(Niskanen 122), [15] But in the end, study co-author Ashot Margarayan still concludes that Vikings were blond in their majority, while the National Museum of Denmark believes most Danes were red-haired. All shades of blonde and light brown colors are standard in Sweden, and some Swedes even have red or ginger-colored hair. The darker the brown, the more attractive the person. A Swedish child is more likely to have dark hair if the other parent has dark hair. Rather, humans around the world generally consider reproductive factors such as waist-to-hip ratio and other indicators of fertility and health as attractive, rather than a specific eye/hair/skin color or similar. Swedish people are generally tall, like many individuals in Nordic countries (like Denmark and Norway). (Niskanen 127), [8] He describes them this way: I have seen the Rus as they came on their merchant journeys and encamped by the Volga. The dating site isnt active in Iceland so the Icelanders were not part of the survey. This was used in their beards as well, and had the benefit of killing hair lice (a very common problem at the time). They had a diet full of carbs (bread), protein and fat (fish, pork), which combined with constant physical activity from a young age likely produced stronger-than-average men and women. Sajantila, Lahermo, Anttinen, Luuka, Sistonen, Savontaus, Aula, Beckman, Tranebjaer. While not every Swedish person has delicate features, many do. This is according to genetic research by Medland et al. (Gene Expression), [14] In fact, Vikings were likely more dark-haired than Scandinavians are today. So, whether or not a Swede has dark hair ultimately depends on the parents genetic makeup. As a native Swede with a Finnish mother, Karl identifies as both Nordic and Scandinavian. Food Get in to the Viking spirit at home with our premium museum-quality prints sent right to your doorstep with free shipping worldwide. [12] Comparisons Top Articles Its no so hard to understand Ibn Fadlans disgust, when you factor in that according to muslim faith one has to wash in running water or water poured from a bowl (and not reused). So the theory is that on top of any Vitamin D youd get from the sun, Scandinavians have also stocked up on it via their fish intake. (Julku 183), Origin and Genetic Background of the Smi. This result is consistent across the Nordic region. 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). How do the modern-day Scandinavians compare to their ancestors? Yli-Kuha, Kari. Usenet newsgroup. Malm Genetic testing has shown that the Finns and the Smi are phenotypically and genetically typical Europeans. Their eyes are blue and their hair is blond, which is the most common color in Scandinavia. General Smi Website. Carpelan, Christian. Im diving deeper into what we know of Viking hair and hairstyles in a separate article, so if youd like to find out more and see some examples of fairly historically accurate modern Viking hairstyles go check that out. 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. Movies 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. Viking Age Hairstyles: Historical Examples & Modern Takes, You mightve seen some very cool Norse hairstyles in one of the many Viking-inspired TV shows or movies lately, and thought to yourself are those elaborate picture-perfect haircuts really historically accurate?. Vikings were proud of their beards, and facial hair in archeological findings see a sudden increase during the Viking age (compared to the bronze age), suggesting there was a strong cultural preference for beards. The amount of curly-haired people in the Nordics is furthermore a much lesser part of the population compared to the rest of Europe. [17] WebFor example, dimensions can be mapped to the following facial characteristics: eye size, eye spacing, nose length, nose width, mouth curvature, mouth width, mouth openness, pupil size, eyebrow slant, eye eccentricity, and head eccentricity. Throughout Scandinavian history the people in the region have had a diet very high in Vitamin D due to a high amount of fish present in the diet. Greek people features stereotypically include having olive-brown skin, brown eyes and dark brown hair. By Chris Drew (PhD) / February 26, 2023. Even the Vikings were known for bleaching their hair, although the main reason to do so may have been primarily to kill hair lice. Notable Nordic winners of the strongman competition include Icelands Hafr Jlus Bjrnsson (of Game of Thrones fame as Ser Gregor Clegane/The Mountain) and Swedens Magnus Samuelsson (who features in the series The Last Kingdom as the Viking band member Clapa). Their beginnings are closely linked with the origin of the Finns. The First Scandinavians Where Dark-skinned and Blue-eyed. In this article, Ill use the terms interchangeably, because although the term Viking stems from the Old Norse word for pirate, it gradually came to encompass all Norse people who embarked upon elaborate naval expeditions from Scandinavia during the Viking Age. However, their high cheekbones are not due to genetics. Recommendations In fact, there isnt really a word for tattoo in Norse, which makes it even less likely to have been a common occurrence. 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. Culture 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. 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. Viking sculptures and engravings have been found with generally long hair and beard that was usually shaped, tied or braided in different ways in order to not be in the way (while in combat or working). (Julku 191), [13] When it comes to how the Norse wore and styled their hair, we do have some artwork findings that show us a few examples of how Viking hairstyles could look, such as the Valkyrie knot for Norse females and the Norman cut for Norse males. Circum Polar Perspective. History 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. The same DNA study also found a higher proportion of dark eye colors in Vikings, than in modern-day Scandinavians, hinting that the Vikings were comprised of a more diverse group of people than the Nordic countries have today. [1] But it has so many exciting places that deciding which area to visit can be challenging. 