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Legends often portray Vikings as strong blond-haired warriors whose pastimes included engaging in battles and plunders. There is definitely no lack of artistic and literary representation of this group of people, but scientifically, there is still a lot to be known about the Vikings.

A recent DNA study, however, aims to reveal the true genetic diversity of the Vikings, adding more to what we already know about the powerful group of people.

Origin of the Vikings

There has never been any clear answer about the origins of the Vikings. In fact, even the name “Viking” is contested. The English name originates from an Old Norse word, víking, which had several different meanings, most of which are related to the action of raiding or exploring. It was a term commonly used by the victims of these raids that occurred between AD 750 and 1050, otherwise known as the Viking era.

Scientists have been able to tell about the Viking lifestyle through artifacts like swords and helmets found in Norway. The new DNA study furthers this knowledge by gathering genetic information from the remains of 442 individuals who lived between 2400 BC and AD 1600 buried in areas known to be Viking territory or buried with Viking artifacts.

The Viking Era

It was a challenge to gather these remains which were sourced from more than 80 archaeological sites across northern Europe, Italy, and Greenland. Indeed, the DNA analysis revealed that unlike legends, Vikings were a diverse group of people and traced their roots to ancient hunter-gatherers and farmers.

The study was also able to pinpoint three major hot spots where people mixed with people from other regions. Considered to be the hotbeds of trade, these three areas pinpointed are the place known today as Denmark, the islands of Gotland, and what is known today as Sweden.

The Vikings were explorers and set off from Scandinavia, and while some returned home, the genetic analysis reveals that the group did not move a lot within the greater Scandinavian region. Instead, they spent more time outside the region and interacted more with people from other regions.

According to Eske Willerslev, an evolutionary geneticist and a professor of ecology and evolution at the University of Copenhagen and director of the Center of Excellence in Genetics that led the Viking genome project, it is pretty clear now that the Vikings are not a homogeneous group of people. Instead, they are mixed individuals tracing their origins to Scandinavia, Southern Europe, and even a mix of Sami (Indigenous Scandinavian) and European ancestry.

He adds that the results of the study proves that the Viking phenomenon should not be purely attributed to the Scandinavian. It has its origins in the region but it spread out widely.

Ethnic Diversity of the Vikings

Aside from the fact that the Vikings spread out beyond the Scandinavian regions, the study also shows that modern Scandinavians don’t have much in common with the ancient Vikings. According to the analysis, only 15% to 30% of modern day Swedes could claim Viking ancestry. It further suggests that there was a wide range migration and intermixing of peoples after the Viking era.

Then again, even the Vikings themselves did not conform to stereotypical Scandinavian looks. For instance, the ancient individuals studied by the scientists had darker hair and eyes that the average modern Dane.

These results confirm the theory that the Vikings were a diverse group unbound by nation and ethnicity. According to Davide Zori, an assistant professor of history and archaeology at Baylor University and was not involved with the study, people commonly think of the Vikings as a group of people who more or less looked the same and possess stereotypical traits like blond hair, beard and an imposing build. However, the study effectively negates these stereotypes.

The study also revealed close kinship ties between the Vikings. At a burial in Salme, Estonia, 41 Swedish males, 4 of which were biological brothers, were buried after a battle and were laid side by side. Furthermore, researchers also discovered a second-degree family connection between a Viking in Oxford, England and another in a Danish cemetery. This illustrates just how mobile family members often were.

Despite the wealth of information offered by the study, we have yet to find out how the Viking phenomenon began in the first place. With the lack of ethnic or regional similarities to bind these people together, scientists are still trying to find out what brought them together.

Zori theorizes that because of adaptation to dominant cultural modes of survival, it is likely that people adapted to being a Viking, which was considered one of the primary modes of survival and success during the time.

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