Vikings are White

Norðmenn (Northmen), and thus Vikings, are traditionally and historically white, and the primary factor is biological.

As Norsemen, our skin is white because of environmental adaptation, and namely, evolving in areas that do not see the sun that much, including for months at a time in winter.

Having our skin tanned is not healthy. It is a reaction from our body that signals we have received too much sun exposure and we are endangering our body. Exposure to UVB actually destroys our melanocytes, or skin cells, resulting in first degree burns and what we commonly refer to as sun burns. Exposure to UVA also leads to further damage to the skin visible through accelerated aging. Furthermore, exposure to both UVA and UVB damages our DNA.

The fairer our skin, the less melanin we produce, an essential natural pigment that captures and neutralizes UV's. Whiter skins therefore have less resistance to sun exposure, as well as a higher risk of skin cancer from sun exposure.

The whiter our skin, the less sun exposure we actually require. We in fact only need 10 to 15 minutes of sun exposure per day on average in order to produce enough Vitamin D, which is essential to absorb calcium, promote bone growth, and maintain a healthy muscle mass. 

Natural protection against sun damage includes body hair, and thus beards (see "The Benefits of Beards"), or simply living in an environment we, as Norsemen, have adapted to over hundreds of thousands of years of evolution: The North.

The whiter we are, the more sensitive we are to the sun, and the higher our risk of skin cancer, because we have evolved to thrive in a northern environment with minimal sun exposure.

In contrast, the skin of people who have not evolved in northern environments is darker, and even completely black in some regions such as Africa. This is an adaptation to near-constant exposure to the sun.

Because dark-skinned people have evolved to thrive in sunny environments, they have no visual mechanism, such as tanning, to signal unhealthy exposure to the sun, as they are more resistant to UVA and UVB exposure.

The darker their skin, the more melanin they produce. Darker skins therefore have much greater resistance to sun exposure, as well as a much lower risk of skin cancer from sun exposure.

The darker the skin, the more sun exposure a person also requires. Inadequate sun exposure, such as living in northern environments, results in Vitamin D deficiency and leads to various health ailments, including but not limited to weaker muscles and bones, increased risk of death from cardiovascular diseases, cognitive impairment, severe asthma in children, cancer, and is also linked to type 1 and 2 diabetes, hypertension, glucose intolerance and multiple sclerosis. In the latest study from the Department of International Health, Immunology and Microbiology at the University of Copenhagen, Vitamin D was also found to be instrumental in activating human T cells, essential to keep the human body healthy overall.

People with darker skins, including those from Africa and the Middle East, have not evolved to live, let alone thrive, in northern environments.

Another reason Norðmenn are white, is cultural. Cultural specificities are indeed normally and generally associated with race. As a result, Viking predominantly bred with the same ethnicities, and even limited raids to settlements of the same race.

Occasional Multi-racial Vikings

According to Landnámabók (Book of Settlements), one of Iceland's first settlers, over 1,200 years ago, is named Geirmundur Heljarskinn Hjörsson. The nickname, Heljarskinn, translates to "skin like hell”. In context, it does not refer to black skin, but instead to a man who isn’t as white as his peers. This is because Geirmundur Heljarskinn isn't completely white. He is half Mongolian, and the product of the union of his father, Norwegian king Hjör Hálfsson, with a Mongolian woman, during an expedition in Bjarmaland (Siberia). Iceland's part Mongolian origins are further confirmed in the country’s gene pool, and explain why some ethnically Icelandic people, such as Björk, have Asian physical features.

Such multi-racial Vikings did in fact exist throughout history, but such instances were exceptionally rare and an exception rather than a rule.

No Vegan Viking

The newest revisionist trend claims that Vikings were either vegan or vegetarian, or had an oat, rather than meat, fish and dairy, based diet. The only back up for such assertion is a past unearthing of an individual, in southern Scandinavia, who had allegedly consumed oats. A finding that doesn't establish the actual diet of Vikings, and particularly, when taken out of cultural, historical, and biological context.

Even assuming the finding of some oats in an individual's stomach was a clear indication of dietetary patterns, and it is not, the typical traditional diet of a Dane in Copenhagen would not be the same as the diet of an Italian in Rome. Similarly, the diet of the same Dane in Copenhagen cannot reasonably be expected to be identical to that of a northern Norwegian in Lofoten. It isn't today in an age of globalization, a united Europe, free-trade agreements, and advanced transportation infrastructure, and it certainly wasn't over 1,000 years ago. 

Even nowadays, the diet of Europeans is one of proximity, defined by terrain and geographical limitations. For example, diets in southern France are based on olive oil, while they are based on butter on northern France, only a few hundred miles away. The reality of the matter is that oats, or grains for that matter, simply didn't grow in northern Norway, due to terrain and climate, and consequently, oats and grains could not have been a staple of a Viking diet. 

The most important consideration, however, is biological, and specifically, as it relates to vitamin D. 

The north, and Scandinavia, not only have limited sun exposure for most of the year, but also limited daylight. This poses a challenge in providing inhabitants with Vitamin D, which is primarily acquired through skin exposure to the sun. In this case, the whiter the skin, the more efficient Vitamin D absorption will be, making white skin a major evolutionary advantage at northern latitudes. 

Even with white skin, however, the northern climate and latitude do not provide enough Vitamin D. Intake must therefore be supplemented through diet. What are the best sources of Vitamin D right after sun exposure? Oily fishes (sardines, salmon, mackerel, tuna, cod liver oil, and fish eggs), dairies (milk and cheese), and eggs. Foods readily available to Norsemen during the Viking age, through proximity to the ocean, as well as livestock.

As a matter of fact, to this day, Norway remains the largest fishing nation in Europe, the world's second exporter of fish products, worth nearly US$9 billion a year and making up the second largest exported commodity right after oil. Better yet, the average Norwegian consumes nearly 120 lbs of fish a year (or about a pound every 3 days.)

