Vikings- The Original Hipsters

Dispelling the Myths- Norse Edition

Vikings were unkempt barbarians.

Historical accounts can vary greatly between races and cultures. This article will be debunking the mythology surrounding the cleanliness of the Norse people, especially the men. Though the accounts of cultures that had unfortunately met with Norsemen on the battle field portray them in a very negative light, it is now being discovered that during their time they were actually one of the more well groomed peoples across all of Europe.

Various archeological sites that had links to the Norse people have uncovered some very interesting finds. Grooming tools, such as combs, tweezers, decorative beads and rings to style the beards of the men have been uncovered.

Upon further investigations, these finds have revealed a little known truth, Viking men were into “Manscaping”!

Yes, that is correct! The Norse men took as much pride in their grooming and fashion as the females did. Could it be that the Vikings were some of the original Hipsters to conquer the known world?

The grooming process and styles used were of great importance, as certain fashions would also depict one’s social status amongst the clan, and the practice of personal hygiene was also an expected daily practice.

This by no means would translate to them smelling like roses, but in comparison to many other European cultures at the time, it certainly made them stand out. This activity seemed to be commonplace amongst the Norse people.

Every morning the men would wash their faces and hair, followed by combing, then even styling the beard via various methods. Some would braid, some would adorn their beards with beads or rings, but this was done attentively and with more than one purpose.

Looking your best was an expected part of Norse culture, hence every man and women possessing certain grooming tools, but as previously mentioned, the reasons for grooming was not just hygiene or fashion related.

A skilled warrior would be conscious of how his long hair and beard may hinder him in battle, and would make accommodations for these potential inconveniences. Sometimes he would cut or trim his hair, or restyle in such a way that it would not become an obstruction during a fight. Consequently, the end result was a very well groomed and decorated warrior, that was not only wearing the latest fashions, but had a hairstyle to match.

Though hygiene practices and “manscaping” for battle were more practical applications of grooming, all men where known to be dressed to their best standard, especially when a “Thing” was being held.

Now you’ve heard of the term “Peacocking”, and this is exactly what these Vikings did. Since the “Thing” was strictly a male activity, and the men would sometimes travel great distances to attend these events, they wanted to show off their fashionable clothes, their well combed hair, and their decorative beards on display to highlight their social status and instigate competition amongst the clans to better themselves, both aesthetically and hygienically.

This is a rather stark contrast comparatively to the accounts of The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles which depict wild, savage, dirty barbarians whom were nothing but blood thirsty animals, but of course that would be the recorded account from a group of people that had just been dominated and massacred in a gruesome battle.

The Vikings were much richer in culture, sophistication and societal order than what many people know or believe to be true. I have seen this quite regularly amongst certain disgruntled members of these Norse related Facebook communities, whom even feel insulted at the suggestion they may be descended from Norse people.

As I write more articles, I shall be debunking further myths regarding the Vikings and bringing to light a completely different perspective on this powerful culture, and the rich forms of art, music, legal practice and information regarding them being well established traders even through the Middle East. Fighting was only one aspect of the Vikings, but this was commonplace everywhere, people had to fight to survive, to protect themselves, or to conquer new lands, but not every Viking encounter ended up in bloodshed.

Next time you think of Vikings, think of them as well groomed, well dressed people, whom had a stable societal structure that encouraged the people to cooperate and work together. Basically a modern day Hipster that could fight with the ferocity of bear if and when required.

Till my next installment. Peace be with you.