Bbc Blood Of The Vikings

'History is bunk'

History is bunk, said American industrialist Henry Ford. Now a new book backs him up - with some very surprising examples... - The Vikings never had horns on their helmets

None of the helmets unearthed from Viking archaeological sites have horns.

These appeared as an illustration of Viking headgear only in the 19th century, thanks to Swedish artist Gustav Malmstrom, who used them in an edition of an ancient Scandinavian tale.

Some historians have even doubted the Vikings’ reputation for violence. A 1995 investigation by the BBC Timewatch series poured cold water on the image of the Viking as a deranged pillager.

Professor Janet Nelson, a medieval historian at King’s College, London, said it was difficult to find evidence of specific raids in contemporary accounts.

“In fact, there isn’t a single case of rape,” she told the programme. Instead, the average Viking was more likely to be “a decent, respectable migrant” who was “a little dull”. Anglo-Saxon England, it seems, was invaded by an orderly band of gentle accountants.

- The kilt was an English invention

In 1727, Thomas Rawlinson, an immigrant Lancastrian ironworks owner, wanted a more practical outfit for his Scottish furnace workers than the traditional native dress - a long, flapping, pleated cloak.

The shortened, skirt-like result was safe and comfortable in the heat of the works.

Kilts became a national symbol only when the English banned them after the Scots tried to depose George II in the Jacobite Rising of 1745.

They became associated with the cause of Scottish pretender Bonnie Prince Charlie.

Of mice and men

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

The Power of Now, A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

The Jungle

The Kite Runner