The average height of a Viking male was about 173 cm (5 feet 7 inches), while Viking women typically stood around 157 cm (5 feet 2 inches). Surprised? Many people are shocked to learn that these warriors weren't as tall as they thought.
"The examination of skeletons from different localities in Scandinavia reveals that the average height of the Vikings was a little less than that of today: men were about 5 ft 7-3/4 in. tall and women 5 ft 2-1/2 in.
Viking warriors were renowned for their incredible strength and endurance, honed through a demanding lifestyle and rigorous training regime. One testament to their physical prowess was their ability to lift massive stones, some weighing as much as 530 pounds, exceeding the weight of modern strongman equipment.
10,000 years ago: European males – 162.5cm (5 ft 4 inches). A dramatic reduction in the size of humans occurred at this time. Many scientists think that this reduction was influenced by global climatic change and the adoption of agriculture.
Right from childhood, the Vikings enjoyed a good nutritional diet, teeming with proteins and nutrients. Such early dietary advantages laid the foundation for their adult height. Their diet, abundant in fish, meat and dairy, was a nature-made height-boosting formula.
Jóhann Kristinn Pétursson (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈjouːhanː ˈkrɪstɪn ˈpʰjɛːtʏr̥sɔn]; 9 February 1913 – 26 November 1984), also known as the Icelandic Giant and the Viking Giant, was an Icelandic circus performer and actor who at his peak measured 2.34 metres (7 ft 8 in) in height and weighed 163 kilograms (359 lb).
The researchers found that 33% of Norwegian skeletons bore signs of healed injuries—clear evidence that violence was part of daily life. Even more startling, 37% of the skeletons showed signs of lethal trauma, suggesting that many Vikings met their end in brutal clashes.
Genetic research has shown that the Vikings in West Scandinavia, and therefore in Denmark, were mostly red-haired. However, in North Scandinavia, in the area around Stockholm, blonde hair was dominant.
If the Vikings faced the Romans at their peak, they would have little chance of victory. The Romans had superior technology, tactics and logistics that would allow them to crush any Viking invasion. However, if the Vikings faced the Romans during their decline, they might have a better chance.
Nevertheless, over this whole period they found that the mean height (of their sample of 150 skeletons) was 157.5cm (or 5ft 2in) for women and 167.9cm (or 5ft 6in) for men, quite like today.
Vikings did not do calisthenics or lift weights in the gymnasium like the ancient Greeks and Romans sometimes would. Still, they had plenty of "strongman events," such as lifting stones, logs, or carrying heavy objects.
The Ancient Greeks averaged 166 cm (5 ft 5 in) for males and 154 cm (5 ft 1 in) for females. The Romans were slightly taller, with an average height of 169 cm (5 ft 7 in) for males and 158 cm (5 ft 2 in) for females.
For example, the first Shogun, Minamoto no Yoritomo's (1147 – 1199) height is said to be around 165 cm, which is slightly smaller than the average modern male at the time.
The description of 11 May 1582 states: Nobunaga-sama was accompanied by a black man who was presented to him by the missionaries and to whom he gave a stipend. His body was black like ink and he was 6 shaku 2 bu [182.4 cm or near 6 feet] tall. His name was said to be Yasuke.
The Vikings needed all the energy that they could get in the form of fat – especially in winter. Meat, fish, vegetables, cereals and milk products were all an important part of their diet. Sweet food was consumed in the form of berries, fruit and honey. In England the Vikings were often described as gluttonous.
Vikings were often described and depicted with well-groomed and sometimes elaborate facial hair, ranging from full and long beards to more practical Viking-style mutton chops and mustaches. Historians believe that most Norse men had facial hair, and those who didn't were even mocked for it according to the sagas.
Several things, like genetics and diet. Scandinavians are genetically the tallest, with the mix of western and eastern hunter gatherers. And they had a diet of mixed protein from fish and animals. Farmers eating wheat or rice grow shorter, but Scandinavia had mixed farming without wheat.
But otherwise they were no different from today's population. We probably would not notice a Stone Age man if he dressed in modern clothes and walked down the street! An expert might recognize that the skull was slightly heavier or the jaw muscles were well developed due to the coarse diet.
Neanderthals - Homo neanderthalensis. Language ability: relatively advanced language abilities, but evidence suggests that they may have had a limited vocal range compared to modern humans.
