): How Did Vikings Actually Look? In life Swedish people can generally act calm and reserved, seem a bit cold, like to keep things professional, prefer a well-planned approach, and believe maybe is a conflict-free way to say no. Tattoo is the first movie in the Millenium trilogy, arguably the best example of modern Nordic Noir in movie form. Being of Swedish Decent myself, cool toned blonde hair, fair skin and usually were quite tall, of slim build and have blue or grey eyes So there is at least something to the myth from a North American perspective (beauty standards differ around the world, after all). Their eyes are light in many cases, including blue and green. Some Swedes have dark hair, but its more common for them to have lighter hair. This does not mean that all Scandinavians look like this, but it does mean that this is the common view that most people to this day hold on what it means to look Scandinavian, including in the Scandinavian countries. What Is a Survival Benefit in Life Insurance? Read Article Now. The eyes are also a very distinctive feature of Scandinavians. By Chris Drew (PhD) / February 26, 2023. Again: love the site and the work behind with lots of information and I dont mean to complain. Well, in many cases not at all. A study comparing the facial profile of young adult Swedes and Danes found that the Scandinavians have slightly higher cheekbones than the Danish population. Vikings were often described and depicted with well-groomed and sometimes elaborate facial hair, ranging from full and long beards to more practical Viking-style Food Korean people often have wide, open eyes. (Yli-Kuha), [3] There is argument as to whether the Finns and the Smi arrived in their present day locations either as a still undifferentiated ethnolinguistic group or as linguistically and ethnically separate people. The dating site isnt active in Iceland so the Icelanders were not part of the survey. However, its not uncommon for Swedish people to have dark brown (or sometimes even black) hair. The Arab chronicler Ibn Fadlan reaffirms this, being quite impressed with the size of a group of Norse merchants (specifically Rus, likely with Swedish origins) he encountered on his travels near the Volga river. Very few adult Scandinavians have natural platinum blonde hair, but plenty has achieved this hair color by means of artificial coloring (as in the rest of the world). Music Read more about that in my article about Viking Looks! Editor's Choice Filed Under: Psychological Articles and Infographics, 2023 HealthResearchFunding.org - Privacy Policy, 14 Hysterectomy for Fibroids Pros and Cons, 12 Pros and Cons of the Da Vinci Robotic Surgery, 14 Pros and Cons of the Cataract Surgery Multifocal Lens, 11 Pros and Cons of Monovision Cataract Surgery. This is also illustrated in reality when we look at the eye color of Swedish governors after the 2022 election, with 18 out of 21 (~86%) having brightly colored eyes; 16 pairs of blue eyes (~76% of total), and 2 pairs of green (~10% of total). http://virtual.finland.fi/finfo/english/where_do.html, http://www.gnxp.com/MT2/archives/000245.html, http://virtual.finland.fi/finfo/english/geeneng.html, http://www.lysator.liu.se/nordic/scn/faq23.html. The Scandinavians are known for their high cheekbones. If youd like to try your hand at making your own valkyrie knot, heres a detailed video with instructions: Vikings were known to at least partially shave their heads in order to achieve specific hairstyles, such as the Norman cut with shaved back and long hair in the front, and a similar but differently angled high bowl cut found in the Oseberg cart. Germanic Julku, Kysti. Hello, I am interested in this claim here: It is believed that Vikings had more gender-neutral facial features than Scandinavians today, meaning males and females had more similar characteristics. Here are the average heights of adult males during the Viking Age, derived from sizable archaeological findings: Avg. [8] The colors of their eyes are typically light and are normally gray, brown or a mixture of both. The Scandinavian Hunter-Gatherers lived in the region between 8000 BCE and 2800 BCE, and have been found to have had mixed eye colors (ranging from blue to light-brown), mostly dark hair (with the odd blondes present), and intermediate skin color (somewhere in between dark and light) with the odd light-skinned individual also present. Whether the Scandinavian beauty myth is real or not is hard to say, but Nordic magazine The Local listed Beautiful Women and Handsome Men among the top 10 things US expats notice after theyve lived in Sweden for a while. The new theory, using mitochondrial DNA testing, states that the Finns did not arrive in Smiland only a short 3,000 years ago but rather came out of the Smi themselves. The further north you live, the less sunlight you get during the colder part of the year. Korean people often have very round faces. Quiz As briefly mentioned earlier, light eyes are a common trait among Swedes. When he has finished, the servant carries the bowl to the man next to him. (Complete Guide), The Scandinavian physical stereotypes are as cliche as they are well-known the stereotypical Scandis are expected to be a bunch of tall, blonde-haired, and blue-eyed Vikings in most peoples minds but can those stereotypes actually be true in modern-day Scandinavia? Average Height in the Nordics (Data & Graphs), The average height of both males and females in the Nordic countries (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland) are all among the tallest 20 countries in the world (or top 10%), but why is that? Comparisons Data Read Article Now. The distinguishing