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with a wide range of ailments. This includes weakening of the bones as Vitamin D is necessary for the body to use calcium (which would itself be deficient with a vegan diet or a lactose intolerance) in the building and maintenance of bones. Conditions also include rickets, a disease in which the bone tissue doesn't properly mineralize, leading to soft bones and skeletal deformities. Other health conditions associated with a lack of vitamin D comprise a weakening of the immune system, an increased risk of death from cardiovascular diseases, cancer, severe asthma in children, and cognitive impairment in older adults. During pregnancy, vitamin D deficiency dramatically increases the risk of complications such as gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, preterm birth, and low birth weight, and of course rickets in newborns. 

The health conditions associated with vitamin D deficiency remain an issue today despite marked advancements in modern medicine and available supplements (see Risk of nutritional rickets among vegetarian children.) 1,000 years ago, such health ailments would have simply interfered with survival.

Considering that a vegan, vegetarian, or lactose-intolerant diet would have never been available to Vikings in the first place, and considering the absolute need for animal protein containing vitamin D for survival, the notion that Vikings could have been vegan, simply is ludicrous and without factual basis. Furthermore, a tolerance to lactose was actually essential in the settlement of various lands, including Iceland, as dairy products from livestock constituted an essential staple of the Viking diet.

So, no, Vikings never were vegan.

Loki is not Transgender

Loki did indeed turn himself into a mare, ended up getting impregnated by Svaðilfari, and gave birth to Sleipnir, Óðinn’s 8-legged horse. Loki’s actions, however, were more about shape shifting than a change of gender. His conduct was a diversion in the context of survival, in order to keep an oath, and to avoid a horrible death. Loki was also greatly stigmatized for this sorry episode.

Loki certainly was not transgender. Changing species is referred to as hamrammr (shape shifter) in Norse myth. As a matter of facts, even Úlfhéðnar are known as well to turn into a different species, in their case, wolves. Loki simply had no choice but to turn himself into a mare, as he had to distract Svaðilfari in order to be saved from a horrible death, and to honor an oath, sacred in Norse culture (even for Loki).

The Æsir had indeed agreed for a man to build a wall in Valhöll to keep invaders out, in exchange for Freyja, the sun, and the moon. The Æsir had however imposed many conditions to ensure the builder’s failure. Specifically, that the work had to be completed in only one season, and without the help of any other man. Loki, however, managed to convince the Æsir, in his duplicity, that the man should be allowed to use his horse, Svaðilfari. The stallion, of course, managed to carry giant boulders for the wall, and to perform twice as much work as the man, to the extent that the wall was near completion 3 days before the deadline of the end of Summer. The Æsir convened to discuss the crisis, and unanimously concluded that Loki was to blame. They then sentenced him to a horrible death if he wasn’t to find a scheme to ensure the builder hadn’t completed the wall by the deadline. Loki made the oath that he would fine a solution, no matter the cost to himself. He then proceeded to turning himself into a mare to distract Svaðilfari and to lure the stallion into the woods. The two horses ran around all night, chased by the builder, who then misses as a result completion of the wall.

Even though Loki fulfilled his oath and prevented the builder from finishing the wall, he was greatly stigmatized for his actions nonetheless, as even within different species, sexuality and gender in Norse culture was particularly binary (see Viking Sexuality).

The account of events in Gylfaginning (Snorra Edda) symbolizes personal sacrifice and the absolute sanctity of oaths in Norse culture, while emphasizing the moral rot and the duplicity of Loki. It is not an endorsement, let alone a celebration, of transgenderism, which would have been absolutely abhorrent in Norse culture.

Óðr

The Meaning

The term Óðr may mean poetry, mind, or spirit in norrœnt (Old Norse) depending on context. Óðr is also one of the many names of Óðinn.

However, the primary meaning of the word refers to the frenzy, passion, and spiritual as well as ecstatic state associated with sex or battle.  Óðr is indeed the state of mind a warrior, particularly Berserkr or Úlfheðinn, seeks to reach prior, during and after battle, as well as during sex. This physical, mental and spiritual ecstatic state represented by Óðr makes no distinction whether it arises out of sex or battle, thereby blurring the line between sexual orgasm and combat.

The Expression of Óðr

In ancient times, Berserkir and Úlfhéðnar (particularly hybrids) would thrive raiding, raping and killing large numbers of enemies. In modern times, it is much more difficult to reach the levels of violence warriors actually need, even as operators in war zones. The relatively low violence levels (actually still extremely high to modern civilian society standards) therefore has to be offset by sex, as both sex and violence channel energy in a similar way, and both are expressed by Óðr.

Viking Warriors are Men

In a research paper titled “A female Viking warrior confirmed by genomics”, and published in American Journal of Physical Anthropology, Uppsala University archaeologist Charlotte Hedenstierna-Jonson claims to have proven that there were women warriors among Vikings. 

Hedenstierna-Jonson’s very research is fundamentally flawed from a technical, historical, cultural, and biological aspect, and her conclusions simply have no scientific or factual basis.

No Evidence Female Skeleton is Actually Linked to Warrior Grave

The entire study is based on the assumption that bones recently identified as those of a woman were found in a grave believed to be of a warrior. The grave, however, was excavated in Birka between 1871 and 1895, and no proper chain of evidence was maintained over the course of at least 122 years. As a matter of fact, the only element that connects these bones and the grave are identification materials on the storage bag that fit "the original 19th-century drawings and descriptions”.

