Genetic research proves that not all Vikings were blond Scandinavians | NOW

The Vikings were well-known conquerors and marauders who sailed around the world from Denmark, Sweden and Norway. The general consensus among historians was that they were all Scandinavians with predominantly blonde hair, but the largest genetic research ever on the historic Normans shows that this was by no means always the case.

The researchers looked at the genetic makeup of human remains from 2,400 BC to 1,600 AD. This shows that the itinerant Vikings by no means only took Northern European crew members on their boats. An international team of scientists, including from Denmark, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Russia, writes this in the scientific journal Nature.

For example, a grave was found in Scotland that is labeled as a Viking grave due to the symbolism and funerary gifts present. However, the deceased found had no resemblance to the Normans and was therefore presumably included in the culture.

Not only were outsiders influenced by the culture, but the culture itself was made up of people from mixed backgrounds. This is because Vikings traveled from Denmark, Norway and Sweden to England, Iceland, Greenland and the Baltic States, where they had children with local populations. This also undermines the notion that Vikings were predominantly blond. Many had dark hair.

However, it turns out to be unusual for a Danish Viking tribe to mix with a Norwegian or a Swedish one. They may have been enemies within Scandinavia, but the researchers cannot say this with certainty yet.

Families went on a looting tour together

The research also provides a new picture of the composition of marauding groups. It was often thought that Viking leaders brought with them the strongest warriors from surrounding tribes. However, a group of people was found in a cemetery of which at least five were closely related. This would imply that people also took their families on a rampage.

But traces have also been found of families who had traveled far from each other. For example, people were found who were related to each other, but whose remains have been discovered hundreds of kilometers apart. According to the researchers, this indicates how mobile the Vikings were.

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