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The Viking
A duck with a horned helmet, a braided beard, and a tiny shield on its wing. Novelty duck for Norse mythology fans.
Specifications
| Material | Vinyl (PVC) body, sculpted horned helmet, fabric braided beard |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 3.7 x 3.6 x 4.0 in (horns included) |
| Weight | 2.6 oz |
| Color | Yellow body, silver helmet, ivory-tone horns, brown shield |
| Age Grade | 3+ years |
| Origin | Designed on Vashon Island, WA · Assembled overseas |
| Care Instructions | Wipe clean. Braided beard is molded, not fabric, despite appearance, no special care needed. |
The Full Story
The Viking was, for a brief and slightly regrettable period in the early 2000s, marketed under the tagline "pillage your bath time," a phrase that was retired within one printing cycle after a customer wrote in, politely but firmly, to point out that "pillage" was perhaps not the ideal verb to associate with a children's bath toy. The marketing team has since referred to this internally as "the tagline we don't discuss," and we are, in fact, discussing it now purely because someone in the writing department found the old print catalog in a filing cabinet and thought it deserved to see daylight again, if only here.
Historical accuracy was, notably, a bigger priority on this design than several others in the catalog, following pointed feedback from a customer with a background in Norse history, who wrote a genuinely detailed and well-researched letter following an earlier draft correctly noting that horned helmets are, in fact, a largely inaccurate historical stereotype rather than genuine Viking headwear. The team kept the horns anyway, on the grounds that "historically dubious but instantly recognizable" won the internal vote, but the letter is framed and hung in the design office to this day as a gentle, ongoing reminder.
The shield is sculpted with a wood-grain texture pattern lifted directly from an actual reclaimed barn door a designer had at home, photographed and scanned specifically for this one small detail.
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Customer Reviews
Shield texture is a really nice touch, looks genuinely weathered rather than smooth plastic. Helmet sits well and doesn't look glued on crooked.
She did immediately mention the horned helmet inaccuracy, unprompted, within about ten seconds of opening it. Still loved it though.
Great little duck, happy with the purchase.
A bit disappointed the braided beard is molded vinyl and not a soft material like some of the other ducks in this line use. Looks fine from a distance but feels like a missed opportunity up close.
I do not need to know this much lore about a rubber duck's discontinued marketing tagline but I am so glad I do now. Genuinely laughed out loud at my desk. Also the duck itself is very nice, good detail, good weight.
One of the horns has a slight bend to it that I'm nervous will eventually crack if handled too roughly. Careful handling recommended, maybe not the best pick for very young kids.