Scandinavian, Viking & Germanic Links Explained (With Maps). Some regions have more than 10% redheads, while others only have around 1-3%. Shopping Mythology ): How Did Vikings Actually Look? WebSwedish people often look pale due to a lack of melanin. The study of Y chromosomal polymorphisms also seems to support the theory of the Smis long isolation; however, it seems that they were not always living completely alone. [10] The Smi, as well of the Finns, are a very heterogeneous group of people who display a wide range of physical features. 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. Oslo The theory is that this has had a long-term effect on the genetical makeup that determines skin color and tanning ability in the Scandinavian region. So it seems that all the pieces of the Smi puzzle have almost been put into place; however, with a history as long as theirs, pieces are always bound to be missing. This data may not be representative of the Nordic region as a whole, but at least it gives you an insight into what actual Scandinavian people look like in 2023. Lifestyle 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. Scandinavian countries have historically been no nonsense type countries throughout history. The further north you live, the less sunlight you get during the colder part of the year. Finland [17] Read more about how The Last Kingdom, Vikings, and Game of Thrones compare. 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. Read Article Now. So Ive spent a lot of time reading about and trying to understand the Viking symbols left behind on runestones, jewelry, weapons, armor, and other items from the Viking Age. Facts Curious how Vikings actually looked like? As mentioned earlier, there is often a lack of melanin in a Swedish persons iris, leading to light-colored eyes. Peter Frost also supports this in his study titled European hair and eye color; finding that at least 60% of Scandinavian people have a light head of hair, and at least 50% have light eyes. published in The American Journal Of Human Genetics. Read Article Now. 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 mutton chops and mustaches. A study comparing the facial profile of young adult Swedes and Danes found that the Scandinavians have slightly higher cheekbones than the Danish population. 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. WebAs such, in Western Norway, there is a higher percentage of people who have British and Irish ancestry, leading to traits such as darker hair. Curious about where the Vikings came from and how they ended up in Scandinavia? The study of these Y chromosomal polymorphisms shows two major founding male lineages in not only the Smi, but the Finns as well. Where do Finns Come From?. Virtual Finland. And then again, Vikings loved to express their creative sides in artful and ornamental ways, and were known to have filed down their own teeth in likely attempts to look scarier (and cooler), as seen in archeological findings. Western Norway has almost as many redheads as the British isles (who win the red hair race by a mile), whereas southern and northern Sweden barely has any. The ability to have an internal loci of control and to act on it makes the Scandinavian Personality Trait a key trait for personal success. height of adult males during the Viking Age (in cm). The average Scandinavian isnt necessarily stronger than any other given person in the world, but there has been a very high amount of Worlds Strongest Man contestants and winners from the Nordic and Scandinavian countries, with Nordic men landing in the top 3 a whopping 30 out of the 44 years the competition has taken place (thats a 68% chance of at least one Nordic in the top 3). According to Swedish scientific magazine Illustrerad Vetenskap, this type of microevolution developed as a response to the cold and snowy climate in the Arctic region, as the fatty fold isolates against freezing temperatures and shields the bright reflection of the snow somewhat. Pale Usenet newsgroup. [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. Curious how modern-day Scandinavians look compared to their Viking ancestors? As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. The significance of this rests with the fact that this mutation has only been found in six other samples. People from all over the world with high cheekbones are often seen as attractive by todays standards, with Swedish beauty contestant Ida Ovmar as one recent example where its worked out in her favor. 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? Lets dig a little deeper and look at what we know about the first Scandinavians: The first inhabitants of the Scandinavian peninsula came from the south with darker skin and blue eyes (known as Western Hunter-Gatherers), later joined by migrants from the east (known as Eastern Hunter-Gatherers) who had lighter skin but darker eyes.During the following centuries, these two hunter-gatherer groups intermingled and produced one of the most diverse populations of the stone age, with a population at the time of about 10 000 to 20 000 in all of Scandinavia. Norway The following are the most common Swedish features. In fact, there isnt really a word for tattoo in Norse, which makes it even less likely to have been a common occurrence. In Norse mythology, the valkyries were responsible for bringing half the warriors who have fallen in battle to Valhalla, while the other half go to another famous Viking female figure; Freya, the goddess of fertility, love, beauty, and war. [12] Swedish people often look pale due to a lack of melanin. Chinese people have rounder eyes, while Japanese people usually have almond-shaped eyes. How do the modern-day Scandinavians compare to their ancestors? Between 1-10% of the population of Scandinavia have red hair according to studies that have mapped out the so-called red hair genes. (Julku 191), [13] Fashion I would say 5050, there has always been mosty people with brown hair in Sweden, the vikings did dye their hair blonde. But most have blue eyes, no This was used in their beards as well, and had the benefit of killing hair lice (a very common problem at the time). As recently as 1999, the Smi had not yet been placed on the language and gene map of Europe. Volkswanderung. Human Race Archives. So the clich blue-eyed and blonde Nordic stereotype seems to hold true then, but where do these physical traits come from and why do they still seem to have a strong presence in the Nordics? Consequently, people wanted to hide their ethnic heritage and had traditionally inherited blue eyes. The sample size and dental conditions were similar in both studies. But for Ibn Fadlan, the Rus Viking way of washing oneself every day wasnt really deemed satisfactory, as he wrote the following in a section titled Disgusting habits: Every day without fail they wash their faces and their heads with the dirtiest and filthiest water there could be. The skin is pale pink with a blue iris. As such, it was common that people wanted to hide their Sami heritage, with some even being ashamed of typically Sami features such as high cheekbones and wider eyes (SvD 2012). If youre curious about how exactly Nordic people communicate with each other, Ive written an article where I go into detail aboutwhich languages each Nordic nationality actually uses when communicating with fellow Nordics. Studies show that most Scandinavian men are generally able to grow a full beard if they choose to do so, which of course not everyone does. Vikings have been found to weigh up to 140 kg (309 lbs) in archeological findings, and were described as stronger (on average) than most people they encountered. Even the Vikings were known for bleaching their hair, although the main reason to do so may have been primarily to kill hair lice. Ive written articles aboutGermanic ties and ancestry in Vikings, as well as an article aboutthe origin of Vikings before they came to Scandinavia. Either way, we are dealing with theories in the end so all we can do is to look at the data we have available and make the best and most logical assumptions we can. Since freckles are thought to be connected to the same genes as red hair, we can assume that between 1-10% of the Scandinavian populationagain depending on where in Scandinavia you arehas freckles, which means they are also more sensitive to UV light. So what did the Vikings actually look like? As a result, much of the Swedish population has similar light features. Since up to 78% of the Swedish population has blue eyes, its easy to see that blue is the dominant color, even if it is technically a recessive gene! 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. So many Swedes have light hair and eyes because its in their genetics. Blonde hair is highly prized in many parts of the world, but it is merely an everyday thing in Sweden. Introversion also associated with Scandinavian Personality Traits can also mean introspection which is always a good trait. [4] There is no denying that Ragnar Lothbroks (Vikings) and Uthred of Bebbanburgs (The Last Kingdom) mohawk-ponytail hairstyle is really cool, and they have almost become synonymous with how Vikings should look for many people. Also, many Swedes have light hair, but its not always Viking merchants were noted for their many tattoos by the Muslim chronicler Ibn Fadlan, but that is the only real evidence of Viking tattoos that we know of, meaning its not very likely to be a widespread phenomenon in the Norse world. 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). I do believe that there is a typically Swedish face type you rarely see elsewhere. 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