Line #28 Main/CrownOfHorns


1	[[quoteright:315:[[Series/GameOfThrones https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/crownofhorns_renlybaratheon_8532.jpg]]]]
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3	This is a {{Costume Trope\|s}} (and specifically, a subtrope of CoolCrown) where someone with authority wears a crown or helmet made of (or made to resemble) an animal's horns. Typically the character is a royal, although warlords are fans of this fashion statement too, creating fearsome and garish horned helmets.
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5	This is often an in-universe InvokedTrope, with characters trying to look similar to TheMarvelousDeer, a HornedHumanoid or even a BeastMan. Just as often the horned animal in question is associated with authority or rulership by the wearer. As the page pic shows stags are often used, although bulls come a close second and basically any horned animal or mythical beast is fair game.
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7	That said, [[HornsOfVillainy demon-styled horns]] are a pretty big clue that the wearer is evil. Often there's an aversion [[CuckoldHorns where the horns are used as a sign of cuckoldry]], which is traditionally represented by "putting the horns" on a man, or even ''literally'' growing horns in some plays.
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9	Compare HornyVikings. Contrast SinisterDeerSkull, where the antlers have a malevolent connotation instead.
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11	Not to be confused with a [[Literature/TheFourGospels "crown of thorns."]]
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13	----
14	!!Examples:
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16	[[AC:{{Comic Books}}]]
17	* In ''ComicBook/{{Bone}}'', this is subverted. There's a CosmicKeystone called the Crown of Horns, but it turns out to be neither a crown nor horned.
18	* In his late '80s/early '90s run of the Demon, ComicBook/{{Etrigan}} was one of several characters who fought over the rulership of {{Hell}}, which was represented by a Crown of Horns. Unlike the other examples, it most assuredly was named for the [[Literature/TheFourGospels the Crown of Thorns]], although similarities end there.
19	* The Creator/MarvelComics version of the Norse god [[Characters/MarvelComicsLoki Loki]] has always worn a crown, helmet, or headdress with two horns projecting at the front, from his earliest days as an antagonist to ''Comicbook/TheMightyThor'' through his appearances in various other titles. In those early appearances, the horns were quite implausibly huge; later artists were usually more restrained, although more flamboyant treatments have periodically reverted to the "infeasibly large horns" version.
20	** Loki's daughter Hela, goddess of death, sports a spectacular crown with a massive array of horns.
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22	[[AC:FanWorks]]
23	* ''Fanfic/QueensOfMewni'':
24	** Festivia the Fun wore a tiara with goat horns and bunches of grapes dangling off them because her formative years were spent in Silvan, so she ended up preferring their culture, which extended to her crown.
25	** Diana the Huntress wore a crown with two big antlers on it.
26	* In the ''Film/{{Maleficent}}'' fanfic [[http://archiveofourown.org/works/2038305/chapters/4425591 Your Servant, Mistress,]] Maleficent doesn't have horns, but wears a headdress that resembles horns when Diaval first meets her.
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28	[[AC:{{Film}}]]
29	* ''Film/{{Barbarella}}'': The Black Queen's crown is a single horn, which rather resembles a rhino's. The crown is likely meant to be a visual innuendo.
30	* Ted wears one in ''Film/TheBoy2015'' when he [[spoiler:burns down the hotel with everyone inside. [[SelfMadeOrphan His own father included.]]]] It was part of an improvised Devil costume.
31	* ''Film/TheHobbitTheBattleOfTheFiveArmies'': The Elvenking Thranduil's circlet has [[https://www.kinogallery.com/images/thehobbit3/kinogallery.com-thehobbit3-541620.jpg highly stylized antlers.]]
32	* Mola Ram, who leads the ReligionOfEvil in ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom'', wears one of these. It's made from a cow's skull, which is blasphemous in UsefulNotes/{{Hinduism}} (a religion that reveres cattle), just to hammer home the point that Mola Ram "betrayed Shiva."
