Heute werden Trinkhörner oft als ikonische Wikinger-Accessoires angesehen. In diesem Blog tauchen wir in die faszinierende Geschichte der Trinkhörner ein und enthüllen ihre symbolische Bedeutung. Darüber hinaus untersuchen wir, wie ihre Verwendung auf modernen Festivals nahtlos mit dieser reichen historischen Tradition übereinstimmt.
Was ist ein Trinkhorn?
Ein Trinkhorn ist ein Rinderhorn, das als „Trinkbecher“ verwendet wird. Trinkhörner werden seit prähistorischen Zeiten genutzt. Sie waren nicht für den täglichen Gebrauch bestimmt und keine Alternativen zu Bechern oder Schalen. Ihr Zweck war rein zeremoniell.
Trinkhörner wurden von indoeuropäischen Völkern wie den Griechen, Skythen, Thrakern, Kelten, Römern, germanischen Stämmen und später von den Wikingern, Angelsachsen und sogar bis weit ins Mittelalter verwendet.
Proto-Indoeuropäische „Cowboys“
Nahezu alle europäischen Kulturen haben ihren Ursprung bei den Proto-Indoeuropäern. Sie waren die Vorfahren der Griechen, Römer, germanischen Stämme, Kelten und Wikinger.
Die Sprecher des Proto-Indoeuropäischen waren halbnomadische Viehzüchter aus der pontisch-kaspischen Steppe. Für sie waren Rinder die wichtigste Lebensgrundlage. Von Irland und Skandinavien bis nach Indien und Persien spielten Rinder daher eine bedeutende Rolle im Alltag und in der Mythologie. Viele Rituale, wie das Opfern weißer Stiere oder das Füllhorn, lassen sich auf dieses gemeinsame proto-indoeuropäische Erbe zurückführen.
Indoeuropäische Völker hatten eine dharmische Naturreligion, und der Auerochse spielte eine wichtige Rolle in der Schöpfungsmythologie. Es ist daher nicht überraschend, dass Hörner in der Gesellschaft eine bedeutende rituelle Rolle hatten. Sie wurden beispielsweise bei Opfergaben verwendet.
Die Gesellschaft war eidgebunden und hierarchisch. Diese Hierarchie entstand, weil einige Herren größere Viehherden hatten als andere. Es ist möglich, dass Trinkhörner während von Eidzeremonien verwendet wurden, um die Beziehung zwischen Patron und Klient zu bestätigen.
Bis ins Mittelalter symbolisierten Trinkhörner Macht unter Aristokraten. Viele Rituale sind bekannt, bei denen beispielsweise nur ein Aristokrat aus einem bestimmten Horn trinken durfte.
The Rhyton
Der Rhyton wurde in einer riesigen Region verwendet, von Indien und Persien bis nach Griechenland und auf den Balkan. Er diente primär als Statussymbol, wurde verwendet, um die Bindung zwischen Gastgeber und Gast zu stärken, und für Libationen zu Ehren der Götter.
Das Wort „Rhyton“ leitet sich vom griechischen Wort ῥυτόν (rhytón) ab, was „Strom“ bedeutet, und verweist auf den Flüssigkeitsfluss aus dem Gefäß. Im Gegensatz zu Trinkhörnern wurden Rhyta nicht aus Horn gefertigt, sondern aus Materialien wie Keramik oder Metall. Während einige Rhyta an Hörner erinnerten, waren viele in Form von Tierköpfen gestaltet.
Der Spender schöpfte die Flüssigkeit für die Libation – wie Wein, Öl oder Blut – aus einem Vorratsgefäß. Der Rhyton hatte oft ein kleines Loch am Boden, das der Spender mit dem Daumen verschloss. Anschließend ließ er die Flüssigkeit kontrolliert auf heiligen Boden oder in den Mund fließen. Der gezielte Fluss durch die Bodenöffnung machte das Eingießen zu einem feierlichen Akt.
Auf Kreta, in der minoischen Kultur, waren Rhyta oft in Form von Stierköpfen gestaltet. Ein Beispiel ist das Stierkopf-Rhyton aus dem Palast von Knossos, das auch in einem Wandgemälde aus einem Grab in Theben, Ägypten, dargestellt ist, wo es Geschenke der Minoer zeigt.
Königliche Bankette und Symbolik
At royal banquets, rhyta emphasized the status and power of the host. In the Persian Empire, for instance, gold and silver rhyta featuring animal and mythical designs were used by the king and his court. These objects not only heightened the grandeur of the occasion but also symbolized the king's connection to cosmic order. One of the finest examples is an Achaemenid rhyton depicting a griffin, representing power and protection. During banquets, the king would pour from these rhyta to display his hospitality and authority over the empire. One of the oldest examples comes from Susa in Persia—a silver figurine from the 3rd millennium BCE depicting a combination of a cow and a woman offering a vessel.
