As time has progressed, humans have changed much, yet our basic habits have remained constant. Such ancient staples of human life as hunting and gathering are still practiced today, though in different forms. The same is true for our most basic habits, including how we eat and drink.

Though we at Armory Replicas specialize in replica weaponry and armor, we also have such nifty historical items as the Crescent Medieval Drinking Horn! Though less common nowadays, the drinking horn has an important role in human history—here’s a look:

-Drinking horns are made from the horns of bovid animals, such as cows, bulls, or goats. The horn is cleaned and fashioned into drinking vessels.

-The drinking horn first rose to prominence in Bronze Age Greece, though they were likely replaced for some time by clay and metal drinking vessels. However, the Indo-European Thracian tribes and the Iranian Scythians both used drinking horns prominently in that time.

-The Germanic peoples followed the lead of the Romans in the styling of their drinking horns, making fine imitation horns out of glass. Many of these survive to this day, and some are preserved at the famous British Museum! Drinking horns have commonly been found in female graves from pagan Germanic societies, curiously.

-The Vikings are the culture perhaps most commonly associated with the drinking horn today—to wit, the National Football League’s Minnesota Vikings franchise uses a horn as a secondary logo and sells team-sanctioned drinking horns as merchandise!

Indeed, the drinking horn was a central part of Viking culture, as the Old Norse compilation Prose Edda tells of Thor drinking from a mystical horn. Drinking horns are also prominently featured in the influential epic poem Beowulf.

-In Imperial Austria and Germany during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, elaborately decorated drinking horns made from ivory, gold, silver, and enamel were made and sold as luxury items. Furthermore, German student corps regularly used drinking horns, inspired by the Viking revival, in ritual alcohol-drinking activities.

-Drinking horns are not at all a thing of the past, though! Even today, drinking horns remain integral parts of some cultures. For example, in the country of Georgia, drinking horns are widely used when toasting, and are known locally as “khantsi.”

The Crescent Medieval Drinking Horn also comes with an exquisite brown leather holster! Other great deals abound this month at our online store. Come see what other cool featured items we have on sale at Armory Replicas!