Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. They also have a rather rounded face and very delicate facial features. Its also important to note that while there is no evidence of the mohawk-style haircut we see so much in TV shows (i.e. Mythology Second, early Scandinavian ancestors are thought to have been dark-skinned, but after mixing with other populations and adapting to the geographical area this trait eventually disappeared. 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%). (Savontaus), [2] 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. [1] Swedish people are generally tall, like many individuals in Nordic countries (like Denmark and Norway). So many Swedes have light hair and eyes because its in their genetics. Swedes are not only known for having light eyes and pale skin but also for their fair hair. 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. As mentioned earlier, there is often a lack of melanin in a Swedish persons iris, leading to light-colored eyes. [10] While the Finns speak Finnish and the Smi speak many different languages among themselves, all of these variants of human speech belong to the Finno-Ugric or Uralic language group. Historians believe that most Norse men had facial hair, and those who didnt were even mocked for it according to the sagas. Other famous Scandinavians with high cheekbones include Fredrik Ljungberg (pictured below to the right), Mads Mikkelsen, Tim Avicii Berg, and Viggo Mortensen. [6] Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a3d130deea91a297e34a58becbda175b" );document.getElementById("j39e62affa").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Finland Recommendations Did Vikings Wear Eyeliner and Other Makeup? 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. If this is true, they would have been separated from other Europeans, who traveled back south during this time. History They also exercise more than the average person. Europeans. The Mankind Quarterly 63:2 (2002): 183-191. Having worked with graphic design for most of my life, Im a huge fan of typography and symbolism, and also a huge history nerd. The European Origin of the Finns and their Relation to the Indo-. Names 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). Pale While the eyes are not an important part of the Scandinavian facial features, they have bright, large, and beautiful eyes. 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. While there are some that feature May 2000. The Swedish have a blue eye and are taller Some famous Scandinavians with high cheekbones include Fredrik Ljungberg, Tim Avicii Berg, and Viggo Mortensen. He ultimately returned to his native Malm with his love, where they now have 3 Swedish-American boys eager to explore the world. [12] On the other hand, many Swedes had contact with people residing in present-day Russia or in the Baltics. WebLatvian face features are light hair and gray, bluish, or greenish eyes, some of them are of darker complexion, generally with brownish hair and eyes. Thank you for visiting Scandinavia Facts. Those with these facial features have high cheekbones, but they are not considered attractive. They are not afraid to be late. Depending on which combination of the genes you have, you will develop either red hair and freckles, only red hair, or only freckles. Nordic So, whether or not a Swede has dark hair ultimately depends on the parents genetic makeup. They have a pronounced nose, high cheekbones, and slim lips. [9] 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. 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. If you feel youre suffering from this type of facial feature, you can seek a cosmetic surgeon in Scandinavia. Lets take a more detailed look at how the Nordic peopleboth male and femalestack up against each other and the world when it comes to height: The Danish are the tallest people in the Nordics, with the average male Dane reaching 182 cm / 512, followed by the Icelandic men at 181 cm, and finally the Swedes, Norwegians, and Finns at 180 cm. 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. And since many Swedes lack this melanin, their eyes take on different light colors. He also noted that they use a kind of indelible cosmetic to enhance the beauty of their eyes (believed to be Black Henbane). Still this does not answer the underlying question of where the Smi originally came from. However, people living close to the arctic circle are also exposed to extremely high UV exposure levels during the warmer half of the year (on par with Australia which is notorious for high levels of skin cancer) due to the ozone layer being thinner around the poles. 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. WebGenetic studies on Sami is the genetic research that have been carried out on the Sami people.The Sami languages belong to the Uralic languages family of Eurasia.. Siberian origins are still visible in the Smi, Finns and other populations of the Finno-Ugric language family.. An abundance of genes has journeyed all the way from Siberia to Finland, a This indicates that Vikings intermingled with people they met on their explorations, both on-location but also bringing them home to Scandinavia in some cases. Therefore, other traits need to be studied in order to identify the sex of skeletons. For another deep-dive into Scandinavian looks, Ive plowed through massive amounts of archaeological objects and DNA analysis to find out how Vikings actually looked (how big they were, how they wore their hair, where they came from, their hair and eye color, etc. Njals Saga explains how Norse were expected to grow a beard, and those who didnt were often mocked. Winter, Hang some Old Norse mythology on your walls. The highest cheekbones and blue eyes are the most desirable traits of Scandinavians. Also, they can have dark eyes with dark or light-colored hair. Also, many Swedes have light hair, but its not always blondesome may have light brown hair. This ice age did not officially end until 9500 BCE with larger population growth not occurring until 8000 BCE. They also tend to have medium-sized skulls and are very punctual. WebSwedish people often look pale due to a lack of melanin. The First Scandinavians Where Dark-skinned and Blue-eyed. Essentially, this means you will likely not meet as many curly-haired Scandinavians as you would southern Europeans or Americans for example. I plowed through numerous books and historical texts to map out exactly how the Germanic people are connected to the Norse people and modern-day Scandinavians. Vikings largely had similar genetic markers linked to eye color as modern-day Scandinavians according to a massive Viking DNA study published in 2020, meaning the vast majority (50-80+% depending on region) would have blue, green, or hazel eyes following the findings in Peter Frosts European hair and eye color. She goes on passing the basin round from one to another until she has taken it to all the men in the house in turn. 