Buzz
When most people think of Vikings, they envision violent, blonde warriors in horned helmets, rampaging and causing destruction. However, these images are based on misconceptions. The Vikings, who lived between the late eighth and early eleventh century, made a significant mark on Western civilization despite their relatively short history.
10. One Unified Nation
Myth: The Vikings were a single nation
The Vikings were not a single nation, but rather various groups of warriors, explorers, and merchants, each led by a chieftain. During the Viking Age, Scandinavia was not divided into the modern countries of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Instead, each chieftain ruled a smaller territory. The term 'Viking' refers to the Old Norse word for someone who took part in seafaring expeditions, not a specific location.
9. Wild, Untamed People
Myth: The Vikings were dirty, untamed individuals
Vikings are often portrayed in movies and cartoons as messy, savage-looking figures, but in reality, they cared greatly about their personal appearance. Archaeological discoveries from Viking Age sites reveal a wealth of grooming tools like combs, tweezers, razors, and 'ear spoons'. These digs also uncovered evidence that Vikings made soap.
In England, the Vikings were known for their exceptional hygiene due to their weekly bathing habit, which occurred every Saturday. This tradition has left a linguistic mark, as Saturday is still called 'laugar-dagur' in Icelandic, 'laurdag' in Danish, 'lørdag' in Norwegian, and 'lördag' in Swedish, all meaning 'washing day.' Although the original connection is often forgotten, the term 'laug' still refers to a bath or pool in Icelandic.
8. Big and Blond
Misconception: The Vikings were all big and blond
The portrayal of Vikings as towering, muscular warriors with long, flowing blond hair is a misconception. Historical records reveal that the average Viking man was about 170 cm (5'7”), which was quite average for the time. While blond hair was highly valued in Viking culture, many men would bleach their hair using a special soap. Furthermore, Viking societies were highly diverse, incorporating people from many different backgrounds. Those who had been enslaved and captured during raids often became part of the Viking population. As a result, Viking groups likely included Italians, Spaniards, Portuguese, French, and Russians, creating a highly varied community centered around areas such as southern Denmark or the Oslo fjord.
7. Skull Drinking Vessels
Myth: The Vikings sipped from skull vessels
The origin of this myth can be traced back to Ole Worm’s “Reuner seu Danica literatura antiquissima” from 1636, where he mentions that Danish warriors drank from “curved branches of skulls” – likely referring to horns (as depicted above), which was misinterpreted in Latin as meaning actual human “skulls.” However, no skull cups have ever been found in Viking Age archaeological sites.
6. Primitive Weaponry
Myth: The Vikings wielded primitive, unrefined weapons
Vikings are frequently depicted with basic, crude weapons such as clubs and rough axes, but in reality, they were highly skilled weapon smiths. Through a technique known as pattern welding, the Vikings were able to forge swords that were both incredibly sharp and flexible. According to the Viking Sagas, one method of testing a sword's quality involved placing the hilt in a cold stream and floating a strand of hair over it. If the sword cut the hair, it was deemed a quality weapon.
5. Hometown
Myth: The Vikings only lived in Scandinavia
While the Vikings did indeed originate in the Scandinavian countries, they eventually established settlements in a wide range of locations, including North Africa, Russia, Constantinople, and even North America. Several theories attempt to explain the reasons behind Viking expansion. One suggests that the population in Scandinavia had outgrown the agricultural potential of the region. Another theory proposes that the decline in profitability of ancient trade routes in Western Europe and Eurasia, following the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century, forced the Vikings to seek out new routes for international trade. Pictured above is a Viking village in Canada. [Image Copyright © Rolf Hicker]
4. Disliked by Their Contemporaries
Myth: The Vikings were despised everywhere they went
While many might assume the Vikings were universally despised because of their raids, some actually held them in high regard. For instance, King Charles III of France, known as Charles the Simple, granted the Vikings the land they had settled on in Normandy. Moreover, he gave his daughter to the Viking chief Rollo as part of an agreement in which the Vikings would protect France from more ferocious Viking tribes.
In Constantinople, the Vikings were respected for their formidable strength, so much so that in the 11th century, the Varangian Guard, a prestigious military unit of the Byzantine emperors, was composed entirely of Swedish Vikings.
3. Helmet Design
Misconception: It is a common misconception that Vikings wore horned helmets.
One of the biggest misconceptions about Vikings is the idea that they wore horned helmets. In reality, there are no records of such helmets ever existing. All Viking helmets from the Viking age, as shown in historical depictions, were hornless. The only authentic Viking helmet ever discovered also lacked horns. The myth of horned helmets likely originated from Christian Europeans of the time, who added the horns to depict the Vikings as even more barbaric and pagan, associating them with Satan. It's also worth mentioning that Thor, the Norse god, wore a helmet with wings, which could be the source of the confusion.
2. Viking Raids and Plunder
Misconception: Vikings relied solely on pillaging for their livelihood
In reality, only a small portion of the Vikings were warriors. The majority were farmers, craftsmen, and traders. For those Vikings who took to the seas, pillaging was only one of many objectives in their voyages. The Vikings peacefully settled in places like Iceland and Greenland, and they were also international merchants, trading with nearly every country known to the world at that time.
1. Bloodthirsty
Misconception: The Vikings were particularly bloodthirsty and barbaric
While the Viking raids were undeniably violent, this was a time marked by bloodshed, and the real question is whether other non-Viking forces were any less savage or ruthless. For example, Charlemagne, a contemporary of the Vikings, almost wiped out the entire Avar people. At the Battle of Verden, he ordered the execution of 4,500 Saxons. What set the Vikings apart was their apparent focus on destroying sacred items, like Christian monasteries and holy sites, and slaying clergy members, which fueled a deep animosity against them during a period of heightened religious devotion. The Vikings, it seems, took pleasure in their fearsome reputation, as people would often flee their cities at the sight of a Viking ship rather than attempting to resist them.