This messy chain of evidence is actually referenced in another paper, titled “People in Transition: Life in the Mälaren Valley from an Osteological Perspective”, and authored by archaeologist Anna Kjellström, who also worked on the study with Hedenstierna-Jonson. She writes:

During the present analysis, it became clear that the osseous material and the contextual information given on the box or bag did not always match the data... there are bags of bones tagged with grave numbers that do not exist elsewhere. In other cases, there are unburnt bones in bags from graves documented and registered according to [archaeologist Erik] Arbman as "cremations" and bags which include the bones of several individuals while being documented as the grave of one person.

Without actual evidence that these bones were actually from a warrior grave, there shouldn’t even have been any speculation with respect to the background of what could very well be a random skeleton, let alone conclusions that the bones were those of a woman Viking warrior.

No Traumatic Injury on Bones

Of particular interest is also Hedenstierna-Jonson’s own disclosure that “no pathological or traumatic injuries were observed” on the bones, effectively unequivocally ruling out the possibility that the bones actually belonged to a warrior. 

Indeed, the very aspect of being a warrior inherently involves a combat element, and with combat come injuries, especially considering the fighting methods of the Viking age, including the handling of swords and other medieval weapons. As a matter of fact, even training as a warrior would have resulted in various wounds that would have been visible on the bones.

Even modern day warriors show signs of various trauma and injuries, despite exceptional military advances for body protection over the course of the last millennium, as demonstrated by a medical report for a Nordic special operation forces operator. 

Medical report for a modern special forces operator

With no sign of injury or any type of trauma on the bones, the subject of the study simply couldn’t have reasonably been a warrior, making Hedenstierna-Jonson’s conclusions preposterous. 

No Language Specialists in Study

None of the nine other authors of Hedenstierna-Jonson’s paper, Anna Kjellström, Torun Zachrisson, Maja Krzewińska, Veronica Sobrado, Neil Price, Torsten Günther, Mattias Jakobsson, Anders Götherström, and Jan Storå, has any advanced knowledge of norrœnt (Old Norse), let alone any expertise of the language.

The paper’s authors did not even accurately considered the expertise of actual language specialists they quote in their research, including Judith Jesch, Professor of Viking studies at the University of Nottingham, chair of the international Runic Advisory Group, and president of the English Place-Name Society, who writes:

I would just point out that [Hedenstierna-Jonson and her team] primary reference to my work is to a semi-popular book published 26 years ago. I would have thought they could have made the slight effort required to read what I wrote on the subject of women warriors in a recent monograph (The Viking Diaspora 2015, pp. 104-7), a less popular and more considered work.

Judith Jesch goes even further in her critical review of Hedenstierna-Jonson’s paper and the team’s analytical process, by referring to their “sloppy thinking”.

In fact, there are at least 26 different words in norrœnt (Old Norse) for “warrior”, 7 of which include a direct male suffix (“maðr”), and none of these terms, not even one, comprise a female element.

A lack of language expertise fails to take into consideration a historical and cultural context absolutely essential in understanding Viking society, and thus, the role of women.  

No Actual Women Warriors in Old Norse literature and Culture

Outside of brief and clearly mythical allusions to shield maidens and other woman warriors, in line with the myth of Loki turning himself into a mare to be impregnated by the stallion Svaðilfari and to later give birth to Sleipnir, Óðinn’s 8-legged horse, there is simply no reference to actual woman warriors in Old Norse literature. 

As Judith Jesch, Professor of Viking studies at the University of Nottingham puts it: 

Women warriors and/or Valkyries and/or shield maidens (they are all often mixed up) are not just 'mythological phenomena' as stated by the authors, but relate to a whole complex of ideas that pervade literature, mythology and ideology, without necessarily providing any direct evidence for women warriors in 'real life.

Skaldic poetry in its various forms, drápa, flokkr, vísur, dræplingr, lausavísa and mansöngr, typically details the deeds of Norse warriors, yet, makes no reference to actual women warriors. 

Even the mythical Valkyries, often associated with war, are depicted as actually fulfilling the needs of slain male warriors rather than engaging in combat. Eiríksmol from Fagrskinna refers to “valkyrjur vín bera sem vísi komi” in norrœnt (Old Norse), which invokes Valkyries giving wines to the warriors who have arrived in Valhöll, and therefore sticking to typical domestic duties.

Eiríksmol from Fagrskinna. An Old Norse poem referring to fallen warriors going to Valhöll to be served by the Valkyries

The one Ásynja associated with battle, Freyja, has no direct involvement with combat or actual warfare, and through her other persona, Frigga, she is even identified with marriage, motherhood, and domestic arts.

The most compelling evidence against women warriors during the Viking age, however, comes from Jómsvíkingar (Jomsvikings), a war band from the 10th Century CE. These Vikings actually had a law that went much farther than not allowing women in combat. "Alls engi maðr skylde þar kono hafa innan borgar", which roughly translates in every day English to "Absolutely no woman is to be brought by any man into the fort", effectively banned the very presence of women among Jómsvíkingar on their land, forts, cities and compounds... and essentially among Viking warriors. 

No Actual Women Warriors in European History

While Vikings interacted with many people and cultures throughout Europe, there is no record of women warriors anywhere on the old continent. 

The Bayeux Tapestry (230 ft long) tells the story of the events of 1064–1066 culminating in the Battle of Hastings. It only includes three women, an unknown fleeing woman, Edith, wife of Edward the Confessor and sister of King Harold, and Aelfgyva. None of these women are dressed for battle and therefore depicted as fighters, let alone warriors. 

Bayeux Tapestry excerpt showing Aelfgyva (second from right)

Even Joan of Arc, a French national hero often associated with warfare, was never involved in actual combat and was merely a national symbol. 

The fact is, there simply isn’t any credible evidence of woman warriors in European history.

