What did the Vikings look like? Overall, Scandinavians had softer brows and jawlines during the
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.
However, experts believe Vikings were quite large, muscular people, capable of striking fear into the hearts of their enemies as a result of their strength and size. The physical build of the Vikings was likely to be somewhat similar to our own, but with significantly more mass and muscle.
The Vikings had various eye colors, although the predominant eye color was blue or gray. However, Irish Vikings had predominantly brown or hazel eyes, and some Viking settlements were much more diverse than others.
The homelands of the Vikings were in Scandinavia, but the countries of Scandinavia as we know them today did not exist until the end of the Viking Age. Wherever they lived, the Viking-age Scandinavians shared common features such as house forms, jewellery, tools and other everyday equipment.
Norway's melting glaciers continue to reveal incredible archaeological finds. Now, evidence of a Viking settlement high up in the Norwegian mountains has been discovered and dated by archaeologists.
The geography between the Baltic Sea and the Black and Caspian Seas was navigable almost entirely by river. This gave the Vikings an advantage since they already possessed the technology to exploit the geography of the most direct trade routes to two of the largest, wealthiest cities in the ninth-century world.
Where in the world are the most green eyes? The highest concentration of people with green eyes is found in Ireland, Scotland, and northern Europe. In fact, in Ireland and Scotland, more than three-fourths of the population has blue or green eyes – 86 percent!
Blonde Hair and Green Eyes: Only eight persons in 1000 people are blonde and green-eyed, as the odds of being born with this combination are 0.08 percent.
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”.
The Viking trained their what Shaul calls their “tactical or combat chassis”—legs, hips, and core—daily. They did this by farming (lifting heavy stuff), shipbuilding (chopping trees), and rowing (strengthening legs, arms, and lungs).
"Thorkell the Tall".
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."
If we are speaking ethnically, the closest people to a Viking in modern-day terms would be the Danish, Norwegians, Swedish, and Icelandic people. Interestingly though, it was common for their male Viking ancestors to intermarry with other nationalities, and so there is a lot of mixed heritage.
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.
Among the Australian population, green eyes are found in approximately 7% of the people.
We found that green is the most popular lens colour, with brown coming in a close second, despite it being one of the most common eye colours. Although blue and hazel are seen as the most attractive eye colours for men and women they are surprisingly the least popular.
Grey eyes are one of the rarest eye colors. Less than 3% of the global population has grey eyes. They're most commonly found in people of Northern and Eastern European ancestry.
How Rare Are Purple Eyes? People with purple eyes make up less than 1% of the world's population. This means purple, or violet, is truly one of the rarest eye colors across the globe.
Yes, natural purple eyes are possible. There are many different shades of blues and greys out there and many in-between colors. Although very rare, some people's natural pigmentation can even be violet or purple in color.
The rarest skin color in the world is believed to be the white from albinism, a genetic mutation that causes a lack of melanin production in the human body. Albinism affects 1 in every 3,000 to 20,000 people.
Experts in the element of surprise
One of the reasons for this was the Vikings' superior mobility. Their longships – with a characteristic shallow-draft hull – made it possible to cross the North Sea and to navigate Europe's many rivers and appear out of nowhere, or bypass hostile land forces.
The events of 1066 in England effectively marked the end of the Viking Age. By that time, all of the Scandinavian kingdoms were Christian, and what remained of Viking “culture” was being absorbed into the culture of Christian Europe.
In addition to the advantage that their ships gave them, the Vikings reached their objectives quickly because they knew how to orient themselves by the sun even on cloudy days.