I do believe that there is a typically Swedish face type you rarely see elsewhere. The main feature are large blue eyes that are unusually close to Nordic and Scandinavian Physical Traits Today. Throughout Scandinavian history the people in the region have had a diet very high in Vitamin D due to a high amount of fish present in the diet. The Nordic/Scandinavian physical stereotypes are as cliche as they are well-knownthe stereotypical Scandis are expected to be a bunch of tall, blonde-haired, and blue-eyed Vikings in most peoples mindsbut can those stereotypes actually be true in modern-day Scandinavia? Most people from the Nordics have light eyes and hair, and are quite tall compared to other nationalities. How Did Vikings Actually Look? Quiz Vikings were described wearing artificial eye make-up that made their beauty never disappear, with their beauty enhanced in both men and women by Al-Tartushi around 950 CE. [10] The Smi, as well of the Finns, are a very heterogeneous group of people who display a wide range of physical features. It should also be added that the countries around the Dinaric Alps in Western Balkans would place in the top if S.E. Nordic vs. Scandinavian: Meaning & Usage Explained, Nordic vs. Germanic vs. Celtic: Differences & Links Explained (+ Maps), Im a Nordic native (a Swede with a Finnish mother to be precise) who likes to get nerdy and share first-hand experiences, data-driven resources, and useful guides to help people discover and understand the culture, people, life, sights, design, and history (Vikings anyone?) Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a3d130deea91a297e34a58becbda175b" );document.getElementById("j39e62affa").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Fika The average linear dimensions were greater in males than in females, although both groups had slightly higher cheekbones. [4] Pale History Lets take a more detailed look at how the Nordic peopleboth male and femalestack up against each other and the world when it comes to height: The Danish are the tallest people in the Nordics, with the average male Dane reaching 182 cm / 512, followed by the Icelandic men at 181 cm, and finally the Swedes, Norwegians, and Finns at 180 cm. Scandinavians as a whole are part of a group of ethnicities (along with Finns, English, Irish, Estonians, Latvians, Lithuanians, Polish, Hungarians, and Russians) where the Epicanthic fold is occurring more than in other European populations, but still at a much lower frequency than for example Asian ethnicities. This mystery still remains to this day and may possibly never be uncovered, but one must not forget how historically wrong science had been about the history of the Smi. If youd like to try your hand at making your own valkyrie knot, heres a detailed video with instructions: Vikings were known to at least partially shave their heads in order to achieve specific hairstyles, such as the Norman cut with shaved back and long hair in the front, and a similar but differently angled high bowl cut found in the Oseberg cart. Shoes The DNA study of 442 Viking skeletons (published in Nature) reveals that while Viking bands were mostly sourced from Scandinavia, they could also be comprised of Picts and Britons, as well as people with Southern European and even Asian ancestry (sometimes mixed with Scandinavian). So, if a person ever decides to visit Sweden, they should be prepared to see lots of blue eyes! In summary, it seems Scandinavians from before the Viking age looked a bit different from todays Scandis, with multiple migration waves that settled in the region up until the iron age being quite diverse in looks and origins. Recommendations https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/27702690.pdf, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2688-8, https://books.google.se/books/about/The_Annals_of_Fulda.html, https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2017-04-18-highs-and-lows-englishman%E2%80%99s-average-height-over-2000-years-0, https://www.arkeologi.uu.se/Research/Projects/viking-phenomenon/, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/270795692_St_Johns_College_Oxford_St_Brices_Day_Massacre_Chapter_3_A_Late_Saxon_Mass_Grave_The_Human_Bone, https://books.google.se/books?id=E26YDwAAQBAJ, https://books.google.se/books?id=XZ4ZDAAAQBAJ, https://historiska.se/upptack-historien/artikel/det-hangde-pa-haret/, https://www.svt.se/nyheter/lokalt/vast/modetrendens-blodiga-historia, https://arkeologerna.com/bloggar/kyrkoarkeologi/okand-kyrkogard-hittad-i-vreta-kloster/, https://varldenshistoria.se/civilisationer/vikingar/vikingar-slaktades-och-slangdes-i-massgrav, http://pediatrisk-endokrinologi.no/2008/1/Werner_2008_1.pdf, https://forskning.ku.dk/soeg/result/?pure=da/persons/26558, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228627175_European_hair_and_eye_color_A_case_of_frequency-dependent_sexual_selection, https://en.natmus.dk/historical-knowledge/denmark/prehistoric-period-until-1050-ad/the-viking-age/the-people/appearance/, https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-13064786. However, more recent work in genetics shows there is a relation among the Smi that comes from more than just sharing a lifestyle. Read more about how The Last Kingdom, Vikings, and Game of Thrones compare. http://virtual.finland.fi/finfo/english/where_do.html (accessed February 26, 2005). Soft features mean the face is less angular and has fewer harsh lines (like sharp jaw bones and chin definition). They have high cheekbones as a result of their heavy brows. Sweden is a beautiful country that attracts many tourists and ex-pats each year. Naturally, I wanted to see if this data held up based on my own experience, so I gathered all the hair and eye colors of 103 family members and friends who currently live in or around Malm, Sweden (one of the more culturally diverse cities in Sweden I should add). Sign in to download full-size image Figure 2.17. They have a pronounced nose, high cheekbones, and slim lips. But, it turns out