Recommendations Chinese people have rounder eyes, while Japanese people usually have almond-shaped eyes. The Origin and Genetic Background of the Smi. Essentially, this means you will likely not meet as many curly-haired Scandinavians as you would southern Europeans or Americans for example. 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. (Niskanen 148), [17] Sweden is a beautiful country that attracts many tourists and ex-pats each year. http://www.lysator.liu.se/nordic/scn/faq23.html (accessed February 26, 2005). Science [14] There is still a large amount on new information to be uncovered about the Smis very ancient past. According to a Popular Science Monthly study, most Scandinavians have wavy hair, with some parts of northern Scandinavia having more coarse/straight hair. 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 Ive spent a lot of time reading about and trying to understand the Viking symbols left behind on runestones, jewelry, weapons, armor, and other items from the Viking Age. Though they speak a Finno-Ugric language, they are genetically distinct from other Finno-Ugric and Indo-European people. The most common light eye colors in Sweden include: According to an article by WorldAtlas, up to 78% of Swedes have blue eyes [2]. 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. 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). [10] So what did the Vikings actually look like? 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). Germanic 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. 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. Julku, Kysti. 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 [6] 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. The Scandinavian facial features are unique in terms of appearance. published in The American Journal Of Human Genetics. Both groups speak a Finno-Ugric language that causes them to be singled out among their Indo-European neighbors and associated historically with each other. Names He left Sweden at 19 to explore the world, and stayed abroad for almost 8 yearsduring which he backpacked, worked every job there was, earned a degree from UC Berkeley, and met the future mother of his children. Enjoy your visit! The cheeks tend to be rounder, and there is generally less definition around the face. I then categorized the colors as either light or dark: In other words, 85% of my friends and family in southern Scandinavia have light hair (ranging from blonde to light brown), and 75% have light eyes (blue, green, hazel, or grey). He also noted that they use a kind of indelible cosmetic to enhance the beauty of their eyes (believed to be Black Henbane). Comparisons This is also illustrated in reality when we look at the eye color of Swedish governors after the 2022 election, with 18 out of 21 (~86%) having brightly colored eyes; 16 pairs of blue eyes (~76% of total), and 2 pairs of green (~10% of total). (Niskanen 125), [11] When you couple this with the opportunity to spend time on athletic endeavors and have access to a protein-rich and generally plentiful diet it is easier to see why some Nordic people tend to generally do well in muscle competitions. Shoes On the other hand, many Swedes had contact with people residing in present-day Russia or in the Baltics. The Smi, as well of the Finns, are a very heterogeneous group of people who display a wide range of physical features. And the eyes are also one of the most important factors of physical attraction. High cheekbones werent always seen as a positive trait in the Nordic region though, as it was fairly common for the Germanic Scandinavians to look down upon the Finno-Ugric Samis as less civilized, at least up until the late 20th century. Modern Swedes are closely related to hunter-gatherers of the Pitted Ware culture. Next, take a look at the persons facial features. 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. Sweden [1] To sum it up, the average Swedes, Norwegians, Danes, Finns, and Icelanders are all very tall compared to the rest of the world. Volkswanderung. Human Race Archives. Europeans. The Mankind Quarterly 63:2 (2002): 183-191. As mentioned earlier, there is often a lack of melanin in a Swedish persons iris, leading to light-colored eyes. That particular haircut has just never been described or documented in any way as far as we know. Niskanen, Markku. 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. Other Nordic countries like Iceland have high cheekbones. It indicates a way to close an interaction, or dismiss a notification. Although light features are standard, some swedes have darker hair and eyes. All of our knowledge about pre-Viking Scandinavians comes from DNA analysis and theories, but for an idea of how modern-day Swedes, Danes, and Norwegians look like we can turn to some cold hard data and settle some standard questions right off the bat. And despite my own hesitations, Short also believes that when the sagas describe feats of extraordinary strength they may not entirely be heroic exaggeration. However, if the most recent data is true, the two groups seem to be genetically and linguistically distinct enough to allow them to finally be studied as separate groups, so there is an illogical sense to the Smi