Sacred Texts from the Perspective of Men and Derogatory to Women

Ancient texts, including Konungsbók Eddukvæða, are from the perspective of men, with sections such as the Hávamál only referring to women in derogatory terms. This includes Stanza 84 ("Meyjar orðum skyli manngi trúa né því er kveðr kona því at á hverfanda hvéli váru þeim hjörtu sköpuð brigð í brjóst um lagit" which translates to "In the words of a maid noone should trust, nor in what a woman says, for their hearts were shaped on a potter's turning wheel, and fickleness placed in their breath"), Stanza 90 ("Svá er friðr kvenna þeira er flátt hyggja sem aki jó óbryddum á ísi hálum" which translates to "The love of women whom are deceitful in spirit is like riding a smooth-shoe horse on slippery ice"), Stanza 102 ("Mörg er góð mær ef görva kannar hugbrigð við hali" translating to "Many a good maid, if you look closely, is fickle-minded towards men"), Stanza 113 ("fjölkunnigri konu skalattu í faðmi sofa svá at hon lyki þik liðum" which translates to "you must not sleep in the embrace of a woman skilled in magic so that she locks you in her limbs"), or Stanza 118 ("Ofarla bíta ek sá einum hal orð illrar konu fláráð tunga varð honum at fjörlagi ok þeygi um sanna sök" translates to "Deeply bitten by the word of a bad woman I saw a man, her deceit crafty tongue was the death of him, and yet the charge was not true").

No “Gender Equality” in Viking Culture

Men and women each had their role in Viking society. The role of women never was warfare or raiding, which remained the exclusive realm of men. As Annalee Newitz, Tech Culture Editor at Ars Technica, accurately points out, “the overwhelming preponderance of evidence suggests that women in the Viking world were expected to run households, serve the men, and bear children.”

Stanza 81 of the Hávamál also gives a good glimpse of how women were seen - at times merely as a domestic commodity - as well as the natural order of things in ancient Norse society: "At kveldi skal dag leyfa konu er brennd er mæki er reyndr er mey er gefin er ís er yfir kømr öl er drukkit er" which translates to "The day must be praised in the evening, a woman, when she is cremated, a sword, when it is proven, a maiden, when she is given away, ice, when it is crossed, ale, when it is drunk."

From a realistic perspective, the very forces of nature make the artificial modern “gender equality” utopian paradigm simply unrealistic and impractical in an ancient culture. A woman simply cannot bear and take care of children, breast feed, look after the homestead, or even the men, if she is engaged in raiding and other combat activities.

Furthermore, the the worst possible insults for an actual Viking and warrior invariably involve being compared to a woman. Vagn Ákason is known to have said: "En eigi býð ek yðr með minna kappe, enn svá, at Sigvaldi jarlsson berist við oss, ef hann borir, ok sé hann úragr karlmaðr, ok hafi heldr manns hjarta enn berkykvendis", which roughly translates to "I challenge Sigvaldi jarlsson to do battle with us, unless he is a coward with the venomous heart of a woman rather than that of a man."

In Old Norse, the main insults also all revolve around comparing a man to a woman, or challenging his masculinity. "Sansorðinn" is used to describe an effeminate male demonstrably and willingly sexually used as a whore by one or more men. "Mare" means woman and is highly derogatory when used for a man. "Argr" refers to a coward, and emasculated as well as effeminate man.

Although women in Norse society enjoyed more freedom in contrast to the rest of medieval Europe which saw females like cattle or property, the fact remains that there still was no gender equality in an hypermasculine Norse culture defined by gender polarization.

Women Biologically Unsuitable for Combat

Biological facts also stand in the way of woman warriors fighting men warriors at home or abroad. Indeed, the reality is, women simply are no match to a male warrior.

For starts, hundreds of thousands of years of evolution have made women react to threats by tending and befriending, in stark contrast to men who respond by fighting or flighting. Higher levels of oxytocin further prompt women to seek kinship when exposed to an enemy, in contrast to men who enter competitive mode. 

Women also lack in sufficient levels the very hormone that is associated with aggression, muscle growth, denser bones, and other typical-male features essential for combat: Testosterone.  After all, women just don’t have a hypothalmic pituitary testicular axis.

Less white matter in women’s pre-frontal cortex also make them analyze dangers and situations slower than men. A thicker paretial section of the brain also means women cannot visualize multi-dimensional objects as well as men, making the dodging of swords, axes, and other medieval weapons quite challenging. Moreover, women have thinner retinas and more P-cells best at analyzing colors and textures, in contrast to men having thicker retinas and larger M cells, better suited at tracking movement, an essential survival skills when confronted to a moving aggressor.  

Women have 40% less muscle mass than men in the upper body, and 33% less in the lower body. They have less dense bones and weaker tendons and ligaments, as well as a weaker facial bone structure that doesn’t handle impacts, blunt force, and trauma to the face that well. With lower red blood cell counts, lower hemoglobin, and lower circulating clotting factor than men, women take longer to heal from injuries. A less evenly distributed blood flow in their body also makes women far more sensitive to environmental factors, including cold. The activation of the right amygdala in women’s brain even makes them more reactive to pain. 

With a larger deep limbic system than men, women are more sensitive to emotions. Women also synthesize serotonin slower than men, making them prone to far more severe PTSD and depression than men following traumatic events. 

Overall, biology makes women simply unsuitable for combat.

No Viking Woman Warriors

Without rigorous scientific method, without language knowledge, without historical and cultural context, or essentially without facts or evidence, it is simply ludicrous to even remotely suggest that findings associated with the Birka grave relate to a woman Viking warrior, let alone prove the existence of woman Viking warriors.

Even assuming the remains were that of a woman, which has not been scientifically and reasonably established, burial with weapons does not imply warrior status, let alone prominent warrior status. As a matter of fact, it could be the contrary, as it was customary during the Viking age to bury slaves with weapons, so they could bring them to their dead owner in the afterlife.

