History is full of fascinating stories, but not every story we hear about the past is true!
Some historical myths have been repeated so many times that they can sound like facts. From Viking helmets with enormous horns to pirates making people walk the plank, there are plenty of things we think we know about history that aren’t quite right.
1. Vikings wore horned helmets
MYTH!
Perhaps the most famous image of a Viking is a fierce warrior wearing a helmet with two enormous horns sticking out of the sides.
The problem? There is no good archaeological evidence that Viking warriors actually wore horned helmets into battle.
The famous horned Viking helmet seems to be a much later invention. Artists and designers in the 19th century helped create the image of the horned Viking that we know today. And we can blame it all on the Victorians! the popular image of horned helmets comes from Wagners opera Der Ring des Nibelungen (The ring cycle)
Real Viking helmets were designed to protect the head rather than make the wearer look like a mythical creature. One of the most famous surviving examples is the Gjermundbu helmet, discovered in Norway.
History Detective question: Why do you think the horned Viking became such a popular image?
2. Medieval people thought the Earth was flat
MYTH!
It’s often said that everyone in the Middle Ages believed the Earth was flat and that brave explorers had to prove otherwise.
The reality is much more complicated.
Educated people in medieval Europe had access to the ideas of ancient Greek and Roman scholars, many of whom understood that the Earth was spherical. Medieval scholars continued to discuss and teach the idea of a round Earth.
People in the Middle Ages certainly didn’t know everything about our planet. They had very different ideas about geography, maps and what existed beyond the places they knew.
But the idea that everyone believed the Earth was flat is simply not accurate.
Classroom challenge: Can you think of ways people could work out that the Earth was round without having a photograph from space?
3. Everyone in the Middle Ages was dirty
MYTH!
When we imagine medieval towns, it’s easy to picture muddy streets, piles of rubbish and people who never washed.
Medieval life could certainly be dirty, especially in busy towns where sanitation was a major problem. But that doesn’t mean medieval people didn’t care about cleanliness.
People bathed when they could and used various methods to keep their clothes and bodies clean. Wealthier households could have access to baths, while public bathhouses existed in some medieval towns.
The bigger problem was that medieval towns didn’t have the modern sewage systems and rubbish collection we have today.
So medieval people weren’t necessarily unwashed — they simply had very different facilities and ideas about hygiene.
Think about it: What would be hardest about keeping clean if you had no hot running water?
4. Romans all wore togas
MYTH!
When we picture Ancient Rome, we often imagine everyone wandering around wearing a white toga.
But the toga wasn’t everyday clothing for every Roman.
Togas were worn mainly by Roman citizens on particular occasions, and they could be difficult and cumbersome to wear. For everyday activities, Romans generally wore simpler clothing such as tunics.
And Roman society was enormous and diverse. What someone wore depended on their age, gender, wealth, job, status and where they lived.
So the next time you see a picture of an entire crowd of Romans dressed in identical white togas, remember that real Roman clothing was much more varied.
History Detective question: What could someone’s clothes tell us about their life?
5. Pirates made people walk the plank
MYTH!
“Walk the plank!”
It’s one of the most famous phrases associated with pirates. We can easily imagine a pirate ship, a terrified prisoner blindfolded and a wooden plank sticking out over the sea.
But there is surprisingly little evidence that pirates regularly made people walk the plank.
Pirates certainly did commit brutal acts, and people captured by pirates could be treated terribly. But walking the plank seems to have become much more famous through books, stories and films than it ever was in real pirate life.
There are historical accounts of people being forced into the sea, but that isn’t quite the same thing as the elaborate plank-walking scene we see in films.
Why Do Historical Myths Matter?
You might be wondering: does it really matter if children think Vikings wore horned helmets or that medieval people never washed?
Actually, myths can provide a brilliant way into history.
Instead of simply telling children that something is wrong, we can ask:
“How do we know?”
That’s one of the most important questions historians ask.
And sometimes the evidence doesn’t give us a simple answer.
That’s what makes history so fascinating.
The past is full of surprises — and that’s what makes exploring history so much fun!
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