The chances are Vikings were a lot leaner than many people today, thanks to their protein-rich diet, and their commitment to hard labor. However, it's likely that the comparative 'largeness' of Vikings was down to their muscular bodies and strength, rather than simply being “fat”.
Vikings were likely neither extremely fat nor unrealistically muscular. Their lifestyle required physical exertion, involving farming, seafaring ... 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 ...
On average, Vikings were rarely over 5 foot 7 in height, but this didn't mean they weren't large in comparison to some of the other peoples of the time. Vikings might have been short by today's standards, but they were still seen as larger than life attackers in their day.
The average weight for a male Viking was around 170 pounds. The Vikings were a strong and healthy people. They didn't have many diseases that we know of. A lot of this had to do with their diet and cleanliness.
The Vikings' anatomy was very similar to ours, except that the ancient Danes were 8-10 cm shorter, on average, than we are today. Louise Kæmpe Henriksen believes that Viking bodies were generally marked by the hard work they had to put in every day as peasants.
The physical build of the Vikings was likely to be somewhat similar to our own, but with significantly more mass and muscle. From an early age, Vikings took part in activities which would progressively develop their strength over time, from rowing boats, to farming, and chopping wood.
The chances are Vikings were a lot leaner than many people today, thanks to their protein-rich diet, and their commitment to hard labor. However, it's likely that the comparative 'largeness' of Vikings was down to their muscular bodies and strength, rather than simply being "fat".
"Vikings lifted stones to test overall strength, and a modern analogous movement would be the deadlift," says Isuf.
The average Viking was 8-10 cm (3-4 inches) shorter than we are today. The skeletons that the archaeologists have found, reveals, that a man was around 172 cm tall (5.6 ft), and a woman had an average height of 158 cm (5,1 ft).
Vikings (8th-11th centuries)
To earn respect, a Viking seafarer was required to lift a stone weighing more than 340 pounds.
First of all, the Vikings weren't full-time warriors or raiders. They were mostly farmers, hunters, and fishermen. Their employment was centered around providing for their family's needs. These were physically demanding tasks that kept them in shape and made the Vikings so physically strong.
Vikings appear to have had a full diet packed with protein, fat, and carbohydrates. However, their active lifestyles probably meant most of this food was converted into muscle, rather than excess weight. There's a good chance Vikings did appear “huge” to the people who met with them, however.
Diet is probably a big factor in why the Vikings were so tall. While most Europeans were living in agricultural societies, and therefore ate a lot of carbohydrates, the Vikings prioritized animal husbandry and fishing, which meant that they had more protein in their diet.
A 'balanced' diet
Vikings had a varied and rich diet of wild and domestic meats, fruits, crops, poultry, fish, and other food they could grow, harvest, or hunt. Therefore, it is not surprising that their diet was much better and more varied than in other parts of medieval Europe.
What did the Vikings look like? Overall, Scandinavians had softer brows and jawlines during the Viking Age. Fair hair and complexions were common, but not ubiquitous. Dark hair was common, and red hair had a higher prevalence in Norwegian Vikings compared to the general population of Europe.
“The Vikings had a lot more genes from southern and eastern Europe than we anticipated,” said Willerslev. “They frequently had children with people from other parts of the world. In fact, they also tended to be dark-haired rather than blond, which is otherwise considered an established Viking trait.”
Turns out they didn't much resemble Thor or Ragnar Lothbrok.
It turns out most Vikings weren't as fair-haired and blue-eyed as legend and pop culture have led people to believe. According to a new study on the DNA of over 400 Viking remains, most Vikings had dark hair and dark eyes.
Vikings would win. Vikings fought guerilla style and seemed to have heavier weapons, as for Spartans, unlike the AC game, they fought in phalanx formation, a disciplined formation warfare like the Romans and British and had lighter weapons.
but there's a theory he may have been buried in Repton, England. Emeritus Fellow, Professor Martin Biddle from Oxford University claims the skeleton of a 9ft tall Viking warrior, discovered during excavations at the churchyard of St Wystan's in Repton, may be that of Ivar the Boneless.
"The examination of skeletons from different localities in Scandinavia reveals that the average height of the Vikings was a little less than that of today: men were about 5 ft 7-3/4 in. tall and women 5 ft 2-1/2 in.
The average Viking Press weight for a male lifter is 240 lb (1RM). This makes you Intermediate on Strength Level and is a very impressive lift. What is a good Viking Press? Male beginners should aim to lift 72 lb (1RM) which is still impressive compared to the general population.
Vikings ate hearty meals with meat, dairy, grains, fruit and vegetables to maintain their energy, since their everyday activities included exploring unknown lands and sailing the open waters. In fact, during the Middle Ages, even a poor Viking had a diet that was considerably better than that of an English peasant.
Unlike modern Norwegians, Vikings tended to only eat two meals per day. These were known as dagmal and nattmal, which meant a day meal and night meal.
The first sign is geographical location; those who live in Scandinavian countries, such as Norway and Denmark, are more likely to be related to Vikings due to their proximity. Another indicator is surnames; common Scandinavian last names like Anderson and Johnson can usually be traced back to Norse traditions.