Archaeologist Søren Sindbæk of Aarhus University asked Science News: "Have we found the Mulan of Sweden or a woman buried with the rank-symbols of a husband who died abroad?”. We very well may have. Or as archaeologist Davide Zori of Baylor University points out, "it's possible, albeit unlikely, that the woman's relatives buried her with a warrior's equipment without that having been her role in life."

Ultimately, finding bones buried with weapons simply does not even suggest, and even less so proves, the existence of women Viking warriors.

Judith Jesch further wrote on this matter: "I have always thought (and to some extent still do) that the fascination with women warriors, both in popular culture and in academic discourse, is heavily, probably too heavily, influenced by 20th- and 21st-century desires.”

In other words, the modern reference to women warriors in an otherwise hypermasculine Viking society is yet another revisionist attempt at rewriting history to accommodate the inclusive ideology of the day. It has no basis in reality whatsoever. 

The Norse Beard

Beards are seen as sacred and as a defining feature of the Æsir in ancient texts such as Konungsbók Eddukvæða. In addition, beards are likewise traditionally associated with men and masculinity throughout Norse history, as highlighted in Íslendingasögur (Icelandic Sagas), including the very significant Njáls saga, but also Eyrbyggja saga as well as Færeyinga saga and Völsunga saga. Beards are further even historically protected by law under Jónsbók, Grágás and Guta Lag.

Overall, beards are an essential and fundamental defining feature of any Norðmaðr, Víkingr, Heathen, and ultimately, warrior’s identity. The beard is the one characteristic of those who otherwise follow Forn Siðr (Old Ways). Beards are in fact the true expression of spirituality, masculinity, and what it means to be Heathen. Beards define the Heathen man. 

KONUNGSBÓK EDDUKVÆÐA

A distinct and defining feature of the Æsir (also known as the Norse gods) is their beard. 

All Norse gods, but one, are described in traditional and sacred texts, as well as illustrated throughout Norse history, as sporting a beard: Baldur (Beauty), Bragi (Poetry, music, harp), Forseti (Justice), Heimdallr (Guardian of Ásgarðr), Hermóðr (Messenger of the Æsir), Höðr (Darkness, winter), Hœnir (Silence, Óðr), Meili (Son of Óðinn), Móði (Anger) and Magni (Strength), Óðinn (Ássinn), Óðr (Spirituality, poetry, passion, battle frenzy, and sexual ecstasy), Þórr (Battle, thunder, men), Týr (War, skies), Ullr (Archery), Váli (Revenge), Vé (Creation/wisdom), Villi (Creation/will), and Víðarr (Forest, revenge, silence). 

A notable exception is Loki (Mischief, lies). Loki is the least favorite of all Æsir, and a Norse god typically associated with negative behavior as well as the dark side of humans. Loki is is known to have wrecked havoc among the Æsir, even being responsible for the death of some of them, including Baldur.

Loki is also known for having turned himself into a mare in order to be impregnated by the stallion Svaðilfari, eventually giving birth to Sleipnir, Óðinn’s 8-legged horse. An event greatly frown upon in a culture that emphasizes gender polarization and strongly stigmatizes feminization of men. 

From any perspective therefore, Loki is the very opposite of what a man should strive to be. Loki also happens to be the only Norse god without a beard. Therefore emphasizing the association between beard and manly virtues in Norse culture.

Numerous references in Konungsbók Eddukvæða, the most sacred text in Norse culture and religion, actually reinforce the association between beards and masculinity as well as virtue. 

In Atlakviða (The Lay of Atli) specifically, a direct association is made between beards and warriors, with stanza 34 stating “Long-bearded, bold, the warriors entered”. In stanza 11, another connection is made between beard and wisdom, reading “The wolf shall rule the Niflungs' heritage, O bearded sages”. 

From an Æsir and traditional Norse god perspective, a beard is therefore always associated with masculinity and virtue, including moral strength, manliness, valor, excellence, and worth, while the absence of a beard expresses feminization as well as depravity and immorality.

ÍSLENDINGASÖGUR

Possibly the most significant Íslendingasaga in Norse history and culture is Njáls saga. This Icelandic saga not only encompasses all the fundamental and essential Norse values that form the basis of Forn Siðr, but the saga has also established the foundation of Icelandic culture for the past millennium.

A main character in Njáls saga is Gunnar Hámundarson. A man known for his physical prowess, his masculine virtue, and of course, his beard. A man who encompasses so well what it means to be a Norðmaðr, that his name, Gunnar, is now one of the most common and revered names in Iceland and other Nordic countries.

Throughout this extensive text, in fact the longest and most developed Icelandic saga, countless references are made to not only associate beards with masculinity and virtue, but also to greatly insult and disparage any man who does not sport a beard: 

Chapter 35

“There's not much to choose though between you two. Thou hast hangnails on every finger and Njal is beardless.” 

“But Thorvald, thy husband was not beardless and yet thou plottedst his death”

Chapter 41

“Who will avenge it? She asks, is it the beardless carle?”

Chapter 44

“Why doesn't he make them cart dung over his beard that he may be like other men? Let us call him "the beardless carle" but his sons we will call “dung-beardlings.”

“Prithee why should dung beard boys reft of reason, dare to hammer.”

“He the beardless carle shall listen while I lash him with abuse.”

“Making mirth of dung beard boys, here I find a nickname for these noisome dung beard boys.”

“Him, that churl, the beardless carle.”

“Ye are nicknamed "dung-beardlings" but my husband "the beardless carle.”

Chapter 90

“Away with you home ye dung-beardlings! Says Hallgerda "and so we will call you always from this day forth, but your father we will call "the beardless carle.”

Chapter 122

“I think that thy father the beardless carle must have given it.”

Chapter 144

“While his beard blushed red for shame?”

Other sagas still make various references to the importance of beards for a Norðmaðr. This includes Eyrbyggja saga (The Saga of the People of Eyri):

Chapter 3

“He was a big man and strong, fair to look on, and had a great beard. Therefore was he called Most-Beard, and he was the noblest man on the island.”

