swedish people facial characteristics
And then again, Vikings loved to express their creative sides in artful and ornamental ways, and were known to have filed down their own teeth in likely attempts to look scarier (and cooler), as seen in archeological findings. (Julku 183), Origin and Genetic Background of the Smi. A few notable exceptions have been found on the Oseberg cart from around 800 CE, where shorter haircuts with shaved sides and backs are clearly engraved multiple times, though there are plenty of long-haired specimens as well. 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. Historians believe that most Norse men had facial hair, and those who didnt were even mocked for it according to the sagas. While it doesnt necessarily have to be blonde, it can also be different shades of light brown. He describes them this way: I have seen the Rus as they came on their merchant journeys and encamped by the Volga. It may be a result of northern Sweden and Norway being the domain of Finno-Ugric Smi reindeer herders, a group that was out of the cultural grasp of the Indo-Europeans that seem to have succeeded in imposing their language only on areas with some level of agriculture. Since up to 78% of the Swedish population has blue eyes, its easy to see that blue is the dominant color, even if it is technically a recessive gene! Curious how modern-day Scandinavians look compared to their Viking ancestors? All shades of blonde and light brown colors are standard in Sweden, and some Swedes even have red or ginger-colored hair. The significance of this rests with the fact that this mutation has only been found in six other samples. What Is The Average Car Loan Interest Rate? 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 9 in) in height, compared to 175.3 cm (5 ft 8 in) in modern-day USA and England. Science [14] an average adjusted for the population of each country within the region), we can see that the Nordic and Baltic men are the tallest in the world, but as the Baltic ladies are slightly taller (0.5 cm / 0.2 in) than their Nordic sisters, the Baltics narrowly takes the prize as the tallest region in the World in front of the Nordics. For more information on what we actually know about Viking hairstyles, Id recommend listening to Dr. Jackson Crawford who specializes in Old Norse (he teaches Scandinavian Studies at my Alma Mater UC Berkeley, on top of talking about Norse mythology on YouTube): We do not have as many archeological findings of different female hairstyles as we have for male cuts, but nonetheless here are some that are fairly historically accurate: The hairstyles come from artifacts, sculptures, engravings and similar left behind in Viking graves, so they are likely to have been at least somewhat popular during the Viking Age. Females had stronger jawlines in general, while men had slimmer faces.. Ive written an article for those who are thinking of watching the show but havent made up their minds yet, where I also compare the shows IMDb ratings in detail toGame of ThronesandThe Last Kingdom. soc.culture.nordic. Their beginnings are closely linked with the origin of the Finns. 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. This means that the Smi could very well have been almost completely isolated for several thousands of years. When it all comes down to it the classic Nordic/Scandinavian stereotype seems to hold true still. The Swedish eye color is similar to the Nordic eye color. Blonde hair. Scandinavian people do not have a very high prevalence of the EDAR gene, thought to be connected with thicker hair (among other traits). [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. 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. Is History ChannelsVikingsworth watching? Well, in many cases not at all. Results: The faces of sleep deprived individuals were perceived as having more hanging eyelids, redder eyes, more swollen eyes, darker circles under the eyes, paler skin, more wrinkles/fine lines, and more droopy corners of the mouth (effects ranging from b = +3 1 to b = +15 1 mm on 100-mm visual analog scales, P < 0.01). 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. As weve established, most Nordic people today have brightly colored eyes, with some areas reaching up to 80% of the population (P. Frost 2006). Depending on which combination of the genes you have, you will develop either red hair and freckles, only red hair, or only freckles. Old Norse mythology is filled with fascinating symbolism, and the runic alphabets of Germanic Europe have told numerous tales of heroic deeds and tragic deaths over the years. There are no scientific studies suggesting Scandinavians, or any other people for that matter, are considered more attractive than others. The average height of both males and females is high in Scandinavian countries when you look on a global scale, with the Nordic countries all ranking among the tallest 20 countries, and all with a male average height over 180 cm (5 ft 10 in). Thats a high amount, considering that only around 2% of the worlds population has blonde hair [7]. Third, Scandinavians do tend to tan and get olive-skinned in the summer, which is due to a mix of genetic makeup, unusually high UV exposure levels, and a diet generally high in Vitamin D. Scandinavians do not have particularly large noses, as Northern Europeans tend to have more narrow noses than people in warmer climates, as an adaptation to the cooler climate. And since many Swedes lack this melanin, their eyes take on different light colors. Go check it out if you havent made up your mind yet! [2] Language Stockholm If this is true, they would have been separated from other Europeans, who traveled back south during this time. They built powerful cultures and countries. A few of these characteristics are common to all Europeans while others are mainly found in