To the Vikings mead was considered a sacred/ceremonial drink, and not used as a regular quaffer. It was often served in decorative horns during rituals or special occasions. In a burial ritual a Chieftan would receive intoxicating drinks, fruits, and a stringed instrument in his grave, maybe perhaps a drinking horn as well to use in the afterlife. Weddings were often another ritual where you would find the use of a ceremonial drinking horn. These vessels housed funeral ale in the passing of inheritance rituals. The funeral ale was a way of socially demarcating the case of death. It was only after drinking the funeral ale that the heirs could rightfully claim their inheritance. Horns like the Norse Ravenscar Burnt Effect Drinking Horn would have been made from local livestock. This horn is all natural with a food safe clear coat on the inside and hand polished on the outside. Drinking horns have always held great importance in the rituals and celebrations of Vikings. You can find that they are still widely used in ceremonies such as weddings today.
