Although earlier ships had often had some form of bow ornamentation (e.g. the eyes painted on the bows of Greek and Phoenician galleys, the Roman practice of putting carvings of their deities on the bows of their galleys, and the Viking ships of ca. A.D. 800–1100), the general practice was introduced with the galleons of the 16th century, as the figurehead as such could not come to be until ships had an actual stemhead structure on which to place it.[1] The menacing appearance of toothy and bug-eyed figureheads on Viking ships also had the protective function of warding off evil spirits.[2] The Egyptians placed figures of holy birds on the prow while the Phoenicians used horses representing speed.