certain ethnic groups. Greek people features stereotypically include having olive-brown skin, brown eyes and dark brown hair. The sample size and dental conditions were similar in both studies. Vikings were mostly blond (with Danes specifically being mostly red-haired) according to skeletal DNA studies, but identifying as Viking wasnt limited to people with Scandinavian ancestry (vikingr just means pirate after all). Thank you for visiting Scandinavia Facts. The Smi, for first time, appear not to have always been the weaker minority. This percentage is exceptionally high because light eyes generally are not dominant in most countries outside of Scandinavia. Scandinavian After the divergence of the Finns from the Smi, the Smi tended to have offspring within their own group; however, the influence from the Baltic and Germanic people caused the Finns to intermix with other Indo-Europeans, making them more genetically similar to the Europeans than the Smi are. 1999. Germanic 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. English Having worked with graphic design for most of my life, Im a huge fan of typography and symbolism, and also a huge history nerd. published in The American Journal Of Human Genetics. So what do the rest of the Nordics look like? A study comparing the facial profile of young adult Swedes and Danes found that the Scandinavians have slightly higher cheekbones than the Danish population. Fika 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). Two eyes, one nose, a mouth. Probably a chin and ears. I think. Its a matter of perspective, in other words, but what we do know specifically is that Vikings washed themselves every morning, and even had one dedicated day (Laugardagur / Lrdag / Saturday) to get thoroughly clean. After all, there could be more reasons Ibn Fadlan described the group of Rus he encountered on the river Volga as tattooed from top to toe, as he mightve wanted them to appear more exotic and barbaric to the Muslim world. They also were great innovators. 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? Your email address will not be published. Karl, Clothes The Swedish and Danish samples were similar with regard to age distribution, sample size, dental conditions and radiographic procedures. Top Articles 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. 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. A study by the National Library of Medicine concluded that its more challenging for skin with more pigmentation (i.e., darker skin) to absorb vitamin D [4]. Between 1-10% of the population of Scandinavia have red hair according to studies that have mapped out the so-called red hair genes. The further north you live, the less sunlight you get during the colder part of the year. ), How the Dutch & Scandinavians Are Connected (Complete Guide), Norse vs. Norwegian vs. Nordic: Differences Explained, Average Height in the Nordics (Data & Graphs), https://kaw.wallenberg.org/forskning/atlas-med-forhistoriskt-dna-ger-ny-bild-av-manniskans-ursprung. The Greeks or Hellenes are an ethnic group and nation indigenous to Greece, Cyprus, southern Albania, Anatolia, parts I love this site, and I dont want to make sound as Im complaining now but I must say that I am very skeptical of the dark-skinned and blue-eyed people who are said to be the first Scandinavians. 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). They are not afraid to be late. 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. A survey by Hotels.com and Match.com asked 5000 Nordic singles in 2014 which Nordic country has the most attractive people, and here are the results: Singles in Norway, Denmark, and Finland all voted for Swedes as the most attractive (you could not vote for your own country), while the Swedes overwhelmingly seem to prefer Norwegian women and men. height of adult males during the Viking Age (in cm). Scandinavia before the bronze age had the most genetically diverse population in Europe, with the original darker skinned people being present much longer in Scandinavia compared to the rest of Europe (where the light-skinned farmers pushed away the dark-skinned hunters almost entirely). This is a result of a founding effect or a bottleneck effect. Yet, there exists no actual evidence that we know of that any Norse person ever wore their hair like that, but with names like Sveynn Forkbeard (a beard parted in two) and Harald Fairhair (especially remarkable hair), its fair to assume that Vikings valued and cared for both their hair and their appearance in general. Top Articles WebSwedish ( ethnic ones not Saamis), mostly belong to what is called the Nordic race which is centered in Northern Europe. That said, it is assumed that having long hair was generally seen as more important the higher up on the social ladder one was, with the jarls having long and elaborate hairstyles, while they had their thralls (slaves, who made up around 20-30% of the population) cut their hair short. Music When did they come into being? Nordic Coffee Culture Explained: From Fika to Kask. According to a 2020 study published in The Lancet, Danes are the 4th tallest people in the world, followed by the Icelandic in 6th, the Swedes in 12th, Norwegians in 13th, and finally the Finns as 17th tallest people in the world. Who is this group of people? (Gene Expression), [14] 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? May 2000. This article will discuss what Swedish people look like in more detail. The Arab chronicler Ibn Fadlan reaffirms this, being quite impressed with the size of a group of Norse merchants (specifically Rus, likely with Swedish origins) he encountered on his travels near the Volga river. [12] Of course, thats not to say there arent many Swedes with brown eyes. 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. 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