How Nordics and Scandinavians see each other, an article where I go into detail about Viking traits and looks, which languages each Nordic nationality actually uses when communicating with fellow Nordics, how Vikings actually looked (how big they were, how they wore their hair, where they came from, their hair and eye color, etc. Vikings were proud of their beards, and facial hair in archeological findings see a sudden increase during the Viking age (compared to the bronze age), suggesting there was a strong cultural preference for beards. Whether the Scandinavian beauty myth is real or not is hard to say, but Nordic magazine The Local listed Beautiful Women and Handsome Men among the top 10 things US expats notice after theyve lived in Sweden for a while. There are plenty of famous Scandinavians with notably high cheekbones, a trait which is commonly passed down in the Nordic region through families with Sami heritage. 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. 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 greater width and length of the mean Dutch female face are highlighted, respectively, in the lateral (Figure 1b: opposing redblue at the left and right exocanthi at 0.7 SD) and vertical heat maps (Figure 1c: yellow on chin at 0.7 SD). Required fields are marked *. 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. 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. Though differences in size are generally bigger between men and women than between different ethnicities. WebThis is what people look like at Bondi Beach, Sydney. 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! One of the few written accounts we have on specific Viking hairstyles is an Old English text where an Anglo-Saxon man is angry at his brother for adopting a heathen haircut and forgetting his own customs. They also often have a straight nose but a hump at the noses bridge. Research surrounding the EDAR gene indicates that Scandinavians (along with most Europeans) generally have thinner hair, than for example East Asians and Native Americans. She goes on passing the basin round from one to another until she has taken it to all the men in the house in turn. Scandinavian Average Height in the Nordics (Data & Graphs), The average height of both males and females in the Nordic countries (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland) are all among the tallest 20 countries in the world (or top 10%), but why is that? They have high cheekbones as a result of their heavy brows. Whether these traits stem from a diverse pre-bronze age population, geographical conditions, or the modern diet of the region as a whole is hard to say, but they all likely played some part at least. 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]. He describes them this way: I have seen the Rus as they came on their merchant journeys and encamped by the Volga. 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. What are typical Swedish features? The Swedish and Danish samples were similar with regard to age distribution, sample size, dental conditions and radiographic procedures. Norway The ability to have an internal loci of control and to act on it makes the Scandinavian Personality Trait a key trait for personal success. People in Europe have many contrasting facial features that can create them stand out from one another. Nordic and Scandinavian Physical Traits Today. (http://members.tripod.com/SAMI_SIIDA/genetic.html). Nordic Traits A study comparing the facial profile of young adult Swedes and Danes found that the Scandinavians have slightly higher cheekbones than the Danish population. Being a little stoic and reserved can actually serve you well in many career fields. 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?) Finally, there are some written accounts as well that describe hairstyles in more or less detailed ways. Your email address will not be published. The First Scandinavians Where Dark-skinned and Blue-eyed. Though they speak a Finno-Ugric language, they are genetically distinct from other Finno-Ugric and Indo-European people. Finland Curious about where the Vikings came from and how they ended up in Scandinavia? 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. Shoes As a result of their high cheekbones, they have a high chance of being considered more attractive by foreign men. Savontaus, Marja-Liisa. Either way, we are dealing with theories in the end so all we can do is to look at the data we have available and make the best and most logical assumptions we can. Design Ive noticed that surgeons in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark all offer surgery to counteract this condition in case it disrupts your eyesight, or as an elective procedure for cosmetic reasons, and this procedure isnt as commonly seen in other areas of the world. 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. https://en.natmus.dk/historical-knowledge/denmark/prehistoric-period-until-1050-ad/the-viking-age/the-people/appearance/, Heres a quote from their text: These ambiguous facial features mean that it is difficult to decide upon a Viking skeletons sex based on the skull alone. They had a diet full of carbs (bread), protein and fat (fish, pork), which combined with constant physical activity from a young age likely produced stronger-than-average men and women. 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. Its worth keeping in mind that being a Viking was more of a profession than ethnicity, and seeing as that profession included raiding, pillaging and striking fear into the minds of their enemies, it makes sense that these folks were a bit larger and stronger on average. Pale WebSome of the familiar Scandinavian personality traits include: reticence, a highly skeptical personality, general mistrust of strangers, cautious behavior, somewhat reserved 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). The idea that geographical location and genetics plays a huge role in how personality develops. 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. Niskanen, Markku. Its no so hard to understand Ibn Fadlans disgust, when you factor in that according to muslim faith one has to wash in running water or water poured from a bowl (and not reused). The sagas reveal feats of great strength, and while that may be exaggerated, analysis of skeletal remains show larger-than-average muscle mass. 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%). (Complete Guide to Viking Traits), Recent advancements in DNA analysis tech have led to extraordinary insight into how Vikings looked, from hair and eye color to size and ancestry. Modern Swedes are closely related to hunter-gatherers of the Pitted Ware culture. Do Scandinavians have natural white or platinum blonde hair? Other famous Scandinavians with high cheekbones include Fredrik Ljungberg (pictured below to the right), Mads Mikkelsen, Tim Avicii Berg, and Viggo Mortensen. By the way, if you'd like to connect to your inner Scandinavian with some stylish prints and clothing, I've created a collection of high-quality and authentic Nordic posters and apparel. The Nordic countries share a history that goes back hundreds of years. While there are some that feature darker Mongoloid-like characteristics, there are others who display very light colored pigments in their skin and hair. The amount of curly-haired people in the Nordics is furthermore a much lesser part of the population compared to the rest of Europe. Scientifically speaking, there are a couple of factors that could play in the Scandinavians favor as far as sexual selection and attractiveness go: I want to point out that beauty is entirely objective, and what is considered attractive for some may not be for others. (Complete Guide), Recent advancements in DNA analysis tech have led to extraordinary insight into how Vikings looked, from hair and eye color to size and ancestry. Nevertheless, since many light-featured Swedes have children together, the same traits are passed down through generations. Point of View. The Mankind Quarterly 63:2 (2002): 122-148. The average height of Swedes is slightly higher than the average height of Americans, both male and female. Therefore, other traits need to be studied in order to identify the sex of skeletons. This article will discuss what Swedish people look like in more detail. If you feel youre suffering from this type of facial feature, you can seek a cosmetic surgeon in Scandinavia. WebLatvian face features are light hair and gray, bluish, or greenish eyes, some of them are of darker complexion, generally with brownish hair and eyes. (Savontaus), [2] These features make them stand out among their Nordic neighbours. of the Nordics (Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Faroe Islands, and Greenland). 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