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. WebThis is what people look like at Bondi Beach, Sydney. Both events occur when a few individuals are responsible for beginning a population, either as a result of arriving to their area first or after a massive reduction in a population that leaves only a few individuals to repopulate the area, as it is with bottlenecking. Ive written articles aboutGermanic ties and ancestry in Vikings, as well as an article aboutthe origin of Vikings before they came to Scandinavia. Korean people often have very round faces. Some scientists give quite a bit of weight to the genetics of personality and it would stand to reason that at the very least some of personality is genetic which would lead to the idea that if you are Nordic or from Northern Europe than you are going to share some of that dog eat dog personality of your ancestors. Soft features mean the face is less angular and has fewer harsh lines (like sharp jaw bones and chin definition). The new theory, using mitochondrial DNA testing, states that the Finns did not arrive in Smiland only a short 3,000 years ago but rather came out of the Smi themselves. Popular Post Genetic and linguistic data of 1995 seemed to show that the Finns arrived in Smi territory a mere 2,000 to 4,000 years ago, while at the same time adopting the Smi way of speaking. What Hair Colors Did Vikings Mostly Have? Since sunlight exposure is one of the best ways to absorb vitamin D, its normal to wonder if Swedes are often deficient in this vitamin. Stereotypical Scandinavian traits and facial features have since the early 20th century included straight, blonde hair; blue eyes; tall figure; a straight nose; thin lips; and non-prominent cheekbones, according to Werner & Bjrks 2014 book Blond and Blue-eyed. This means Scandinavian hair mostly fall into these categories: So Scandinavian hair color is mostly light in character, but what types of characteristics does Scandi hair have? When adding genetic evidence to the Baltic-Finnish and the Smi language relationship, it appears that the two groups did descend from one single genetic and linguistic population, with the Finns diverging because of Baltic and Germanic agricultural influences; however, because of the distinctness between the two groups, the common ancestor may have divided as long ago as 23,000 BP and then reunited at around 8,500 BP. The cheekbones are a distinctive feature of Swedish men, with several examples of prominent people in the entertainment industry. Other Scandinavians with high cheekbones include Fredrik Ljungberg, Mads Mikkelsen, and Tim Avicii Berg. Nordic fall/winter), but also get a darker tan under high UV conditions (i.e. Still, genealogists from Stockholm university believe modern Swedes are most closely related to the hunter-gatherers from the so-called Pitted Ware culture when it comes to physical appearance. March 22, 1996. So What Do Scandinavian People Actually Look Like? Mediterranean Europeans The Mediterranean may be a region of Europe that features Spain, The other agents, Sweden 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). There have been multiple publications that have looked at how the Scandinavian Personality Traits are prevalent as much as the light hair and light eyes are prevalent in people with heritage in this region of Europe. When the Battle Axe culture group fused with the groups already present in Scandinavia this eventually spawned the Nordic Bronze Age people, who are seen as the ancestors of all Germanic people. 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. People in Europe have many contrasting facial features that can create them stand out from one another. By Chris Drew (PhD) / February 26, 2023. Thus, tourists are sure to see plenty of light-haired people if they visit Sweden! Darkening the areas around the eyes would also help against sunlight reflections at sea and on snow, so there are likely practical as well as cosmetic elements behind this custom. http://virtual.finland.fi/finfo/english/where_do.html, http://www.gnxp.com/MT2/archives/000245.html, http://virtual.finland.fi/finfo/english/geeneng.html, http://www.lysator.liu.se/nordic/scn/faq23.html. The Swedish eye color is similar to the Nordic eye color. The pale skin is generally genetic, but it can also be attributed to the fact that Sweden is a cold country that doesnt get a lot of sunlight, especially during winter. Vikings vs. Last Kingdom vs. Game of Thrones, Curious how The Last Kingdom compares to Vikings, and how they both compare to Game of Thrones? Depending on which combination of the genes you have, you will develop either red hair and freckles, only red hair, or only freckles. Sajantila, Lahermo, Anttinen, Luuka, Sistonen, Savontaus, Aula, Beckman, Tranebjaer. of the Nordics (Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Faroe Islands, and Greenland). I plowed through numerous books and historical texts to map out exactly how the Germanic people are connected to the Norse people and modern-day Scandinavians. Shopping So what did the Vikings actually look like? Names The Swedish