Dionysian Celebrations
At wine-centric feasts, such as the Dionysian rituals of ancient Greece, rhyta were used to celebrate ecstatic communion with the god Dionysus. Greek vase art depicts participants drinking from horn-shaped rhyta, often adorned with images of satyrs and maenads, Dionysus’ followers. These rhyta, sometimes designed to challenge drinkers not to spill their contents, required a certain skill to use, enhancing both the enjoyment and the symbolism of control and release.
Nonnus, in his Dionysiaca (5th century CE), describes how satyrs first created wine and drank it from ox horns, introducing the use of rhyta.
Mythological and Ceremonial Contexts
Mythology underscores the importance of rhyta in ceremonial contexts. In some interpretations of Persian mythology, rhyta were used in rituals where King Achaemenes, the legendary founder of the Achaemenid Empire, reinforced his bond with Ahura Mazda, the supreme god. The ritual pouring of sacred liquids emphasized not only the king’s cosmic justice but also his role as the protector of order and harmony.
Scythian Drinking Horns
The Scythians appeared to have a more practical approach to drinking horns. They used them during banquets and included them as grave goods.
The term Scythians refers to various steppe peoples, often of Indo-European origin. They spoke an Indo-European language related to Old Persian. In antiquity, the Thracians and Scythians were known for drinking from horns, a significant aspect of their drinking customs. This practice is described by the Greek writer Xenophon, who recounted how the Thracians used horns at banquets.
Diodorus also mentions how the Getic leader Dromichaetes used wooden and horn vessels to serve drinks during a feast for Lysimachus and other prisoners.
The Scythian elite also used rhyta made of gold or silver. A famous example is a gold and silver rhyton in the shape of Pegasus from the 5th century BCE, discovered in Ulyap, a site in Russia just north of the Caucasus.
Archaeologists have identified two basic types of Scythian drinking horns: one with a pronounced curve and another with a slight curve, modeled after the horns of an aurochs.
The earliest physical remnants of drinking horns in Scythian graves date back to the 7th century BCE. Evidence for their use in the 6th century is sporadic. However, by the 5th century BCE, drinking horns made a clear resurgence, particularly in the Pontic region, where they were left as grave goods often adorned with precious metals. This practice appears to have originated in the Kuban region, where drinking horns played a prominent role in the funerary rites of warriors. By the 4th century BCE, the tradition spread across the Pontic steppe, introducing a new type of highly curved silver drinking horn.
While rhyta of Achaemenid or Thracian origin continued to appear, Scythian drinking horns came to dominate grave goods. However, by the late 4th century BCE, this tradition began to wane.
Like their Proto-Indo-European ancestors, the Scythians buried their dead in kurgans or burial mounds. At these kurgans, they erected stelae—upright stones often depicting human figures. Images of drinking horns on kurgan stelae follow a slightly different chronology than physical finds. The earliest depictions date to the 6th century BCE, a period when physical grave finds of drinking horns were still relatively rare. In the 5th century BCE, these images became more frequent, aligning with the renewed presence of drinking horns in burial practices. By the 4th century BCE, depictions on stelae declined, even as the actual burial of drinking horns peaked.
On the Crimean Peninsula, such depictions appeared slightly later, from the 5th century BCE onward, but they were more common there than elsewhere. These patterns reflect a dynamic relationship between material culture and its symbolic representation, with drinking horns playing a central role in Scythian rituals and identity through both grave goods and art.
Drinking horns held significant importance in Scythian funerary rituals. They are often found in the graves of warriors and may have been tied to their royal and warrior cults. It is possible that Scythian rulers received a drinking horn from a deity as a symbol of their kingship.
Celtic Drinking Horns
Among the Celts, the drinking horn was a true status symbol. Julius Caesar, in his Commentarii de Bello Gallico, describes how the Gauls used drinking horns crafted from the horns of aurochs. He notes that these horns, often adorned with silver, served as drinking vessels during grand feasts.
It is likely that cattle horns were commonly used. While these have decayed over time, their metal embellishments—often gold or bronze—have been preserved archaeologically.
One notable example is the grave of the Hochdorf chieftain, a 50-year-old leader whose burial was designed for a feast in the afterlife. His tomb contained a gilded torc, arm rings, jewelry, a dagger, and a luxurious chariot. At his feet stood a cauldron with a capacity of 400 liters, which had been filled with mead. The grave also included nine bronze bowls and nine drinking horns. The largest horn, with a capacity of 5.5 liters, was made from bronze, iron, and gold. The remaining eight were made of organic material, but their bronze fittings survived. Hemp was also found in the grave, a substance often associated with Indo-European rituals.
Women were also buried with lavish grave goods. The "Princess of Reinheim" was interred with a torc, bracelets, rings, fibulae, a box containing glass and amber beads, a mirror, bronze bowls, a jug, and gold drinking horn fittings.
