by Wout

[snefroe]

i have read that a few AFOL don't like the fact that the viking helmet were horned in the first place. im not sure why... it's not historically correct ???

- BM

no it's not historically correct. It all started in the 19th century when archeologists did not use scientific methodology as they do today. Some guys found a viking grave, including all sorts of stuff, like a helmet and... horns... in a brief moment of inspiration one of those idiots not only seriously damaged the grave, he also added the horns to the helmets, stating that the horns were once part of the helmet. That image was so powerfull, it stayed in the mind of the collective. In reality, they were not.

unfortunately, historians and archeologists made lots of these contextual interpretations that would become the basis for many myths. For instance, archealogists found a hole in king Tut's skull, so they emmediately concluded he was murdered by a head wound. That became the essence of an imaginative story about palace intriges, murders, political upheavel,... Current scientific methodology showed, not so long ago, that it was nonsense.

There's also a myth that vikings took their ships to raid other people's countries. in reality, their swords were made in holland (the center being Venlo, I believe) when they were already based on solid land, nor did their ships carry dragon heads or whatever monster...

[Brick Miner]

thanks for giving us some back ground story on all of that sne... i hadn't actually known the story of how the horn helmet myths got started.

i actually wasn't questioning the truth behind the horned helmets, i was questioning why a few AFOL didn't like them. i think you might have interpreted my post wrong because i didn't make that clear enough... however, maybe you read it correctly, and now im just interpreting your post wrong *wacko* :-D

in either case, i know that on this question we both have strong feelings,... and we are on polar ends X-D

- BM

[Norro]

There's also a myth that vikings took their ships to raid other people's countries.

Then how, in this version, did the Norse expand to The British Isles and Ireland?

God Bless,

Nathan

[Sir Dillon]

Then how, in this version, did the Norse expand to The British Isles and Ireland?

God Bless,

Nathan

They road dolphins. Duh. :-P

But yeah, I'm a little confused as to what that means as well...

[snefroe]

Then how, in this version, did the Norse expand to The British Isles and Ireland?

God Bless,

Nathan

well i can only refer to archeological finds here: the weapons found in association with the Vikings at the continent were traced back to a dutch Viking settlement. Archeologists concluded that they made their weapons once they were settled on land, so the notion 'let's get our weapons on board, sail down south and expand our empire' just doesn't fit into our current interpretations of how the vikings operated here...

[Sir Dillon]

well i can only refer to archeological finds here: the weapons found in association with the Vikings at the continent were traced back to a dutch Viking settlement. Archeologists concluded that they made their weapons once they were settled on land, so the notion 'let's get our weapons on board, sail down south and expand our empire' just doesn't fit into our current interpretations of how the vikings operated here...

Except that there are many historical recordings of Vikings attacking churches and other things in England and other countries. While there was much more to Vikings than pillaging, I think it's been proven that they did do it.

[snefroe]

Except that there are many historical recordings of Vikings attacking churches and other things in England and other countries. While there was much more to Vikings than pillaging, I think it's been proven that they did do it.

well a huge majority of the sources we have of the 8th-11th century are church records. at least in the historical community that kinda makes them suspecious, being reporter and victim at the same time; i'm not claiming that they did not raid and plunder, I'm stating that:

1) their reputation of only being scum, murderers and criminals who didn't do anything else but pillaging and raiding is popular belief more than scientific fact

2) again, i can only refer to historical findings: In europe, they had settlements and were integrated in our local society, we don't have indications that they got on land to just conquer a piece of land...

3) also, the word "country" is missplaced. the vikings landed in europe when the old empire of Carl the Great was on the verge of going under, it's the time frame of the early Middle Ages, the time frame of the legend of King Arthur. To speak of well structured countries getting attacked by an outside thread, is a bit too simple. The vikings added much to the confusion that was already there and got blamed for it for the most part... a real solid army of Carl the Great would have dealt with the vikings, unfortunately, they were quite busy fighting each other... what made the vikings stand out, was that they did not care much for the Christian authority, making churches monestaries,... easy targets...

Edited July 15, 2007 by snefroe1

[Norro]

While they may be mis-represented lets not go revisionist crazy X-D ...

The UK and Ireland are covered in tower houses (I drive by 3-4 just to go into town). They weren't built for local leadership but rather as a refuge from the norse... (or at least this is commonly acknowledged in all the books I've read, we are not in a field I'm qualified to have an opinion in beyond common sense). You also pointed out the Arthur legends date from this time. Yes, he was a british king attempting to halt the encroachment (hostile) of the early saxons...

And as too church records not being accurate where they record burnings of churches, I think you'd have to admit that isn't the strongest argument. Was it some kind of insurance scam? X-D

God Bless,

Nathan

[Berry Syedow]

I'm also not that concerned about the big holes in the helmets, because we've been given sufficient horns to fill all the holes (and then some). It would have been nice to have the plume style connection, but then we couldn't use the horns as monster teeth and other such uses.

Doh, I wasn't suggesting a replacement for the horn piece on all accounts, just for the helmet so it wouldn't have such big holes.

I've also heard people complain the helmets don't fit properly and are too loose. I haven't noticed this, but then I haven't done much serious playing with my vikings yet.

Maybe it's because you don't play with your vikings? Not that I do... :-P

Sorry to say, I liked the helmet design. I do agree that it is oversized, but most of the Lego scale is due to the incorrect proportians of the figures. The walkie talkies for example.

I agree up to a point. When something becomes too awkward to work with, even if it is LEGO it needs to be streamlined.

That is a page from a Vikings instuction booklet, you silly-doodle! :-| J/K, I think that's just a concept type art, somewhat different from the final product.

Actually, before brickshelf was taken down I was able to observe the old prototype images of the vikings. Both the shield and the horn design rendered in that instruction booklet are present in one of the prototype images.

[Grand Moff Viceroy]

I like it the way it is.