Chapter 15

“Snorri was middling in height and somewhat slender, fair to look on, straight faced and light of hue, of yellow hair and red beard.”

Chapter 32

“Ulfar wagged his beard and handed him the sword and shield.”

As well as Færeyinga saga (The Saga of the Faroe Islands):

Chapter 3

“Thrond was a big man of growth, and red haired he was, and red bearded.”

And in Völsunga saga (the Saga of the Völsungs):

Chapter 38

"When they heard he was dead for sooth, all the warriors wept, as was meet. Down beard and chin ran the tears of Dietrich's men.”

From the perspective of Íslendingasögur, the ancient texts that provide us with such great insight into traditional viking life and thus Forn Siðr, a Norðmaðr is not considered worthy, or even a man, if he doesn’t have a beard. As with the Æsir perspective, a beard is again always associated with masculinity as well as the value that form the foundation of Forn Siðr.

LÖG

The importance of beards as a defining feature of Norðmenn is also very well expressed in medieval Norse laws, including Guta Lag (The Law of the Gotlanders). 

Section 20 (Concerning bald patches), clearly states that “a man's beard incurs fines as for other hair pulling.”

As a matter of fact, “apart from throwing ale in someone's face, insults included man handling a person riding or walking on the highway, making a minor attack on a man's beard or hair.”

In addition, Section 19/25-30 uses beards as a point of reference for an offense, “causing a scar on the face between hat and beard”, resulting in specific penalties, half a mark in silver or a mark in silver if the scar is very noticeable. This points yet again to the prevalence of beards in Norse culture.

The fact that specific offenses relating to beards were codified under the law, and that such offenses could also be deemed insults to a man, reinforces the importance of beards in Norse culture and history, and more specifically, as a foundation for Forn Siðr. 

FORN SIÐR

Forn Siðr (Old Customs) is very different from Abrahamic religions or faiths. For us Norðmenn, Víkingar, and Heathens, Forn Siðr represents our truth, our ancestors, our culture, our identity, our knowledge, our masculinity, and our spirit. Forn Siðr is what makes us men and our own man, taking our own decisions, and taking our own responsibilities.

In fact, we do not pray or worship per say the Æsir, Ásynjur, Vanir, Jötnar, Aðrir, Kindir, or Kynja. This is because the Norse gods are seen as our ancestors, they are ideals we strive to achieve, they are ourselves, they are us. They are our religion. They are our soul. As such, we can only honor them, and be one with them, if we share similar characteristics, in virtues and behvaior, but also in appearance and traditions, including by sporting a beard.

The beard is and has always been a defining feature of being Heathen, and a religious symbol of Forn Siðr.

In fact, the beard is a religious symbol of Forn Siðr or Heathenry as much as the kippot is a religious symbol of Judaism, or the beard and the pagri are a religious symbol of Sikhism.

Viking Sexuality

There is no term for sexual orientation in norrœnt mál (Old Norse), and blanda, the word for intercourse, does not make a distinction between the two very defined and contrasted biological genders. Outside of a man not breeding or not displaying the fundamental features of a man, bisexuality (and thus technically homosexuality) was only stigmatized during forced Christianization. As a matter of fact, the first derogatory reference to homosexuality per say in Scandinavia is made by Bishop Þorlákr Þórhallson in the 13th century, and the secular laws of Iceland do not mention homosexuality. 

BISEXUALITY IN NORSE CULTURE

It is customary for Vikings to dick enemies who have lost battles (there was no word for rape in Norse culture, so the question of consent is very different from nowadays), both male and female, and sexual control is also a method for keeping þrælar in line.

Likewise, burial rituals involve Hirðmenn having sex with the slave(s), male and/or female, of the deceased, so their semen, a vehicle for their strength, can be carried in the afterlife for the benefit of the dead jarl. Þórr also had sex with Loki. As a male.

Furthermore, at least one Viking war band, Jómsvíkingar, was known for its institutionalized homosexual culture, similar to the Spartans, with women being banned from the Jomsvikings’ units and forts, and members known to be partnered to other warriors.

Notwithstanding any sexual preferences or activities, a man was nonetheless expected to breed, with those men avoiding procreation being greatly stigmatized and insulted as fuðflogi (flees from vagina).

EFFEMINACY IN NORSE CULTURE

A lack of manliness, or the display of otherwise feminine features in a man, including submission or the practice of magics, is however highly stigmatized in Norse culture. This is well illustrated by the worst possible insults, both in Old Norse and modern Icelandic, invariably challenging a man’s manliness.

Or by the stigmatization associated with the aspect of any feminization element in homosexual activity, such as Loki turning himself into a mare in order to be impregnated by a stallion, to eventually give birth to Óðinn’s horse, Sleipnir. Or, Óðinn actually being described in very derogatory terms as acting in a sexually receptive way, and as taking a female sexual role, for the purpose of learning about magic.

Effeminacy, however, is unrelated to sexual orientation. The misconception may be linked to the gay movement, closely associated with feminism, and which inherently embraces feminization and emasculation of men. This is in contrast to homosexuality per say, which actually embraces hypermasculinity and honors fundamental male characteristics, features, and qualities, or the male archetype.

Ultimately, bisexuality was part of Norse culture, like heterosexuality, with no specific term for it. The only thing that mattered was that men had to remain men, had to maintain the fundamental evolutionary characteristics of men, including spreading their seeds and breeding for offsprings.

The Sacred Wolf

Wolves are sacred in Norse culture, and this is quite obvious to anyone with any actual basic knowledge of our history, culture, and traditions. 

ÚLFHÉÐNAR

The most obvious link between Norse culture and the sacred wolf involves Úlfhéðnar. Úlfhéðnar are Óðinn's special warriors, and elite Viking forces. Úlfhéðnar are known to wear a wolf pelt, and to be inhabited by the spirit of wolves, to the extent Úlfhéðnar are also seen as hamrammir (shape shifters). 

