Thorkell the Tall, (born late 950s, southern Sweden—died after 1023), Viking warrior and chieftain who gained renown during his lifetime for his fighting prowess and who played a notable role in English history in the 11th century. Little is known of Thorkell's early life.
Ragnar Lothbrok
Arguably the most famous Viking warrior of them all, not least for his role as the leading protagonist in Vikings, the History Channel's popular drama.
Clifford Thompson, the world's tallest man and Count Olaf, the Norwegian Viking Giant claimed to be 8 foot, 7 inches tall.
Erik the Red
Erik the Red's reputation is probably one of the most bloodthirsty among all of the Vikings. The son of Thorvald, Erik is chiefly remembered for being the Viking who founded the first settlement in Greenland.
Cnut the Great
King of Denmark, Norway, and England. What is this? As the conquering King of England, Denmark, and Norway, Knútr (a.k.a. Knud, Knut, Canute, Cnut) is without a doubt one of the most influential Vikings in history, establishing a Norse rule in the North Sea for the first and only time in history.
They were particularly nervous in the western sea lochs then known as the "Scottish fjords". The Vikings were also wary of the Gaels of Ireland and west Scotland and the inhabitants of the Hebrides.
"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.
At the battle of Ashdown in 871, Alfred routed the Viking army in a fiercely fought uphill assault.
The purpose of the Vikings' violence was to acquire wealth, which fed into the political economy of northern Europe, notably in the form of gift-giving. Viking warriors were motivated by a warrior ideology of violence that praised bravery, toughness, and loyalty.
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.
Archaeological findings show that the Vikings had everything required of a terrible foe. Their axes, swords, spears, bows and arrows, shields, and armour were equal to the weapons and armours of continental Europe and Britain – and often of the highest quality available at the time.
Surprisingly, the average Vikings were not remarkably tall compared to today's standard. The average Viking male in the Middle Ages was about 5'6” (167 cm) with the average female being 5'1”(154 cm), based on archeological findings.
“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 Last Viking tells the dramatic story of King Harald Hardrada of Norway, one of the greatest warriors to have ever lived.
Ragnar Lothbrok, Ragnar also spelled Regner or Regnar, Lothbrok also spelled Lodbrog or Lodbrok, Old Norse Ragnarr Loðbrók, (flourished 9th century), Viking whose life passed into legend in medieval European literature.
The defeat of the king of Norway, Harald III Sigurdsson, at the Battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066 is considered the end of the age of Viking raids.
Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlements and chronologically coincides with the Viking Age, the Christianization of Scandinavia and the consolidation of Scandinavian kingdoms from about the 7th to the 15th centuries.
The Vikings also had a slight physical superiority as well. They were physically stronger and slightly taller than their opponents. As for Viking equipment, it was not advanced at all. They used round shields, axes, swords, and spears.
Harald Hardrada: why there's more to the last great Viking than his death in 1066.
So do Vikings still exist today? Yes and no. No, to the extent that there are no longer routine groups of people who set sail to explore, trade, pillage, and plunder. However, the people who did those things long ago have descendants today who live all over Scandinavia and Europe.
However it was his father Sweyn (Svein) who was the first Viking king of England. Sweyn Forkbeard, England's forgotten king, ruled for just 5 weeks. He was declared King of England on Christmas Day in 1013 and ruled until his death on 3rd February 1014, although he was never crowned.
The Vikings were more robust and muscular than the average person, and that was for both women and men. One of the reasons for this is, of course, the hard physical work, that was needed to survive in a landscape like Scandinavia in the Viking age.
The Vikings typically lived to be around 40-50 years old. But there are also examples of upper class Vikings who lived longer – for instance Harald Fairhair, who was King of Norway for more than 60 years.
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.