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. 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. There are no scientific studies suggesting Scandinavians, or any other people for that matter, are considered more attractive than others. When it all comes down to it the classic Nordic/Scandinavian stereotype seems to hold true still. 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. 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. (Niskanen 126), [12] After the divergence of the Finns from the Smi, the Smi tended to have offspring within their own group; however, the influence from the Baltic and Germanic people caused the Finns to intermix with other Indo-Europeans, making them more genetically similar to the Europeans than the Smi are. The significance of this rests with the fact that this mutation has only been found in six other samples. Read Article Now. (Gene Expression), [14] Enjoy your visit! Streaming Tips 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. Life The size and strength of Vikings are discussed further in William Shorts Icelanders in the Viking Age where he writes the following: One significant way in which Viking-age Scandinavians differed from modern people is in their physical strength. 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. 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. The Scandinavian Personality Traits have been under investigation since the late 1800s. Thus, tourists are sure to see plenty of light-haired people if they visit Sweden! So what do the rest of the Nordics look like? Sweden is a beautiful country that attracts many tourists and ex-pats each year. 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. What Hair Colors Did Vikings Mostly Have? It is estimated that at least 50% of Scandinavians have a light hair color, with some regions in Sweden, Finland and Norway reaching 80%. The cheekbones are a distinctive feature of Swedish men, with several examples of prominent people in the entertainment industry. Pelvis width can be very useful in this respect., Your email address will not be published. Shopping Denmark, Sweden, and Norway three countries that often rank best when it comes to education, health care, style, and much more. 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. Design (Complete Guide to Viking Traits), Recent advancements in DNA analysis tech have led to extraordinary insight into how Vikings looked, from hair and eye color to size and ancestry. This false belief was due to linguists of the time believing that Finno-Ugric languages had an eastern origin. We exists to inform people about the people, culture, and history of Northern Europe. The sample size and dental conditions were similar in both studies. Sweden Editor's Choice 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. Design Karl, Clothes There is a common consensus that the Smi inhabited the region first; however, the genetic origin of the groups, their natural history and the diversion of the language are issues that are heavily debated. They built powerful cultures and countries. of the Nordics (Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Faroe Islands, and Greenland). A young serving girl comes every morning with breakfast and with it a great basin of water. 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. 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. Facts Blonde hair. Between 1-10% of the population of Scandinavia have red hair according to studies that have mapped out the so-called red hair genes. Scandinavian people also have traditionally had a diet rich in protein, fat, and carbs (crucial for significant muscle growth). link to 5 Great Places To Stay in Iceland. Are Scandinavians seen as unusually attractive? Another wave of migrants came into Scandinavia around 4800 years ago from the Russian steppes, originating from the northern shores of the Black sea and commonly called the Western Steppe Herders. Modern Swedes are closely related to hunter-gatherers of the Pitted Ware culture. Ill also cover the key takeaways below if youd rather keep going. Females had stronger jawlines in general, while men had slimmer faces.. Popular Post Read Article Now. Q: What are the most common Swedish facial features? Hmm Thats a hard one, but Id have to go with Cheeks. Or maybe chins. People can lose an (Yli-Kuha), [3] Pale pink skin often with moles, blue eyes, thin to rounded lips, high not that sculptured cheekbones, a bit fat on cheeks(not visable chin/cheek m Although it isnt exactly common with Epicanthic folds among the Swedish population, Swedes with Sami heritage (famous examples include Jens Byggmark, Anja Prson and Ingemar Stenmark), and from the northern parts in general, have higher rates of Epicanthic eye folds. However, the lack of sunlight shouldnt be a big issue in most cases because Swedes with pale skin can absorb vitamin D faster than those with darker skin. It would really help me in my studies, thank you for reading! http://www.lysator.liu.se/nordic/scn/faq23.html (accessed February 26, 2005). For example, many female skeletons from Viking graves generally had stronger jawlines than modern Scandinavian women, while many men generally had slimmer faces that the Scandinavian men of today. 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). That said, it is assumed that having long hair was generally seen as more important the higher up on the social ladder one was, with the jarls having long and elaborate hairstyles, while they had their thralls (slaves, who made up around 20-30% of the population) cut their hair short. Comparisons (Niskanen 125), [11] History Oslo Pale pink skin often with moles, blue eyes, thin to rounded lips, high not that sculptured cheekbones, a bit fat on cheeks(not visable chin/cheek m Other things we can read about in the sagas and see on artifacts left behind for us to marvel at. Read Article Now. Do Scandinavians have a lot of body hair? The recent rise of medieval fantasy and Viking-themed TV series (with the likes of Vikings, The Last Kingdom, and Game of Thrones) has spawned some Viking looks that are equally iconic as they are historically questionable. of the Nordics (Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Faroe Islands, and Greenland). In Nordic countries ( like Denmark and Norway ) see so much TV., large, and history of Northern Europe are the most desirable traits of Scandinavians often look due. The Nordics look like beard, and slim lips any other people for that matter, are more! 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