NAMES

For those not that familiar with Norse culture and customs, a look at naming traditions may be the best peak at the importance of wolves in Norse culture. There are indeed at least 245 male names with a reference to wolves in Old Norse and/or modern Icelandic:

Aldulfur, Arnulfr, Ásólfur, Ásólfr, Ásulfr, Ásúlfr, Aðulfr, Auðólfr, Auðulfr, Auðúlfr, Ærnulfr, Baúlfr, Baulfr, Bergulfr, Biólfr, Biörnólfur, Biǫrnólfr, Björgólfur, Björgúlfur, Bjǫrgulfr, Björnólfur, Bjúlfr, Bjǫrgulfr, Bjǫrnólfr, Bjǫrnulfr, Borgúlfur, Borgulfr, Bótólfur, Bótólfr, Bótulfr, Brandulfr, Brunulfr, Brynjólfur, Bryniólfr, Bryniulfr, Brynjúlfur, Brynjulfr, Brǫndólfr, Brǫndulfr, Býulfr, Bǫulfr, Eyiólfr, Eyjolfr, Eyjólfr, Farulfr, Fastulfr, Fastúlfr, Fenrisúlfr, Finnólfr, Finnulfr, Friðulfr, Fǫstólfr, Gangulfr, Gautulfr, Gautúlfr, Geirólfur, Geirólfr, Geirulfur, Geirúlfr, Getulfr, Grárulfr, Grárúlfr, Grímólfur, Grímólfr, Grímulfr, Grímúlfur, Guðolfr, Guðulfr, Guðúlfr, Gullulfr, Gullúlfr, Gunnólfur, Gunnólfr, Gunnulfr, Gunnúlfr, GæiRulfr, Hariwolfar, Hariwulfr, Haþuwulfr, Hæriulfr, Hególfr, Heriólfr, Herjolfr, Herjólfr, Herjólfur, Herjúlfr, Heruwulfr, Hiálmólfr, Hildolfr, Hildólfr, Hildulfr, Hiǫrulfr, Hjalmolfr, Hjǫrolfr, Hleðiólfr, Hlífolfr, Hlífólfr, Hreiðulfr, Hreiðúlfr, Hróðólfur, Hróðólfr, Hróðolfr, Hróðulfr, Hrolfr, Hrólfr, Hrólfur, Hræiðulfr, Hundólfr, Húnulfr, Hægulfr, Hælgulfr, Hæriulfr, Hærulfr, Hǫlfr, Hǫllolfr, Hvítrulfr, Hvítrúlfr, Ingólfur, Iarpulfr, Ingolfr, Ingólfr, Ingulfr, Iórulfr, Ísólfur, Ísólfr, Ísolfr, Jórulfr, Julfr, Ká-Ulfr, Kveld-Ulfr, Kveldúlfr, Kvígulfr, Leiðólfur, Leiðólfr, Leiðulfr, Liðulfr, Liótólfr, Liútulfr, Ljóðolfr, Ljótolfr, Ljúfr, Náttúlfur, Nóttolfr, Ormulfr, Öndólfur, Örnólfur, Ǫrnólfr, Ǫrnulfr, Øyulfr, Ráðulfr, Ráðúlfr, Randulfr, Raskulfr, Rauðúlfr, Reiðulfr, Ríkolfr, Ríkólfr, Ríkulfr, Runólfur, Rólfr, Rúnolfr, Rúnólfr, Rúnulfr, Rúnulfur, Rǫndolfr, Sandulfr, Skjöldólfr, Skjǫldolfr, Skjöldúlfr, Skjǫldulfr, Snjólfur, Snæúlfr, Sólúlfur, Steinólfur, Steinolfr, Steinólfr, Steinulfr, Stæinulfr, Stórólfur, Stórolfr, Stórólfr, Sunnólfr, Sunnulfr, Sǽulfr, Sǫkkolfr, Sǫkkólfr, Sǫkkuulfr, Sǫndulfr, Sǫndúlfr, Sǫxólfr, Sǫxulfr, Tind-Ulfr, Títolfr, Tít-Ulfr, Trygg-Ulfr, Tryggulfr, Þjóðólfur, Þióðólfr, Þiúðulfr, Þióstólfr, Þiústulfr, Þjóðolfr, Þjóðólfr, Þjóstolfr, Þjóstólfr, Þjóstólfur, Þolfr, Þólfr, Þóralfr, Þórálfr, Þórolfr, Þorólfr, Þórólfr, Þórólfur, Þórulfr, Þróttolfr, Þrottólfr, Þróttólfr, Uddulfr, Úlfar, Úlfarr, Ulfarr, Ulfgarðr, Úlfgeirr, Ulfgestr, Ulfgæirr, Ulfheðinn, Úlfheðinn, Ulfhiðinn, Ulfhvatr, Úlfhvatr, Ulfied, Úlfkell, Ulfkæll, Ulfkætill, Úlfliótr, Ulfliútr, Ulfr, Úlfr, Úlfrekr, Ulfríkr, Ulfvaldr, Ulfviðr, Úlfviðr, Unnulfr, Unnúlfr, Viðolfr, Vigulfr, Vigúlfr, Virðsk-Ulfr, and Viúlfr.

This is more names with a wolf element or origin in Norse culture than any other culture on earth. The prevalence of the wolf in Norse name is an excellent indication of the sacred status of wolves. Evidently, no one would name their child and heir after an animal they dislike, want to hunt, or do not hold in high regards.

LORE AND MYTHOLOGY

The sacred aspect of wolves in Norse culture is also very well demonstrated with the tale of Fenrir. 