and Finns link as well. Filed Under: Psychological Articles and Infographics, 2023 HealthResearchFunding.org - Privacy Policy, 14 Hysterectomy for Fibroids Pros and Cons, 12 Pros and Cons of the Da Vinci Robotic Surgery, 14 Pros and Cons of the Cataract Surgery Multifocal Lens, 11 Pros and Cons of Monovision Cataract Surgery. Life 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. The surgeons in Scandinavia can correct the issue and give you a more attractive and balanced face. So it seems that all the pieces of the Smi puzzle have almost been put into place; however, with a history as long as theirs, pieces are always bound to be missing. Gods & Goddesses The face is narrow, with a fairly narrow forehead, narrow high-standing nose, and a narrow under jaw with an angularly-set, clear-cut chin. By Chris Drew (PhD) / February 26, 2023. 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]. A study comparing the facial profile of young adult Swedes and Danes found that the Scandinavians have slightly higher cheekbones than the Danish population. Lifestyle Their eyes are light in many cases, including blue and green. Viking, Norse, or Scandinavians from the Viking Agewhats the correct term? Do Scandinavians have natural white or platinum blonde hair? Quiz 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 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). Your email address will not be published. We exists to inform people about the people, culture, and history of Northern Europe. It would really help me in my studies, thank you for reading! This is according to genetic research by Medland et al. For many years, there was a common belief that the Smi may have migrated from the east and have an Asian genetic background rather than a European one. Can You Get By With English Only In the Nordic Countries? Ive compared them thoroughly in different categories and analyzed what online critics on IMDb and other sites think, in order to answer which show is the best of the three. There are a few theories on why people from Scandinavia, and the Nordics in general, can be light-skinned under low UV conditions (i.e. March 1998. 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. 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. Winter, Get in touch with your inner Scandinavian. Do Scandinavians have a lot of facial hair? Required fields are marked *. While this is somewhat a result of natural selection that has allowed for adaptation to an environment with very low ultraviolet radiation, light pigments, like the Y chromosomal polymorphisms, are a result of a founding effect, not sexual selection, as it was once thought of in the past. A high and narrow face with marked features, mildly With the help of modern DNA analysis of ancient Viking remains, we can also establish factors such as what hair color was most common among the Norse people, if they had a lot of body hair, and how likely it was that they had a beard (or at least could grow one). [2] 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. [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. 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). 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. Are Scandinavians and Nordics especially strong? The First Scandinavians Where Dark-skinned and Blue-eyed. Circum Polar Perspective. There has been a discovery of a Smi motif, which is a group of three specific mutations found in 1/3 of the Smi people. Depending on which combination of the genes you have, you will develop either red hair and freckles, only red hair, or only freckles. Chernoff faces. 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. The average linear dimensions were greater in males than in females, although both groups had slightly higher cheekbones. The study further reinforces this by showing how the Viking population was very diverse compared to neighboring cultures and peoples, especially in popular trade spots such as Gotland, land, and Zealand. All living humans who descended from Africa have about 2% Neanderthal DNA, and this includes Scandinavians. Nordic fall/winter), but also get a darker tan under high UV conditions (i.e. English Read Article Now. Curious how modern-day Scandinavians look compared to their Viking ancestors? The average Scandinavian isnt necessarily stronger than any other given person in the world, but there has been a very high amount of Worlds Strongest Man contestants and winners from the Nordic and Scandinavian countries, with Nordic men landing in the top 3 a whopping 30 out of the 44 years the competition has taken place (thats a 68% chance of at least one Nordic in the top 3). Curious how Vikings actually looked like? Their eyes are light in many cases, including blue and green. Ive written an analysis of The Last Kingdom if you want to find out if its worth watching or not. However, their high cheekbones are not due to genetics. Therefore, other traits need to be studied in order to identify the sex of skeletons. So there is at least something to the myth from a North American perspective (beauty standards differ around the world, after all). The Nordic people as a whole really like the Swedes and Norwegians. 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