The Viking horn that starts the row at the World Cup

Now that Norway is to compete in the World Cup, the sound must carry far. So I was commissioned to make signal horns for the men's national football team. They are made of Norwegian ox horn, with silver-plated copper fittings, detachable mouthpieces and leather straps hand-sewn on.

The horn behind the Viking Row

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Since I delivered the horns, the Norwegian supporters' row chant has gone viral around the world. Thousands row in unison in the stands, and the whole thing is set off by a horn. That horn is one of these five. It isn't a prop, but a real signal horn of Norwegian ox horn.

The row chant and the horns have been covered by, among others, ESPN, New York Times, FIFA.

When the Football Association of Norway got in touch, they had a clear wish: the supporters should have an official signal instrument to bring to the stands when the men's national team competes in the World Cup. It shouldn't be just anything, but something with a sense of history, rooted in Norwegian culture; functional and traditional. Something that looks as if it has always existed.

The result was «Vikinghornet»: five unique signal horns, made for the NFF and the supporters' club Oljeberget. I was responsible for the instruments themselves, while I brought in product developer and all-round craftsman Nikolai Kolstad to make the metal fittings with Norse motifs drawn from the Urnes style – which also adorn the national team's kit.

The commission ran from concept sketch and design proposal, via approval from the NFF and a separate pilot project on the metalwork, to production, delivery and a full documentation package. A comprehensive assignment managed from idea to finished delivery.

An instrument and tool with a long history

The NFF wanted something authentic, rooted in Norse and Norwegian tradition, but without being a museum copy. After the first dialogue, the choice fell on ox horn. These would be instruments that are eye-catching, resonant and historically rooted, with clear lines to Heimdall's Gjallarhorn, the countless lurs carved into rock carvings in Norway thousands of years ago, and tales in Heimskringla:

Þessa getur Sighvatur: sigling Knúts konungs og átti hann þá þangað eigi langt. Þá lét Önundur konungur blása herblástur. Ráku menn þá tjöld af sér og herklæddust, reru út úr höfninni og austur fyrir landið, lögðu þá saman skip sín og tengdu og bjuggust til bardaga.

English translation

One evening King Onund's scouts saw King Knut come sailing, and by then he was not far off. King Onund then had the war-horn sounded, and the men struck their tents and armed themselves, rowed out of the harbour and eastward along the coast; then they laid their ships together, lashed them, and made ready for battle.

Heimskringla — Óláfs saga helga, ch. 150. Source: skaldic.org

The pattern on the metal fittings is based on the Urnes style, the animal ornamentation and interlace that characterises Norse art from around 1050 to 1125. The national team's crest is integrated into the main fitting at the outer end of the horns. The fittings are plated with nickel and then silver, for a warmer and more crafted look than pure nickel. The carrying straps are of leather, hand-sewn on with waxed linen thread.

From raw horn to finished instrument

Each horn has come from a Norwegian ox. The horns have been cleaned, dried and sanded, and then tuned so the sound carries as well as possible through the din of a stadium. The mouthpieces are detachable and turned by hand on the lathe, from the same horn tips that were cut off.

My partner, Nikolai Kolstad, then made three fittings for each horn: a wider main fitting with Urnes pattern, emblem and strap attachment at the outer end, a fitting further in on the horn with a new pattern and attachment point, and a narrower ring towards the mouthpiece with an animal motif. The pattern was etched in copper and then plated with nickel and silver.

Behind the scenes

Oljeberget tries the horns

The supporter club Oljeberget dropped by the workshop and got to try the horns for the first time. Here is a short and fun clip from the visit:

From Akerselva to America

The horns now leave the workshop by Akerselva and are setting out on countless journeys with the national football team across the world. The five horns were delivered to the NFF at Ullevaal Stadium in the spring of 2026, and had their baptism of fire when Norway beat Sweden 3–1 on 1 June. The next stop was the World Cup in Mexico, Canada and the USA. The horns were there the whole way, from the win over Brazil in the round of 16 until England won 2–1 after extra time in the quarter-final. That's where the World Cup run ended, but the horns got to ring out for a global audience along the way.

Watch the clip on VG

VG: «Dette skal sette Noreg på kartet under VM».

Thanks to Nikolai Kolstad (Nikoko idé og design) for a great collaboration!

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Technical details

• Instrument type: Signal horn / natural-tone horn (wind instrument). Played like a trumpet, like a bukkehorn.
• Tonal basis: The natural harmonic series. The notes are produced without finger holes.
• Material: Norwegian ox horn, three copper fittings per horn (plated with nickel and silver), leather straps hand-sewn on with waxed linen thread.
• Fittings: Copper, plated with nickel and silver.
• Mouthpiece: Detachable, turned by hand from the tips of the instrument horns.

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Frequently asked questions about the Viking horn

What is the horn Norway fans blow before the Viking Row?

It's a signal horn of Norwegian ox horn, made for the football federation (NFF) and the supporters' club Oljeberget. The tone comes from the natural harmonic series, without finger holes, and a single blast carries across a whole stadium, giving the supporters the cue to start the row.

Who made the national team's Viking horns?

Me, Karstein Grønnesby, a wind-instrument maker with a workshop in Oslo. I made the five horns, while Nikolai Kolstad created the metal fittings with Norse motifs. The commission came from the Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) and the supporters' club Oljeberget.

What is the Viking horn made of?

Norwegian ox horn with three copper fittings, plated with nickel and then silver, in a pattern based on the Urnes style. The mouthpiece is hand-turned from the horn tip, and the carrying strap is leather, hand-sewn.

Is the supporters' horn a real Viking horn or a bukkehorn?

It works on the same principle as a bukkehorn: a lip-blown horn that produces tones from the natural harmonic series. "Viking horn" is the name we gave these particular signal horns for the national team, with fittings in the Norse style.

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For press

The photos of the horns and from the workshop in this article may be used freely in an editorial context with the credit "Photo: Blåsemaker Grønnesby". If you need high-resolution files, workshop footage or an interview before or during the World Cup, get in touch at karstein@blasemaker.no. Quick facts: five signal horns of Norwegian ox horn with silver-plated copper fittings in the Urnes style, made for the football federation (NFF) and the supporters' club Oljeberget.

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Press coverage of the horns