33	* Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse: Both Loki and Hela (Loki's sister, rather than his daughter) each sport this.
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35	[[AC:{{Literature}}]]
36	* ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfPrydain'' novel ''The Book of Three''. The chief villain is the Horned King, who wears a mask made out of a human skull with great antlers rising in cruel curves. He is a warlord who is Arawn's champion and the War Leader of Annuvin.
37	* The Erlking, the wyldfae lord of goblins from ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'' wears a helmet adorned with a massive brace of antlers.
38	* In ''Literature/LammasNight'' by Katherine Kurtz, the coven's male leader wears a horned crown for rituals, to symbolize the Horned God. Religious authority rather than secular/noble, but close enough.
39	* In Creator/TadWilliams' ''Literature/MemorySorrowAndThorn'' trilogy, the king of the Sitha people used to wear a crown of witchwood in the distant past, which looked like stag's antlers. It also made Ineluki look really creepy in a drawing Simon found of him.
40	* In ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', [[TheEvilPrince Renly Baratheon's]] helmet has golden antlers, referencing the stag that is the sigil of his house.
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42	[[AC:LiveActionTV]]
43	* In ''Series/GameOfThrones'', House Baratheon is the royal house at the time the series begins. Baratheon kings tend to wear crowns referencing the stag of their heraldry (except Stannis, who is notably crownless). Examples include Robert, Joffrey (whose crown has stylized stag antlers), Renly (pictured, with his fancy golden crown shaped like antlers, arguably the most striking piece of headwear in the series) and Tommen. Tommen's crown of stylized stag antlers looks virtually identical to his brother's. It may even be Joffrey's, but modified to fit his head. After the [[spoiler:death of his eldest brother Robert]], [[MightMakesRight Renly]] declares himself the rightful king, ahead of his "nephew" Joffrey and older brother Stannis. Renly's antler crown is a valuable means to create an image of legitimacy. It was chosen as one of The Coolest Helmets, Hats and Headpieces in Science Fiction and Fantasy by io9.com.
44	* ''Series/Loki2021'' has alternate versions of Loki wear crowns in various styles, including horned ones.
45	* ''Series/TheLordOfTheRingsTheRingsOfPower'': Queen Miriel of Numenor sports a crown made up of two bunches of twisting golden horns.
46	* In the classic British series ''Series/RobinOfSherwood'', pagan forest-god Herne the Hunter wears some impressive horns.
47	* The ritualistic murder that opens the events of ''Series/TrueDetective'' involves a dead woman posed nude wearing a crown of deer antlers. It appears to be part of some sort of paganistic sacrifice.
48	* ''{{Series/Yellowjackets}}'': The unidentified character who acts as the leader of a group girls who survived a plane crash in the wilderness wears a headdress made of deer antlers, and is referred to as “the Antler Queen.”
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50	[[AC:Myths and Religion]]
51	* The Myth/{{Egyptian\|Mythology}} goddess Hathor, in keeping with her connection to cattle, is often depicted like this. In between the horns is a solar disc, sometimes ''encircled by a cobra''. [[CoolCrown Yeah.]]
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53	[[AC:TabletopGames]]
54	* The Crown of Horns in the ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'' setting. An artifact from the ancient {{magocracy}} of Netheril that was enchanted by then-god of death [[TheGrimReaper Myrkul]], it consists of a silver circlet ringed by four bone horns. A thorough ArtifactOfDoom, as it holds what's left of Myrkul following his death in the Time of Troubles and tends to drive the wearer to evil (or insane in Laeral Silverhand's case).
55	* Creator/GamesWorkshop games:
56	** Orcs and Orks in ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'' and ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' respectively often wear the very large horns of various creatures, usually to show that they've killed something even bigger and meaner than themselves. {{Exaggerated}} in true orkish fashion by their habit of putting either giant tusks or stamped metal shapes of same on their vehicles... ''including spacecraft''. According to some sources, these "giant teef" serve the same purpose as the Imperial Gellar Field: they prevent [[TheLegionsOfHell daemons]] from boarding the ship during [[HyperspaceIsAScaryPlace Warp transit]] due to some combination of [[ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve orkish gestalt psychic powers]] and sheer intimidation. Of course, if daemons actually succeed in boarding, the orks view as a pleasant interruption to their daily life.
