Horned Helmet

by Henry Treece

A fugitive from his native Iceland and without family, Beorn cannot believe his good fortune in being adopted by a powerful Viking warrior.

Plunged into a seafaring life that demands strength, determination and courage, Beorn rapidly grows from boy to man under the rigorous Viking code of conduct.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Childrens, Fiction

118 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1963

About the author

Henry Treece (1911-1966) was a British poet and writer, who also worked as a teacher and editor. He wrote a range of works but is mostly remembered as a writer of children's historical novels.

Reviews

[Craigb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book I ever read by myself and as such holds a special place in my book collection (despite the tanning to the pages and creases to the cover that renders it a street value of about 15p - well that's what my dad bought it for). Set at the time of the Roman invasion of Britain in AD 43 it's a story of Vikings, in partcular Beorn the boy who joins a crew of roving Jomsvikings and Starkad, the dangerous baresark who befriends him.

I read this back in the late 1970s but I remember that I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Henry Treece was a brilliant children's historical novelist.

[Bec · Rating 5 out of 5]

Told in close to true saga style, this book was a fantastic ride from boyhood to triumph as an adult in a hostile world. I will read this again.

[David Kiersh · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Horned Helmet takes place at the end of the Viking Period. It is a piece of historical fiction written in a modern manner and based on the Jomsvikings. This is a fast-paced and moving coming of age story told in short chapters. Beorn, an Icelandic boy has already witnessed cruelty as a young boy when the story begins. His mother has died, and his father has drowned himself in the sea. Beorn is to be a slave, but escapes and is befriended by a fierce warrior. Starkad, a viking, takes Beorn above his ship, The Reindeer. He experiences the cruelty of their raids, how to fight, kill and accept their hard-dealing ways. After sharing a story with Starkad about an icelandic man who robbed a king’s grave, Starkad is inspired to do the same on a dangerous raid. Bringing Beorn along with him, they retrieve a powerful sword and a horned helmet. But they are captured and their companion Gauk in beheaded. Starkad becomes like a father figure to Beorn. When Starkad is crippled by the ship, Beorn saves his life. After Starkad marries, Beorn heads back to a life of violence. However, the Viking age is coming to an end and it won’t be long until Beorn throws in his horned helmet for a more noble way of life.

I don’t usually read historical fiction, but found myself entranced by this world and this pinnacle time of change in history. I loved both the savagery and sense of humor in these characters. You can be sure that I’ll write about Treece again because I was so intrigued by this book.

[Garry Nixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was THE book of my childhood. I lost count of the times I re-read it, maybe 10 or 12. What we would now think of as a historical coming-of-age story, an Icelandic boy grows up fast when he's rescued by a shipload of dangerous vikings.

[David Hawker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved this book in the 70s and have kept it since then. But I didn't remember its story, or reading it during the time in between. In fact it's a boy's own coming-of-age story of an orphan bonding with a ship of rollocking hellraising Vikings, bonding with them and learning their morality tinged with nominal Christianity, until the characters soften and mature. Some anachronistic place and time setting in the north east of England.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

Horned Helmet (1963), by British poet and novelist Henry Treece, is a very highly regarded work, going by the reviews on Goodreads. My eight-year-old and I certainly both enjoyed it. It’s a historical novel for children and tells a good, clear story (about Vikings) but the vocab and colloquial style make the details a little hard to follow for younger readers. Recommended but not outstanding.

[Dave Appleby · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Viking story, very similar to Treece's Viking's Dawn. Beorn, an orphaned Icelander, is 'adopted' by Vikings and grows up sharing the hardships of the Viking way of life. It's all about being a man and fighting bravely and ensuring that you face death with a smile. Little thought is given to the lives of those who suffer these predatory sea-borne brigands. It is written in the style of the sagas and includes incidents from them and genuine period poetry.

But there are moments when Treece encapsulates profundities in just a few words. For that, he must be reckoned a great writer.

[John Somers · Rating 4 out of 5]

14/20. Good book written for teenagers but will appeal to anyone interested in history. Set at the end of the viking period. Good storytelling and great historic detail. The authors viewpoint is a little too pro-christian for my taste but otherwise excellent. If you like Rosemary Sutcliffe you'll like this. Definitely want to read more by this author.

[scarlettraces · Rating 4 out of 5]

(3.5)