Many physical traits considered attractive in Viking society, such as fair skin, light-colored eyes, and well-groomed hair, are still deemed desirable in many modern Western cultures. Still, other features, such as a strong and athletic physique, may not be universally regarded as beautiful in today's society.
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.
Although the Vikings are routinely depicted as rough, grimy, and violent, they were actually quite refined, took personal hygiene seriously, and wore fine clothes ornamented by jewelry. Some Christian chroniclers who condemned the Vikings also note their fine clothing and attention to personal appearance.
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.
Viking society comprised three levels: nobles, Jarls, free people Karls and slaves or peasants thralls. In the 8th century most Vikings lived by farming, grazing animals, hunting and fishing, whether in villages, isolated farms or on large estates.
Historical accounts
There are historical attestations that Viking Age women took part in warfare. The Byzantine historian John Skylitzes records that women fought in battle when Sviatoslav I of Kiev attacked the Byzantines in Bulgaria in 971.
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 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”.
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. (Sorry, Chris Hemsworth and Travis Fimmel.)
Viking body type
If you commonly picture Vikings as stocky, muscular people, you're not alone. 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 used picks to clean the gaps between their teeth, and some historian believes they may have also used fibrous hazel twigs and similar tools as a kind of brush. The Viking skeletons discovered over the decades have usually had relatively strong teeth too.
It's believed that both male and female Vikings wore makeup. In particular, historical evidence suggests that they used kohl as eyeliner.
“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.”
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".
How tall were the Vikings? 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 were likely quite tall even by modern standards, with adult Norse males in Sweden, Norway, and England found to average around 176 cm (5 ft 9¼ in) in height, compared to 175.3 cm (5 ft 8⅞ in) in modern-day USA and England. The taller Vikings reached around 190 cm and the shorter around 170 cm.
What is the rarest eye color? Green is the rarest eye color in the world, with only 2% of the world's population (and fewer than one out of ten Americans) sporting green peepers, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO).
The largest concentration of green eyed people is in Ireland, Scotland and Northern Europe. In Ireland and Scotland, 86% of people have either blue or green eyes. There have been 16 genes identified that contribute to eye colour.
Genetic research has shown that the Vikings in West Scandinavia, and therefore in Denmark, were mostly red-haired. However, in North Scandinavia, in the area around Stockholm, blonde hair was dominant.
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.
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.
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.
According to scholars, Vikings commonly washed their hair and beards using a soap containing lye. This soap served two purposes. It helped to keep Vikings clean and wash away the dirt, blood, and other messes which built up during escapades. However, it also helped to dye the hair a brighter shade of blonde.
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.
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.