Fenrir is a monstrous wolf also known as Fenrisúlfr (marsh dweller wolf), Hróðvitnir (fame wolf),  Vánagandr (River Ván monster), Garmr, and Mánagarmr (moon garmr). Fenrir is the son of Loki and the giantess Angrboða. He is also the brother of the serpent Jǫrmungandr and Hel. Fenrir has two sons, the wolves Sköll and Hati Hróðvitnisson. By all accounts, Fenrir is quite a bad wolf.

As a matter of fact, based on their knowledge of prophecies, the Æsir (known in popular culture as the "Norse gods") knew that Fenrir, and his constant growth, would bring great troubles to Níu Heimar (the Nine Home Worlds).

But rather than kill the wolf, inherently sacred, the Æsir decided that Fenrir needed to be bounded. However, Fenrir never was very cooperative and only agreed to have the rope placed around his neck if one of the Æsir agreed in return to put his hand in his mouth. Týr was brave and honorable enough to volunteer. When Fenrir realized he could not break free, he bit Týr’s hand off.

During Ragnarøkr, Fenrir breaks his chains and goes on a rampage throughout Níu Heimar, with his lower jaw on the ground, and his upper jaw in the sky, devouring everything and everyone in his path. Fenrir even kills Óðinn. He is then finally killed by Víðarr when there is really absolutely no option left, and after all the worlds have been destroyed.

Even though Fenrir was a monstrous wolf that would be the demise of Týr and the Nine Home Worlds, the Æsir nonetheless originally decided to restrain the animal rather than kill him. 

Wolves cannot get more sacred than this!

WOLVES TODAY

Wolves remain sacred to this day in Norse culture and to any Nordmadr (Norseman). While hunting our own food is part of our culture and being a man, we just never hunt wolves. Wolves are our culture. Our spirit. They are us, particularly as Úlfhéðnar.

Part of embracing Norse culture is knowing and understanding wolves, as well as being able to communicate with wolves so conflicts are avoided.

Norse Yule Tree

Jóla tré (Norse Yule Tree) originally consisted of evergreens, decorating houses and barns, to scare away evil spirits and also to provide a place for birds during Yuletide (Yule time).

ORIGINS

Yggdrasil, a tree also known as the world tree, in which shadow the world stands, is introduced in Snorra Edda (Prose Edda). Gangleri asks where the favorite or holiest place of the gods is. Hár (High) replies "It is the ash Yggdrasil. There the gods must hold their courts each day". Gangleri asks what there is to tell about Yggdrasil. Jafnhár (Just As High) responds that Yggdrasil is the biggest and best of all trees, that its branches extend out over all of the world, and reach out over the sky.

Ask veit eg standa,
An ash I know stands,
heitir Yggdrasill,
Its name is Yggdrasil,
hár baðmur, ausinn
An immense tree, covered over
hvíta auri;
By the white sand;
þaðan koma döggvar
Thence come the dew
þær er í dala falla,
That falls in the valleys,
stendur æ yfir grænn
It stands evergreen
Urðarbrunni.
Above the well of Urdal.

Völuspá

CHRISTIANIZATION

Upon Christianization of Nordic countries, the Church attempted to eliminate Jóla tré, seen as a symbol of Norse culture. This started with missionaries such as Saint Boniface cutting down Yule oak trees in the early 800’s CE. An irony considering Jóla tré is now a symbol of Christmas, a Christian celebration. 

Jól (Yule)

In pre-Christianization Norse culture, Óðinn has over 200 different names. One of them is Jólnir (Yule-figure), and another one Jólafaðir (Yule-father).

Óðinn also has a long white beard and two ravens, Huginn (thought) and Muninn (memory). 

Around the winter solstice, he leads a ghostly procession, Ásríða (Åsgårdsreia, Oskoreia, or The Wild Hunt), across the winter skies, on his 8-legged horse, Sleipnir. Sleipnir is also known to feast on the entrails of Óðinn’s enemies, which gives him a blood covered red snout.

During The Wild Hunt, children leave sugar and hay in their shoes for Sleipnir, by the chimney or window. Óðinn, to thank them, in turn leaves them small gifts. Gifts can also be left to children by Tanngrisnir (teeth-barer) and Tanngnjóstr (teeth grinder), Þórr’s goats.

Around Jól (Yule) time, a ham is also eaten, representing either Sæhrímnir (pig eaten every nigh in Valhöll and brought back to life again the next day), or Gullinbursti (gold mane), the boar of Freyr (Vanir for virility and prosperity).

Norse Yule Goat

Julebukk (Yule goat) is a Norse Yule/Christmas symbol and tradition prevalent in Nordic countries, with modern representations typically made out of straw.

ORIGINS

Julebukk originated in Norway prior to Christianization. The celebration of the goat is associated with Þórr (god of battle and men), who rides the skies in Reið (a chariot) pulled by two goats, Tanngrisnir (teeth-barer), and Tanngnjóstr (teeth-grinder).

In addition, the last bundle of grain from the fall harvest is traditionally credited with magical properties as the spirit of the harvest, and is saved for Yule celebrations.

MODERN CELEBRATIONS

The use and display of Julebukk is widespread in Nordic countries during the Yule holiday, with IKEA traditionally erecting very large Yule goats at all of its Nordic stores. Interestingly, Icelandic people seem to take issues with the IKEA Julebukk, as the goat is systematically burnt to the ground every year, well before Yule, and despite substantial security at the Reykjavík store.

JULEBUKKING

In Viking times, Norsemen would wear goat skins during the Yule festival, and go from house to house carrying a goat head. During forced Christianization, the tradition was however separated from Norse culture by the Church. Julebukking then evolved into going door to door singing Christmas carols, and receiving threats for the performance.

An alternate tradition consists in neighbors attempting to identify people who hides under masks and costumes that represent a goat, and going house to house, while sharing food and treats.