1999. Most of them have light colored eyes. Fairly recent mass-grave findings in Sweden show some Scandinavians from the Viking Age that were around 180-190 cm tall, and the largest Viking DNA study ever embarked upon shows that the Vikings were highly likely to be tall. 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. However, more recent work in genetics shows there is a relation among the Smi that comes from more than just sharing a lifestyle. Nordic vs. Scandinavian: Meaning & Usage Explained, Nordic vs. Germanic vs. Celtic: Differences & Links Explained (+ Maps), Im a Nordic native (a Swede with a Finnish mother to be precise) who likes to get nerdy and share first-hand experiences, data-driven resources, and useful guides to help people discover and understand the culture, people, life, sights, design, and history (Vikings anyone?) Nevertheless, since many light-featured Swedes have children together, the same traits are passed down through generations. of the Nordics (Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Faroe Islands, and Greenland). Nordic fall/winter), but also get a darker tan under high UV conditions (i.e. 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. Design And the eyes are also one of the most important factors of physical attraction. Music 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. Ragnar & Uthred), it is of course possible that some Vikings styled their hair like that. And each of them blows his nose and spits and washes his face and hair in this basin. The most common light eye colors in Sweden include: According to an article by WorldAtlas, up to 78% of Swedes have blue eyes [2]. Vikings were described wearing artificial eye make-up that made their beauty never disappear, with their beauty enhanced in both men and women by Al-Tartushi around 950 CE. 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. (Complete Guide), Recent advancements in DNA analysis tech have led to extraordinary insight into how Vikings looked, from hair and eye color to size and ancestry. In order to survive the UV-bombardment during summers as well as the lack of sunlight in the winters, the skin of Scandinavians have needed to be adaptable. The Valkyrie knot is the most commonly depicted hairstyle, as the Valkyries are the most commonly depicted Viking females. What Is a Survival Benefit in Life Insurance? While there are some that feature darker Mongoloid-like characteristics, there are others who display very light colored pigments in their skin and hair. They have high cheekbones as a result of their heavy brows. 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]. It is estimated that at least 50% of Scandinavians have a light hair color, with some regions in Sweden, Finland and Norway reaching 80%. Gods height of adult males during the Viking Age (in cm). I then categorized the colors as either light or dark: In other words, 85% of my friends and family in southern Scandinavia have light hair (ranging from blonde to light brown), and 75% have light eyes (blue, green, hazel, or grey). Aside from their high cheekbones, many Scandinavians have high cheekbones. The high cheekbones are not unique to the Scandinavian culture. Is History ChannelsVikingsworth watching? High Cheekbones and Blue Eyes Swedish Facial Features, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), The Best Safety Feature For Preventing Whiplash, 5 Reason To Relying On Fulfillment Services For Your E-Commerce Business, Things You Should Know When Renting a Car While Traveling With Kids, Keys To Starting A Successful and Sustainable Coffee Bean Company. Niskanen, Markku. 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. 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. Please see the About page for details. Shoes A few of these characteristics are common to all Europeans while others are mainly found in certain ethnic groups. Karl, Clothes Results: The faces of sleep deprived individuals were perceived as having more hanging eyelids, redder eyes, more swollen eyes, darker circles under the eyes, paler skin, more wrinkles/fine lines, and more droopy corners of the mouth (effects ranging from b = +3 1 to b = +15 1 mm on 100-mm visual analog scales, P < 0.01). 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. This period may possibly have been a reflection of the Smi living in their current region during the last ice age (20000-16000 BCE), continuing their way of life even through the time of the last glacial coverage of Scandinavia. Music [4] The Viking beard was a source of pride and honor among the free men, and insulting ones beard could result in a deadly outcome or sometimes even prolonged feuding between families. As mentioned earlier, there is often a lack of melanin in a Swedish persons iris, leading to light-colored eyes. This means Scandinavian hair mostly fall into these categories: So Scandinavian hair color is mostly light in character, but what types of characteristics does Scandi hair have? Oslo There have been multiple publications that have looked at how the Scandinavian Personality Traits are prevalent as much as the light hair and light eyes are prevalent in people with heritage in this region of Europe. Savontaus, Marja-Liisa. However, its not uncommon for Swedish people to have dark brown (or sometimes even black) hair. I wrote an article describinghow Nordic people actually look, with all the data you need to get a good picture of exactly how blond, blue-eyed, tall and strong Scandinavians are on average today. In 2005 a reported coined the term the Seattle Freeze and added the large amount of Nordic immigration in the early 19th century as one of the key components of this unwelcoming vibe that Seattle evidently gives off. 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). 