also tend to be very athletic. Read Article Now. What is interesting here is that this particular hairstyle was so associated with the Vikings/Normans that this English man felt shame that his brothers would wear his hair like that. He wears his hair balded neck and blinded eyes, which suggests the so-called Norman Cut with long hair in the front and shaved in the back. Editor's Choice They are also known for having dark eyes. The Smi, as well of the Finns, are a very heterogeneous group of people who display a wide range of physical features. Hooded eyes are prevalent in the Scandinavian population, and studies have shown that about 18 percent of northern Europeans have so-called sagging eyelids (which is related to hooded eyes but more specifically excess skin over your eye that may or may not disrupt your vision). Quiz Two eyes, one nose, a mouth. Probably a chin and ears. I think. Swedish people are generally tall, like many individuals in Nordic countries (like Denmark and Norway). (Niskanen 127), [8] WebThe Nordic head is often strikingly narrow about the temples, as though it were pressed in here from both sides. 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. Shoes Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest Nordic resources, insights, tips, hidden gems, and much more. The highest cheekbones are another trait associated with Scandinavians. Mythology Life [2] There is a general belief among Norse historians that Vikings and Germanic people in general assigned special powers to long hair and beards, with the Suebi knot and Merovingian kings being two good Germanic examples where longer hair presented in a certain way was believed to have an effect on strength and power. So it does appear that the Smi experienced a period of isolation and at some point in time the Finns seem to be included in this isolation. Norway However, this doesnt mean that all Swedes are tall. Hello, I am interested in this claim here: It is believed that Vikings had more gender-neutral facial features than Scandinavians today, meaning males and females had more similar characteristics. Over 70% of male Scandinavians have some form of body hair (androgenic hair), which is among the highest rates in the world (along with Mediterranean men). Scandinavian http://www.itv.se/boreale/samieng1.htm (accessed February 26, 2005). Lets start with going through what we know about how the Norse wore and styled their hair: Here are some historically accurate Viking male hairstyles found in archeological evidence and described in historical accounts from the time period: These Norse hairstyles can be seen in archeological findings that have been dated from the Viking age, in the form of jewelry, sculptures, and other artifacts, as well as in historical accounts such as texts, letters, and inscriptions. Chinese people have rounder eyes, while Japanese people usually have almond-shaped eyes. Go check it out if you havent made up your mind yet! Im diving deeper into what we know of Viking hair and hairstyles in a separate article, so if youd like to find out more and see some examples of fairly historically accurate modern Viking hairstyles go check that out. Facts Pale pink skin often with moles, blue eyes, thin to rounded lips, high not that sculptured cheekbones, a bit fat on cheeks(not visable chin/cheek m So other than the color of the eyes, lets look at which other eye characteristics are unique or interesting in the Scandinavian region. Read Article Now. Germanic There is argument as to whether the Finns and the Smi arrived in their present day locations either as a still undifferentiated ethnolinguistic group or as linguistically and ethnically separate people. Some of the familiar Scandinavian personality traits include: reticence, a highly skeptical personality, general mistrust of strangers, cautious behavior, somewhat reserved personality and a lack of empathy. in order to trick the giants to give back his lost hammer. Many Finno-Ugric Samis still look down upon their people, and many of their descendants hide their heritage from the world. In addition, they have higher athleticism, which is considered a positive sexual trait in most cultures. They also often have a straight nose but a hump at the noses bridge. Beards and mustaches were very common in Vikings according to archeological findings and written records. [9] Nordic spring/summer): First off, there are plenty of people with darker skin in todays Scandinavia, but they generally have more than just Scandinavian heritage in their family. The Finns had always been thought of as the more dominant group but now new theories claiming that it was the Finns who got their language from the Smi have started to arise. published in The American Journal Of Human Genetics. 