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Vikings: Warriors of the Sea brings swords, comb made of bones, Viking life to Fernbank

By Nelson Hicks, WSB-TV
By Nelson Hicks, WSB-TV

ATLANTA — What do you know about Vikings?

Did they wear horned helmets, carry large swords, and raid and pillage everything in their path on their journeys across the high seas?

That’s part of their story.

“Vikings have this symbolism as adventures, warriors, warrior codes, and I think people think about them and value those sorts of characteristics and traits,” Dr. Bobbi Hohmann from Fernbank Museum of Natural History told WSB-TV’s Nelson Hicks.

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Vikings: Warriors of the Sea at Fernbank That's a comb made of... (Nelson Hicks)

There’s more to Viking culture than what’s portrayed in movies and on TV. Vikings were also merchants, traders, and farmers.

Fernbank Museum of Natural History’s newest exhibit, “Vikings: Warriors of the Sea,” takes a closer look at the people who lived from about 750 to 1050 AD.

“Fernbank prides itself on exploring human culture, and that’s one of our pillars and our mission and so we really enjoy hosting exhibits that highlight ancient or more modern cultures,” Hohmann said. “So one of the things we really like to do is kind of dispel those myths and stereotypes and really to have people explore a society in a broader context.”

One myth to dispel is about the horned helmet.

“Vikings, you always see depictions of them with the metal helmet with the horns,” Hohmann said. “There is no archaeological evidence really that the Vikings wore those helmets yet you see them pretty much on any Viking logo you see, typically like with a football team or something like that. There is some archaeological evidence that those helmets, those types of helmets predate the biking heyday, the Viking age.”

Through more than 140 archaeological materials and relics, visitors to Fernbank can explore Viking history. You’ll see swords and axes, ships and armor, and maybe even a few unexpected items.

“Vikings: Warriors of the Sea” is open now through January 1st. Fernbank After Dark, which is an adult science night, takes places on Nov. 10. It will have a warrior and Viking theme. There will be demonstrations, hands-on activities and some Viking cocktails.

This story is sponsored by Fernbank Museum of Natural History.

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