physical characteristics of Polish people are their hair colors of dark ash-blond and medium to dark brown, and their height which ranges from 64.96 to 65.75 inches. Curious about where the Vikings came from and how they ended up in Scandinavia? Read more about how The Last Kingdom, Vikings, and Game of Thrones compare. The Nordic people as a whole really like the Swedes and Norwegians. Design Old Nordic Symbols: Norse Runes & Viking Ornaments (Meanings & Examples). For more information on what we actually know about Viking hairstyles, Id recommend listening to Dr. Jackson Crawford who specializes in Old Norse (he teaches Scandinavian Studies at my Alma Mater UC Berkeley, on top of talking about Norse mythology on YouTube): We do not have as many archeological findings of different female hairstyles as we have for male cuts, but nonetheless here are some that are fairly historically accurate: The hairstyles come from artifacts, sculptures, engravings and similar left behind in Viking graves, so they are likely to have been at least somewhat popular during the Viking Age. The average height of a female Swede is 165.6 cm (5 feet 5.23 inches), while the average height of a male Swede is 179.73 cm (5 feet 10.76 inches) [8]. All shades of blonde and light brown colors are standard in Sweden, and some Swedes even have red or ginger-colored hair. Well the most obvious relationship between the Smi and the Finns is the bond of a language family. Vikings were known to braid their beards in different ways according to written primary sources, among them the stories about Svein Tveskgg (Forkbeard), known for his beard that was split into two braids. Of course, there are Swedes with darker hair (like dark brown and black), but its not as common as in other nations. When adding genetic evidence to the Baltic-Finnish and the Smi language relationship, it appears that the two groups did descend from one single genetic and linguistic population, with the Finns diverging because of Baltic and Germanic agricultural influences; however, because of the distinctness between the two groups, the common ancestor may have divided as long ago as 23,000 BP and then reunited at around 8,500 BP. In fact, there isnt really a word for tattoo in Norse, which makes it even less likely to have been a common occurrence. Nordic and Scandinavian Physical Traits Today. It should be added that those athletes are extreme outliers, and not at all representative of the general Nordic population. Being a little stoic and reserved can actually serve you well in many career fields. Ive compared them thoroughly in different categories and analyzed what online critics on IMDb and other sites think, in order to answer which show is the best of the three. [cited February 26 2005]. The pale skin is generally genetic, but it can also be attributed to the fact that Sweden is a cold country that doesnt get a lot of sunlight, especially during winter. Light eyes are common tho, but so are brown and hazel. Todays Scandinavians are about 65%-80% Scandinavian as far as DNA goes, with the rest of the DNA being primarily Finnish, Western European, British, Eastern European, and Irish (all are > 1%). Combining all of these sources (archaeological evidence, DNA findings, and written texts) gives us a fuller picture of how Viking Age hairstyles mightve looked, does show some interesting findings. Ive noticed that surgeons in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark all offer surgery to counteract this condition in case it disrupts your eyesight, or as an elective procedure for cosmetic reasons, and this procedure isnt as commonly seen in other areas of the world. [1] This result is consistent across the Nordic region. Both events occur when a few individuals are responsible for beginning a population, either as a result of arriving to their area first or after a massive reduction in a population that leaves only a few individuals to repopulate the area, as it is with bottlenecking. Some of the familiar Scandinavian personality traits include: reticence, a highly skeptical personality, general mistrust of strangers, cautious behavior, somewhat reserved personality and a lack of empathy. He left Sweden at 19 to explore the world, and stayed abroad for almost 8 yearsduring which he backpacked, worked every job there was, earned a degree from UC Berkeley, and met the future mother of his children. Scandinavians as a whole are part of a group of ethnicities (along with Finns, English, Irish, Estonians, Latvians, Lithuanians, Polish, Hungarians, and Russians) where the Epicanthic fold is occurring more than in other European populations, but still at a much lower frequency than for example Asian ethnicities. The average linear dimensions were greater in males than in females, although both groups had slightly higher cheekbones. The Smi, as well of the Finns, are a very heterogeneous group of people who display a wide range of physical features. So many Swedes have light hair and eyes because its in their genetics. Life So we can safely assume that there were Vikings who shaved their heads. link to 5 Great Places To Stay in Iceland. [10] The Smi, as well of the Finns, are a very heterogeneous group of people who display a wide range of physical features. This percentage is exceptionally high because light eyes generally are not dominant in most countries outside of Scandinavia. Savontaus, Marja-Liisa. Finally, there are some written accounts as well that describe hairstyles in more or less detailed ways. Also, many Swedes have light hair, but its not always What Hair Colors Did Vikings Mostly Have? Swedish people often look pale due to a lack