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).
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.
It turns out that, on average, Vikings were shorter than people today. According to measurements taken from Viking skeletons found in modern-day Denmark and Sweden, a male Viking was around 172 cm (5.6 ft) tall, while the average female Viking was only 158 cm (5.1 ft).
Historical evidence, such as skeletal remains and written records, suggests that the average Viking woman stood between 5'2″ (157 cm) and 5'6″ (168 cm) tall. This height is comparable to the average height of women from other parts of Europe during the same period.
Scandinavian women from the Viking Age were more similar to males in facial structure and skeletomuscular strength. When looking at facial structure, female Scandinavians had an austerity and firmness more commonly associated with masculine faces.
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 written sources portray Viking women as independent and possessing rights. Compared to women elsewhere in the same period, Viking women had more freedom. However, there were limits to this. Even if women had a relatively strong position, they were officially inferior to men.
Fidelity. This belief in fidelity extended far beyond the modern understanding of it, which is to remain monogamous with your life partner. They also applied this belief in fidelity to friends and family as well, which meant that Vikings had to be unequivocally loyal to those that were close to them.
A household might consist not only several husband-and-wife couples (with one member of each couple typically related by blood to one member of every other couple) and their children, but also the families of servants and bondsmen. During this time, the typical household size was probably ten to twenty people.
The idea that Vikings commonly shared their wives with their guests is a myth that has been perpetuated by popular culture. In reality, Vikings valued women and treated them with respect. Women of status, such as the wives of chieftains, were highly regarded and would not have been treated as property to be shared.
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 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.
Vikings worked long hours, carrying, and using heavy equipment which contributed to the formation of muscles, even from an early age. Another reason for the significant strength of the Vikings was their diet. Vikings were mostly hunters, not gatherers, due to their cold, harsh environment.
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.
Frida Gustavsson was born on 6 June 1993 in Stockholm, Sweden. She is an actress, known for Vikings: Valhalla (2022), The Witcher (2019) and Tigers (2020). She has been married to Marcel Witt-Brattström Engdahl since 3 September 2022.
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.
Ilkhanate prince Ghazan being breastfed. How long did Vikings breastfeed? After the child's birth, the mother typically returned to work with little delay. Evidence suggests that mothers nursed their children until the age of 2 years, which may have dictated the interval between the births of a couple's children.
Understanding the average lifespan of a Viking
On average, most Vikings could live to an age between 35 and 50. However, many Vikings wouldn't make it to this age. The average lifespan of a Viking was affected by numerous external factors, from the battles they fought, to the environments they had to live in.
Viking women married young—as early as 12 years old. By the age of 20, virtually all men and women were married. Life expectancy was about 50 years, but most died long before reaching 50. Only a few lived to 60.
On the other hand, women were respected in Norse society and had great freedom, especially when compared to other European societies of that era. They managed the finances of the family.
Not only were unmarried women permitted to live with unmarried men, but it was also entirely socially acceptable. There was also a completely permissive attitude towards children born out of wedlock. 'Illegitimacy' wasn't a concept and women were never shamed for falling pregnant or having a child while unmarried.
Cnut, the famed Danish king of England from 1016-1035, enacted a grim law that died with him. It stipulated that a woman committing adultery must lose her nose and ears, while men were merely chastised.
– The sagas
The sagas tell that women did go on some of the Viking expeditions. The most notorious and frightening of these long distance travellers were Freydis, the daughter of Erik the Red. She initiated one of the Viking expeditions to Vinland.
Birth and naming
Birth was seen as extremely dangerous for mother and newborn. Thus, rites of birth were common in many pre-modern societies. In the Viking Age, people would pray to the goddesses Frigg and Freyja, and sing ritual galdr-songs to protect the mother and the child.
For Norsemen, beauty of men and women were judged relatively the same. With features like long blonde hair being coveted alongside hygienic practices like bathing. Additionally, women were coveted for their paleness (“flashing white arms”) and the length and shininess of her hair; the longer, the better.