In Celtic culture, drinking horns were strongly associated with rituals of hospitality, honor, and religion. Their use at feasts strengthened social bonds and highlighted the host's status. In religious contexts, drinking horns may have been used for offerings to the gods or to unite the community during significant ceremonies. Their inclusion in burials suggests that the Celts believed these items were useful in the afterlife or symbolized the deceased's status.
A later example of a Celtic drinking horn can be found in the depiction on the Pictish Bullion Stone from the 10th century CE. It possibly portrays a chieftain drinking from a bird-headed drinking horn while seated on a horse.
Drinking Horns During the Migration Period
The Germanic tribes of the Migration Period also used drinking horns, crafting them from cattle horn as well as precious metals and glass, following Roman influences.
A remarkable example is the pair of Gallehus horns from South Jutland, Denmark, although the originals have unfortunately been lost. These horns featured runic inscriptions ("I, Hlewagast, made this horn"), depictions of warriors, horses, and possibly the ulfheðnar ritual and the horned spear-dancer. The horned spear-dancer links the horns to kingship, the warrior class, and the koryos tradition. The horns may also depict the gods Tyr, Odin, Thor, and Freyr.
In Germanic tradition, the symbel—a ceremonial drinking ritual—played a central role. Drinking horns were used to swear oaths or to emphasize communal bonds. This tradition is described in Old English texts such as the Beowulf epic, where mead is consumed from drinking horns, associated with the sacred function of feasting and the reinforcement of loyalty and honor.
Drinking horns were also included in burials. Examples include the drinking horns found in the Anglo-Saxon ship burial at Sutton Hoo and the royal grave at Taplow, Buckinghamshire.
Viking Drinking Horns
A wealth of information about the use of drinking horns by the Vikings comes from archaeological finds, myths and sagas, and depictions on stones. Drinking horns symbolized hospitality but were also associated with strength and magic.
Fragments of Viking Age drinking horns are rare, but archaeological discoveries of decorative metal fittings and terminals suggest their widespread use. Both cattle and goat horns were employed, with an average capacity of less than half a liter.
Drinking horns are frequently mentioned in Scandinavian sagas.
In the mythical contest between Thor and the giant Útgarða-Loki, Thor must drink from a magical horn that cannot be emptied. It is later revealed that the horn is connected to the sea, and Thor's attempt to drink caused the tides to ebb and flow. This story underscores the power and magic attributed to drinking horns.
In a fragment of the poem Gudrúnarkviða II, Gudrún drinks from a horn containing magical earth, icy sea water, and boar's blood. The horn is described as having “all sorts of runes, engraved and colored,” suggesting that runes were carved and highlighted to enhance their visibility. In the Nordic tradition, runes were often inscribed on objects as magical symbols to provide protection, invoke curses, or imbue the object with specific properties. In this case, the horn or its contents caused Gudrún to forget her husband Sigurd.
The Egils Saga tells the story of Egil Skallagrímsson, a famous skald from Iceland. Egil visits Bárðr, a relative of Queen Gunnhildr, who offers him food but apologizes for the lack of beer or other better beverages. That same evening, King Eiríkr Bloodaxe and his wife arrive at Bárðr's home to host a feast and make offerings to the dísir, female protective spirits akin to the Norns. Egil is invited to join the banquet, where beer flows freely.
Bárðr does not act as a proper host toward Egil, prompting Egil to mock him by draining horn after horn without being satisfied. Irritated, Gunnhildr and Bárðr decide to poison Egil’s drink. Sensing the plot, Egil pricks his hand to draw blood, carves magical runes into the horn, and smears it with his blood. While reciting a poem, the horn shatters, spilling the poisoned drink onto the ground. Egil then leaves the feast but later accepts another horn from Bárðr, whom he promptly stabs with his sword.
This story not only illustrates the use of drinking horns during feasts and offerings but also highlights the significance of hospitality, a core value in Indo-European culture.
Drinking horns are depicted on numerous Viking rune stones, used by both men and women. They often appear in the context of banquets, such as on the Tängelgärda IV stone from Gotland. The Snoldelev Stone from Denmark features a triskelion or Valknut symbol, possibly formed by three interlinked drinking horns.
Drinking horns are also shown on the famous Bayeux Tapestry, where a banquet scene includes them being used for drinking. One of the horns features decorative embellishments along the rim and tip.
Drinking Horns: A Pagan Renaissance
In today’s world, Viking drinking horns have experienced a revival, effortlessly merging history with modern creativity. These iconic objects have found a new place in contemporary celebrations, festivals, and rituals. Whether it’s the vibrant authenticity of historical reenactments, the enchanting atmosphere of festivals, or pagan rituals, drinking horns have evolved beyond mere utilitarian items – they now symbolize the revival of our sense of community, our ancestors, and their mythology.
Drinking horns are symbolic and iconic. They can be raised in a toast to the past or used to create unforgettable moments in the present. These timeless objects continue to inspire. They connect us with the rich past while simultaneously celebrating the boundless creativity of modern culture.