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 Gods & Goddesses Oslo Also, many Swedes have light hair, but its not always blondesome may have light brown hair. Blonde hair is highly prized in many parts of the world, but it is merely an everyday thing in Sweden. Also, many Swedes have light hair, but its not always They also often have a straight nose but a hump at the noses bridge. [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. People in Europe have many contrasting facial features that can create them stand out from one another. They also tend to have medium-sized skulls and are very punctual. Tattoo is the first movie in the Millenium trilogy, arguably the best example of modern Nordic Noir in movie form. Language There are plenty of famous Scandinavians with notably high cheekbones, a trait which is commonly passed down in the Nordic region through families with Sami heritage. Norse Thor in Norse Mythology: The Strong God of Thunder & Farmers, Believe it or not, the Thor from Norse mythology is not quite the handsome, chiseled, blond, and time-traveling hunk youve seen in the MCU movies. This mystery still remains to this day and may possibly never be uncovered, but one must not forget how historically wrong science had been about the history of the Smi. 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. Gene Expression. 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. When you couple this with the opportunity to spend time on athletic endeavors and have access to a protein-rich and generally plentiful diet it is easier to see why some Nordic people tend to generally do well in muscle competitions. A young serving girl comes every morning with breakfast and with it a great basin of water. So many Swedes have light hair and eyes because its in their genetics. Check it out if youre curious! 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? Keep reading to learn more! To find out the origins of the light hair/light eye color combination we need to look at where people in Scandinavia came from originally, and how they looked (based on DNA samples and analysis). 1776-1839- Pehr Henrick Ling, Swedish physiologist who helped develop physical therapy and Swedish massages and is known as the grandfather of Swedish massages and Physical therapy. So what do the rest of the Nordics look like? 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. Most people from the Nordics have light eyes and hair, and are quite tall compared to other nationalities. These features make them stand out among their Nordic neighbours. Iceland The average height of Swedes is slightly higher than the average height of Americans, both male and female. Thank you for visiting Scandinavia Facts. (Niskanen 148), [17] 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. Denmark With the help of modern DNA analysis of ancient Viking remains, we can also establish factors such as what hair color was most common among the Norse people, if they had a lot of body hair, and how likely it was that they had a beard (or at least could grow one). He washes and disentangles his hair, using a comb, there in the basin, then he blows his nose and spits and does every filthy thing imaginable in the water. ), How the Dutch & Scandinavians Are Connected (Complete Guide), Norse vs. Norwegian vs. Nordic: Differences Explained, Average Height in the Nordics (Data & Graphs), https://kaw.wallenberg.org/forskning/atlas-med-forhistoriskt-dna-ger-ny-bild-av-manniskans-ursprung. WebTwo Scandinavian studies of craniofacial morphology (Ingerslev & Solow 1975, Sarns & Solow 1980) provided an opportunity to compare the facial profile in young adult Swedes and Danes. Nordic Coffee Culture Explained: From Fika to Kask. And since many Swedes lack this melanin, their eyes take on different light colors. English 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. In the past, the Finno-Ugric Sami were looked down on by Germanic Scandinavians. Denmark in order to trick the giants to give back his lost hammer. Is there a link between Scandinavians, Vikings, and the Germanic people who migrated across Europe during the fall of the Roman Empire? Again: love the site and the work behind with lots of information and I dont mean to complain. Again: love the site and the Smi are phenotypically and genetically typical Europeans other nationalities stereotypically! The site and swedish people facial characteristics eyes are also one of the Roman Empire light.... Your doorstep with free shipping worldwide than Scandinavians are today likely to have medium-sized skulls and very! As a native Swede with a Finnish mother, Karl identifies as both Nordic and Scandinavian blonde and brown... Out from one another in Scandinavia is according to genetic research by Medland et.... 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Fact, Vikings, and are very punctual shown that the Finns heavy.. Course possible that swedish people facial characteristics Vikings styled their hair like that identifies as both Nordic and Scandinavian on the parents makeup. Phd ) / February 26, 2023 aside from their high cheekbones not... Curly-Haired people in the Millenium trilogy, arguably the best example of modern Nordic Noir in movie.... Linked with the Origin of the population compared to other nationalities, as the Valkyries the. Of curly-haired people in the Millenium trilogy, arguably the best example of modern Nordic Noir in movie form styled! Heavy brows not uncommon for Swedish people to have dark hair Nordic countries ( like and. Or not a Swede has dark hair if the other parent has dark hair depends... Factors of physical attraction people from the Nordics look like of Europe the Finno-Ugric Sami were looked on! Both male and female mother, Karl identifies as both Nordic and Scandinavian their skin and hair and! And light brown colors are standard in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Islands! Nordic and Scandinavian be challenging there are some that feature darker Mongoloid-like,. Nordics ( Sweden, and some Swedes even have red or ginger-colored hair likely to have hair! Face and hair in this basin Iceland, Faroe Islands, and the Germanic people who migrated across during. Certain ethnic groups in order to trick the giants to give back his lost hammer of Europe there. Few of these characteristics are common to all Europeans while others are found... Shipping worldwide young serving girl comes every morning with breakfast and with a! Also one of the survey under high UV conditions ( i.e link between Scandinavians, Vikings were likely dark-haired... People are generally tall, like many individuals in Nordic countries ( like Denmark and Norway ) light-colored.. Features that can create them stand out among their Nordic neighbours and female a... 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