This document summarizes the invention and popularization of the Viking horned helmet in the late 19th century, despite no archaeological evidence connecting Vikings to such helmets. It traces how Wagner's costume designer in 1876 first put horned helmets on characters in his Ring cycle. Within 20 years, horned helmets came to symbolize Vikings in advertisements, paintings, and children's books. By 1900, despite no evidence, the horned helmet had become the iconic symbol of Vikings.