“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.”
Viking body type
Discoveries suggest Vikings were generally stronger, and a little larger than many people today. Archeological research indicates Vikings weighed around 140kg on average, and were stronger than most. Many Vikings were also named after their strength or general appearance.
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. For all seafaring Vikings, physical size and strength was typically beyond that of other cultures.
Not only did many of the studied Vikings turn out to not be blond or blue-eyed, their genetic admixture shows they weren't a distinct ethnic group but rather a mix of various other groups, "with ancestry from hunter-gatherers, farmers, and populations from the Eurasian steppe."
“A lot of the Vikings are mixed individuals” with ancestry from both Southern Europe and Scandinavia, for example, or even a mix of Sami (Indigenous Scandinavian) and European ancestry.
The genetic legacy of the Viking Age lives on today with six per cent of people of the UK population predicted to have Viking DNA in their genes compared to 10 per cent in Sweden.
Experts have said that any surname ending in 'sen' or 'son' is likely to be of Viking descent (big news for Emma Watson, Emma Thompson, Robert Pattinson and co) – and surnames such as Roger/s, Rogerson, and Rendall also hint that there's a touch of the marauder to you.
As descendants of the Vikings, people from Scandinavian countries—Denmark, Norway, and Sweden—are the most likely to carry Viking DNA. However, their genetic footprint extends far beyond Scandinavia due to the Vikings' extensive exploration, raiding, and colonization during the Viking Age (around 793-1066 AD).
This marker is barely present in England with an average of 1 per cent of men carrying the genetic code. Vikings are still running rampant through Scotland as, according to the researchers, 29.2 per cent of descendants in Shetland have the DNA, 25.2 per cent in Orkney and 17.5 per cent in Caithness.
Although the term 'Vikings' might be associated with the Scandinavian homelands from which these raiders and traders originated, after the first half of the ninth century it is likely that most of those who partook in Viking activity in the British Isles and Ireland were in fact permanent residents of those islands.
The most famous Viking characteristics to modern readers are the longship and the horned helmet. Well, there were longships, the 'Drakkars' which were used for war and exploration. They used another craft, the Knarr, for trading. However, there were no horned helmets, that "characteristic" is entirely false.
What skin color were Vikings? While most Vikings are believed to have had fair, peach-toned skin and light hair, there may also have been Vikings with darker skin. It's important to understand that when Vikings traveled to distant lands, they often brought back people from those cultures.
The average height of Vikings as found by researchers and scholars, varied depending on a number of factors, including their age and gender. Typically, the average male Viking would usually be between 5 foot 7 and 5 foot 9, while the average female would be between 5 foot 1 and 5 foot 3.
22, 2020, 8:05 a.m. 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.
The researchers found the same genetic traces from people in the west in today's Danes and quite far into Sweden. In northern Norway and much of the rest of Sweden, it is above all Uralic genes from the north-east that can be traced in the genetic material of today's people.
The Irish have Viking and Norman ancestry in similar proportions to the English. A comprehensive DNA map of the Irish has for the first time revealed lasting contributions from British, Scandinavian, and French invasions.
The population in Orkney emerged as the most genetically distinct, with 25% of DNA coming from Norwegian ancestors. This shows clearly that the Norse Viking invasion (9th century) did not simply replace the indigenous Orkney population.
In fact, across Great Britain there is a clear pattern: the highest Scandinavian genetic ethnicity is found in northeast England, decreasing as you get further from that region.
Where is the most Viking blood? According to the DNA tests, Scotland – heavily populated by Norsemen in the Viking age – has the highest proportion of descendants; the next biggest population is in the North; and the incidence of Viking blood decreases the further south you go.
Who are the descendants of the Vikings? Viking settlements exist in different parts of the world, including Denmark, Greenland, Iceland, Great Britain, Ireland, Scotland, Normandy and Swedish parts of Finland, Estonia and Latvia.
Yes, Vikings did have red beards. According to sources, red hair and beards are a genetic trait that is specific to Nordic tribes. It's even thought that some Norsemen would dye their red hair and beards to look blond using lye soap.
We can also begin to infer the physical appearance of ancient Vikings and compare them to Scandinavians today.” The genetic legacy of the Viking Age lives on today with six per cent of people of the UK population predicted to have Viking DNA in their genes compared to 10 per cent in Sweden.
So did the Vikings share a common blood type? Research suggests that most ancient populations had a similar composition to the current population in Northern Europe, with Type A being the most common, followed by Type O and then B. This indicates that Viking blood may have shared these same three types.