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. Additionally, there is also a lack of melanin in the skin, causing it to turn pale. WebSwedish people often look pale due to a lack of melanin. Culture Curious about where the Vikings came from and how they ended up in Scandinavia? English This is according to genetic research by Medland et al. This idea was revolutionary. [11], It has been established that the Smi were isolated for many years and come from European roots; however, at some point the Finns appeared. Shopping The prevalence of this gene on the Norwegian west coast is thought to be linked to slaves from Ireland and Scotland being brought to Scandinavia. Malm In the rest of the Nordics (namely Iceland, Finland, and the Faroe Islands) the people tend to look very similar to the Scandinavians, with especially Finland having a very large majority of their population being light-haired (blonde, light-brown, red) and light-eyed (blue, green, grey) according to Peter Frost. The Swedish have a blue eye and are taller Keep reading to learn more! As a result of their high cheekbones, they have a high chance of being considered more attractive by foreign men. Most people from the Nordics have light eyes and hair, and are quite tall compared to other nationalities. But for Ibn Fadlan, the Rus Viking way of washing oneself every day wasnt really deemed satisfactory, as he wrote the following in a section titled Disgusting habits: Every day without fail they wash their faces and their heads with the dirtiest and filthiest water there could be. The two species met and started having reproductive relationships in modern-day Israel some 60 000 years ago, before ultimately clashing and resulting in the demise of the Neanderthals. (Julku 191), [13] This is a result of a founding effect or a bottleneck effect. Graphs Todays Scandinavians are about 65%-80% Scandinavian as far as DNA goes, with the rest of the DNA being primarily Finnish, Western European, British, Eastern European, and Irish (all are > 1%). Of course, thats not to say there arent many Swedes with brown eyes. Natural platinum blonde or near-white hair occurs occasionally among the population in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Iceland, primarily among children (as hair tends to darken with age). of the Nordics (Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Faroe Islands, and Greenland). Facts However, its not uncommon for Swedish people to have dark brown (or sometimes even black) hair. It is thought that at one point in time that this group may have ranged as far as northern Germany up through Scandinavia. Sign in to download full-size image Figure 2.17. The dating site isnt active in Iceland so the Icelanders were not part of the survey. Scandinavians and other Europeans are tall on average primarily due to a vastly improved diet from the mid-1800s and onwards according to Lars Werdelin, a professor in paleozoology at the Swedish Museum of Natural History. The study of these Y chromosomal polymorphisms shows two major founding male lineages in not only the Smi, but the Finns as well. Lifestyle Gods & Goddesses [17] A study comparing the facial profile of young adult Swedes and Danes found that the Scandinavians have slightly higher cheekbones than the Danish population. This false belief was due to linguists of the time believing that Finno-Ugric languages had an eastern origin. Comparisons (Julku 183), Origin and Genetic Background of the Smi. Notable Nordic winners of the strongman competition include Icelands Hafr Jlus Bjrnsson (of Game of Thrones fame as Ser Gregor Clegane/The Mountain) and Swedens Magnus Samuelsson (who features in the series The Last Kingdom as the Viking band member Clapa). 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. Research surrounding the EDAR gene indicates that Scandinavians (along with most Europeans) generally have thinner hair, than for example East Asians and Native Americans. Movies Icelands epic landscapes draw hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Their eyes are light in many cases, including blue and green. Since freckles are thought to be connected to the same genes as red hair, we can assume that between 1-10% of the Scandinavian populationagain depending on where in Scandinavia you arehas freckles, which means they are also more sensitive to UV light. Your email address will not be published. The amount of curly-haired people in the Nordics is furthermore a much lesser part of the population compared to the rest of Europe. DNA studies have also shown that around 40% of modern Swedish men have their roots in bronze age migrations from the Russian steppes, 40% from bronze age migrations via northern Germany, and 20% from before the bronze age migrations. 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. Christian started Scandinavia Facts to explore his family heritage, raise awareness of one of his academic interests as a professor, and civilly promote the region. Nordic Traits The Viking beard was also a source of pride, and if someone insulted another mans beard that was grounds for killing the other man according to the sagas. [1] But it has so many exciting places that deciding which area to visit can be challenging. Do Scandinavians have a lot of body hair? Other things we can read about in the sagas and see on artifacts left behind for us to marvel at. Niskanen, Markku. 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