there are some accurate depictions out there too, so there is definitely hope if youd like to find (or create) a historically accurate Viking hairstyle in modern times. [cited February 26 2005]. As such, there was a larger proportion of dark-haired Vikings found in the study than there are dark-haired Scandinavians today, affirming that while they are largely associated with coming from the Scandinavian region, there was plenty of diversity from all over the known world within the people identifying as Viking. They also were great innovators. (Savontaus), [2] Yes the origins and visual characteristics of the first Scandinavians were discussed in the SVT article (https://www.svt.se/nyheter/vetenskap/de-var-de-forsta-svenskarna), but more specifically this theory comes from research by Mattias Johansson, professor of genetics at Uppsala University. From the tips of his toes to his neck, each man is tattooed in dark green with designs, and so forth. It would really help me in my studies, thank you for reading! Denmark Swedes are not only known for having light eyes and pale skin but also for their fair hair. Additionally, there is also a lack of melanin in the skin, causing it to turn pale. Ovmar has even been accused of having undergone plastic surgery due to her high cheekbones, a claim she rebuffs by simply pointing to her Sami background (which seems plausible judging by the picture below to the left). According to a Popular Science Monthly study, most Scandinavians have wavy hair, with some parts of northern Scandinavia having more coarse/straight hair. The nasal shortness is shown in the vertical heat map (Figure 1b: blue nasal tip). They also exercise more than the average person. All shades of blonde and light brown colors are standard in Sweden, and some Swedes even have red or ginger-colored hair. In life Swedish people can generally act calm and reserved, seem a bit cold, like to keep things professional, prefer a well-planned approach, and believe maybe is a conflict-free way to say no. This still leaves the crucial question that asks how and when did the Finns and the Smi begin speaking related languages in the first place? This is one of the bigger controversies in Scandinavian history. Ill also cover the key takeaways below if youd rather keep going. The Origin and Genetic Background of the Smi. Viking sculptures and engravings have been found with generally long hair and beard that was usually shaped, tied or braided in different ways in order to not be in the way (while in combat or working). Culture Popular Post Shopping Vikings largely had similar genetic markers linked to eye color as modern-day Scandinavians according to a massive Viking DNA study published in 2020, meaning the vast majority (50-80+% depending on region) would have blue, green, or hazel eyes following the findings in Peter Frosts European hair and eye color. It makes sense that the Smi should be closely tied to the Finns, if at one time they were the same group, even if this did take place many thousands of years ago. Graphs Data We often get an image of grizzled warriors when we see Vikings on TV, but analysis of skeletal remains shows that the Norse had more gender-neutral facial features than Scandinavians today, meaning males and females had more similar characteristics (Danish National Museum). With modern technology, it now appears that the Finns and the Smi may have originated from an old population in Europe which diverged from other European populations prior to subsequent linguistic and cultural diversification. Fairly recent mass-grave findings in Sweden show some Scandinavians from the Viking Age that were around 180-190 cm tall, and the largest Viking DNA study ever embarked upon shows that the Vikings were highly likely to be tall. (Carpelan), [9] So the clich blue-eyed and blonde Nordic stereotype seems to hold true then, but where do these physical traits come from and why do they still seem to have a strong presence in the Nordics? For several hundred years, there was a belief that the Smi and the Finns had a Mongoloid origin. This does not mean that all Scandinavians look like this, but it does mean that this is the common view that most people to this day hold on what it means to look Scandinavian, including in the Scandinavian countries. This wave of primarily herders eventually fused with the current habitants (I see a pattern here) to produce the so-called Battle Axe culture group in Scandinavia, establishing themselves and flourishing in modern-day Denmark, Sweden and Norway. However, people living close to the arctic circle are also exposed to extremely high UV exposure levels during the warmer half of the year (on par with Australia which is notorious for high levels of skin cancer) due to the ozone layer being thinner around the poles. Read Article Now. Graphs What Is The Average Car Loan Interest Rate? Get in to the Scandinavian spirit at home with our premium museum-quality prints and original apparel sent right to your doorstep with free shipping worldwide. Top 5 Most Innovative and Futuristic Cars of 2023, Ways To Store Marijuana Correctly to Maintain Freshness, How Chemistry And Business Are Interrelated, A Beginners Guide To Coin Grades: How They Are Calculated, Six Marketing Methods Every Pest Control Company Should Try, 10 Best And Cheapest Sites To Buy Instagram Followers in 2023, Reasons Why a Real Estate Company Buys Houses for Cash. The colors of their eyes are typically light and are normally gray, brown or a mixture of both. Furthermore, according to a 2016 study published in Wiley, people of European origin generally have a facial hair growth pattern concentrated around the upper lip, cheek, neck, and chin, so it can be assumed that most Scandinavians also are able to generally grow whats considered a full and thick beard. And since many Swedes lack this melanin, their eyes take on different light colors. (Gene Expression), [14] Quiz Volkswanderung. Human Race Archives. 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