57	** Some Chaos artifacts take this form as well (for much the same reasons as the Orks), along with the usual horned helmets.
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59	[[AC:VideoGames]]
60	* ''VideoGame/{{Artifact}}'': Emperor Galanius, who rules over Stonehall and surrounding regions, "wears" a pair of [[PowerFloats levitating]] [[IncendiaryExponent fiery]] bull horns. In-game it is featured as Vesture of the Tyrant, [[EnoughToGoAround with three copies per deck permitted]] and heroes equipped with protect their lane's tower with flat-damage reducing Armor and get respawn time reduction, on top of Armor of their own.
61	* ''VideoGame/DiabloIV'' Most head armor for [[NatureHero Druids]] is made from animal horns to symbolize their ties to nature.
62	* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'': The Jagged Crown is made from dragons' teeth, which are as large as most animals' horns and serve the same ornamental purpose.
63	* ''VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand'': The Master Crown takes on a much more elaborate, twisted antler-like form for [[spoiler:the Magolor Soul EX fight]].
64	* ''VideoGame/TotalWarPharaoh'': Suppiluliuma II wears the crown of the Hittite kings, a tall bronze cone adorned with three pairs of bull's horns. His rival Kurunta instead wars a hat adorned with bronze antlers.
65	* ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft}}'': The Horde's first Warchief, [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Blackhand the Destroyer]], wore an antlered helmet.
66	** There are a number of head armor pieces adorned with antlers that players can obtain, such as [[http://www.wowhead.com/item=65617 the Headdress of the Verdant Circle.]]
67	** ''VideoGame/WarcraftIIIReignOfChaos'': Arthas' father the King of Lordaeron had a crown that was adorned with (probably) dragon's teeth to resemble as horns. Kind of counts.
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69	[[AC:WebComics]]
70	* The Erlkönig also wears an (AwesomeButImpractical looking) antler crown with his [[ScaryImpracticalArmor fae armor]] in ''{{Webcomic/Roommates}}''.
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72	[[AC:RealLife]]
73	* In ancient Mesopotamia, bull horns (sometimes more than two) on a crown were a sign of divinity. So the "god"-kings wore them, at least according to relief sculptures of them. And the lamassu and gods wore them on their helms in visual artwork, as well.
74	* In formal heraldry, the representation of the crowns belonging to Dukes and Kings carry abstract spikes which are thought to be the last survival of animal horns. (Each crown in heraldry has its own formal, rigidly defined, shape which clearly denotes the arms-holder's rank in the social order -- e.g. that of a baronet is fairly perfunctory, but that for a Duke is highly ornate.) The horned helmets of ancient Celts and Vikings -- which today are thought as only ever having had ceremonial rather than practical use -- are also thought of as having been marks of the wearer's status, so that only a warlord or high dignitary was entitled to wear horns.
75	* The French Marquis de Montespan (less than thrilled that King Louis XIV chose his wife as his mistress) added huge stag horns to his heraldry, eventually retreating to his domain and refusing to leave.
76	* Also, check out use of horned head-dresses in North American Indian society -- it's probably no accident that Sitting Bull wore bison horns in his head-dress. Apache shamans wore ceremonial antlers, for instance.
77	* Secondary wives of Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs wore circlets adorned with the horned heads of ibex and gazelle, symbolizing their grace and beauty. Great Wives wore a tall crown consisting of a pair of cow's horns cradling a solar disk, and embellished with ostrich plumes and as many ureaii (cobra heads) as could be fitted on. Only the gods know how the poor woman kept all that balanced on her head.

Context Main / CrownOfHorns