For most people today, the drinking horn conjures up mental images of the nomadic barbarians and burly, oiled-up conquerors we tend to think of as ‘Vikings’ – at least, our glamorized Hollywood fantasy-version of Vikings, which honestly probably resemble Arnold Schwarzenegger in a loin cloth a lot more than anything from actual history, by this point. In reality, drinking horns have played a central role in sacred and revered social ceremonies for ancient cultures all over the world for over 2500 years (some say as long as 25,000), so it’s really no surprise they remain such desirable antiques and collectors’ items even today. The complete history of the drinking horn is long, complicated, and still somewhat mysterious, so for the purposes of this article, we’ll focus mainly on the Viking-style of horns.
Depictions of Scandinavian or Viking drinking horns are prominently featured throughout numerous Viking epics like Prose Edda and Beowulf, and in many types of Scandinavian artwork. Actual preserved remains of some drinking horns have even been recovered from famous Anglo-Saxon burial sites like Sutton Hoo over the years, giving us at least some limited insight into when, where, why, and how the horns were actually used. Historians believe that both cattle and goat drinking horns were widespread during the Viking era, sometimes with metal fittings and mounts, but often just one solid piece of polished and hollowed-out bone. These days, both styles are widely available from any number of medieval and pagan crafts stores, antique shops, or even renaissance fairs, and in an almost dizzying variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Choosing the right drinking horn for you can be an intimidating task, so here’s a few tips on what to look for, and where to start.
Prices for drinking horns can vary substantially depending on size, quality, and decorative ‘extras’ like metal rims and tips, elaborate engravings, and all kinds of other fancy ornaments. Many people just looking for the good old fashioned novelty value of swilling Miller Light and/or mead from a huge bull’s horn at their next backyard barbecue probably won’t miss the intricate knot-work or other shiny doodads that can make the difference between a $30 horn and a $600 one, and there’s certainly no shame in keeping things simple with a straight-to-business drinking horn – you are supposed to be a Viking, after all.
Online, there are many sites like The “Northworld” Shop (http://www.thorhammer.org/en/Viking_Drnkiing_Horns_Drinking/l_WG166), “The Jelling Dragon” (http://www.jelldragon.com/drinking_horns.htm), vikingvear.com, and viking-shield.com that offer a large selection of plain, custom, and specialty horns to appease your inner-Norseman, ranging in price from less than $20 to nearly $1000 in some cases. Popular auction sites like eBay are also a great resource if you’re hunting for a bargain on something more rare or unique. Those looking to get some fresh air instead can rape and pillage their way down to the nearest medieval arts & crafts or antiques store, or search their local listings for the next renaissance fair coming to town.
On the downside, specialty stores and events like this can be few and far between depending on where you live, and their selections tend to be smaller and sometimes quite a bit pricier. On the upside, you’ll have a chance to see and play with the horns before you buy, you won’t have to pay any delivery charges, and most importantly, you’ll get a chance to deal with the salesman or craftsmen in person, so you can ask them any last-minute questions you might have about the proper care and maintenance of your horn and the differences between each kind.
If you’re feeling brave or extremely bored, a third option is always to try ‘making’ your own. Some sites like armourarchive.org have helpful guides and resources to help you along the way (http://www.armourarchive.org/essays/essay__drinkinghorn.shtml), and although the process can be a bit tiring and frustrating at times, it can also be a lot of fun if you like to work with your hands. It’s also one of the best ways to make sure you’re getting the most personal and customized finished product possible, down to the smallest detail, and a lot of times can be more cost-effective than what you’ll normally find in stores. You’ll still have to find your own raw animal horn to start with, of course, but nobody ever said a Viking’s life was supposed to be easy.
Whether you choose to buy your drinking horn or start from scratch, it’s important to keep a couple basic things in mind. First, all drinking horns start as raw parts of what were once living animals. It’s extremely important to thoroughly clean and sterilize them before trying to drink anything from them. Second, raw animal horns like this are stubbornly porous, so it’s absolutely essential to make sure only the proper kinds of finishes, waxes, and chemical cleaning products are used in preparing them. Not only can the wrong ones quickly damage and wear out your horn, but some chemicals can actually seep into the bone and make your horn poisonous to drink from. Some finishes like beeswax can just be very temperamental with temperature and you won’t be able to drink anything hot from it without a nasty surprise. According to Armour Archive, Salad bowl finish from an unfinished furniture store will hold up much better, but they’re many different methods for how to treat a finished drinking horn, so be sure to consult with your closest vendor or experienced resources online for more detailed instructions.
Obviously, most pre-made drinking horns are sold already finished, polished, and ready-to-use, so these things aren’t as much of a concern if you’re buying from a shop or vendor, but horns can be finished in many different ways – some might be technically safe to drink from but still quite rough, leaving a nasty, musky smell and lasting aftertaste that will need careful cleaning to get rid of, and some are more susceptible to hot, cold, and things like acidity than others, so be sure to ask the seller about the particular do’s and don’t’s of any horn before you buy it. Remember – drinking horns can be a lot of fun as decorations, conversation pieces, or just really intimidating beer mugs, but making sure you get the right one can be pretty tricky at times. Just use a little common sense before you buy, and you’ll be raising toasts like a shameless, belligerent bridge-troll in no time. Oh, and don’t forget to stock up on mead. Valhalla!