of melanin. So its not entirely out of this world to assume that they could also decorate their bodies by other means, just not very likely with the evidence we have available. [15], Sajantilas ten-year old theory, though empowering to the Smi, has been suggested to be somewhat false in many of its aspects, as recently as 2002. Pale what we know of Viking hair and hairstyles, Read more about how The Last Kingdom, Vikings, and Game of Thrones compare, modern-day Scandinavia have a specific gene-makeup that is linked to more facial hair growth, the origin of Vikings before they came to Scandinavia, Viking Age Hairstyles & Beards: Historical & Modern Takes, How Tall & Strong Were Vikings? Now, however, this region predominantly speaks Indo-European languages, which makes the fact that the Smi maintained a Uralic language even in areas that had been taken over by Indo-Europeans even stranger. Christian started Scandinavia Facts to explore his family heritage, raise awareness of one of his academic interests as a professor, and civilly promote the region. Chinese people tend to have wider faces, while Japanese people usually have narrower faces. The lack of empathy may not win you popularity contests but it certainly is a valuable trait in a competitive career field. The consensus among historians and nerds alike is that tattoos were likely not common at all in the Norse world, since the sagas are fairly descriptive about the heroes and characters as a whole, and not one of them mentions tattoos on anyone. So what did the Vikings actually look like? The darker the brown, the more attractive the person. They also were great innovators. Furthermore, recent DNA studies show that people from modern-day Scandinavia have a specific gene-makeup that is linked to more facial hair growth than average, as well as a facial hair growth pattern that is concentrated around the upper lip, cheek, neck, and chin (meaning full beards are common among Scandinavians). Oslo DNA analysis of specimens from this period shows that people with this cultures distinctive facial features have dark hair, a mix of light and dark skin, and blue eyes. The two species met and started having reproductive relationships in modern-day Israel some 60 000 years ago, before ultimately clashing and resulting in the demise of the Neanderthals. WebThe Nordic head is often strikingly narrow about the temples, as though it were pressed in here from both sides. Fika Vikings were known to use strong soaps made of ashes and animal fats, which had a high lye content that bleached their hair. Names Their beginnings are closely linked with the origin of the Finns. Scientifically speaking, there are a couple of factors that could play in the Scandinavians favor as far as sexual selection and attractiveness go: I want to point out that beauty is entirely objective, and what is considered attractive for some may not be for others. DNA studies have also shown that around 40% of modern Swedish men have their roots in bronze age migrations from the Russian steppes, 40% from bronze age migrations via northern Germany, and 20% from before the bronze age migrations. Many Vikings were named after to their abnormal strength, size, or general prowess, like Gngu-Hrlfr (Walking Rollo; too big to ride a horse), Bjrn Ironside (legend said he could not be harmed in battle), Thorkell the Tall (incredibly skilled warrior and leader of Jomsvikings), and St. Olaf the Stout (the only Viking to be canonized). Denmark, Sweden, and Norway three countries that often rank best when it comes to education, health care, style, and much more. Scandinavia before the bronze age had the most genetically diverse population in Europe, with the original darker skinned people being present much longer in Scandinavia compared to the rest of Europe (where the light-skinned farmers pushed away the dark-skinned hunters almost entirely). Sajantila, Lahermo, Anttinen, Luuka, Sistonen, Savontaus, Aula, Beckman, Tranebjaer. Movies Essentially, this means you will likely not meet as many curly-haired Scandinavians as you would southern Europeans or Americans for example. Light skinned, balanced facial features, blue eyed and topped with various shades of blond hair for the most part. Some very beautiful some not Nordic fall/winter), but also get a darker tan under high UV conditions (i.e. As recently as 1999, the Smi had not yet been placed on the language and gene map of Europe. Their cheekbones are high and their noses are thin. This is according to genetic research by Medland et al. Oslo Genetic and linguistic data of 1995 seemed to show that the Finns arrived in Smi territory a mere 2,000 to 4,000 years ago, while at the same time adopting the Smi way of speaking. DNA analysis from specimens from this period has shown people with dark hair, a mix of light and dark skin, and most likely blue eyeswhich sounds like a lot of modern-day Scandinavians I know. High cheekbones werent always seen as a positive trait in the Nordic region though, as it was fairly common for the Germanic Scandinavians to look down upon the Finno-Ugric Samis as less civilized, at least up until the late 20th century. Culture Many of the names of rivers and lakes have no linguistic roots. Read Article Now. Top Articles He ultimately returned to his native Malm with his love, where they now have 3 Swedish-American boys eager to explore the world. English Its a matter of perspective, in other words, but what we do know specifically is that Vikings washed themselves every morning, and even had one dedicated day (Laugardagur / Lrdag / Saturday) to get thoroughly clean. 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