How Tall Were the Vikings?

[@erikrungemadsen2081]

Viking chieftain standing at the boat "You must be this tall to raid!"

[@daneaxe6465]

lol good one!! Just like at Disney World. :) funny stuff.

[@brendan9868]

Glad you talked about the nutrition aspect of height, it’s something I feel like not enough people really consider. There’s a reason kings and nobility always seemed to appear so tall compared the lower classes, they had easier access to food and were more able to live a healthy lifestyle. It’s even still a thing today, for example when I was a kid I was projected to end up around 6’0-6’2 ft (which would’ve made me like a giant in my direct family). But I got sick a lot as a kid, so didn’t eat as much as I should’ve, which stunted my growth at around 5’9 or 5’10.

[@daneaxe6465]

Agree. King Henry VIII was a big guy even before he became grossly obese. I suspect he ate better than most in the kingdom. My Dutch great grandfather was 5'7/5'8" in the 1890s. He went to the US to farm the fertile land of Iowa and all his sons were 6'2/6'3". But then the grandsons like my dad shrunk down to 6' then the next generation bounced back up to 6'4". On the Dane side they were all over 6'. The Norwegian side had short ones and tall ones.

[@davidradtke5166]

Well you have to consider that most nobility in Europe had access to a lot of meat, because the woods were often possessed by nobility and all the animals in it. Even livesstock which is cared by serfs in the middle age is owned by the nobility. Peasants and common people had maybe once per week the possibility of eating meat. Meat was very expensive back then. Today meat is often way too cheap today. Which does not honor the livestock.

[@cameronbachman8161]

There's a direct correlation between protein and height, the correlation is so strong an entire nation's height can shift by several inches over 100 years depending on the nation's ability to get red meat. There's a protein index I don't know much about but basically every countries height can be predicted by how much protein they eat. I was on track to be well over 6 foot as a kid eating my mom's home made meals, around 13 I moved out with my dad and ate mostly fast food/ cheap frozen food and my growth immediately and dramatically slowed. I know for a fact I was not an early bloomer as I saw puberty markers at normal times. Still wound up 6'1 but I wear a size 13-14 shoe which is proportional to guys around 6'5

[@anthonyproffitt5341]

@@daneaxe6465 the height of their mothers is a factor as well, so one must take that into account. That said nutrition is a huge factor.

[@daneaxe6465]

@@anthonyproffitt5341 From what I've read the Dutch height is credited to lots of dairy products.

[@cynhanrahan4012]

Makes sense that the higher social orders had access to better quality food. The same is true today, but it would be generational since their mother's would have had access to better food while carrying them. Thank you for you very well researched and presented content.

[@mcusa77]

My father said the same. I think breeding had a lot to do with it because a tall person will put off tall childeren regurdless of food if the short dna is not in them.

[@squeekyclean1644]

It’s all about genes. Why are African tribes 7 feet tall yet they have terrible nutrition and poverty

[@norsemagicandbeliefs8134]

Only the Dinka tribe. And they eat quite well actually. Lots of fasting and really big balanced meal once a day. And alot of dairy

[@ajithsidhu7183]

@@norsemagicandbeliefs8134 please do on norse and north India connection

[@esben181]

@@squeekyclean1644 Well a tribe like the Maasai are both tall and eat nutritious food. Much healthier than the standard American soybean diet. But yes genetics play a vital role

[@thewormwhoisgod9886]

Great video. The original artist of the cave drawing in “Cave of Forgotten Dreams” was around 6 feet tall, and this is 13,000 BCE.....eating that good diet of meat and marrow and berries and fish...Ancient European and Amazigh (Berber) people generally were very tall. Even in early Egyptian depictions, the Amazigh/Libyan people are depicted as far taller than Egyptians, Canaanites and Nubians. I love how you casually bring up the continuation of nutritional deficits being perpetrated by the lab-grown meat and soy-doused-in glyphosate crowd. Your political messages are always appreciated. Hopefully helping to inspire people to wake up their family and friends!

[@galenbjorn443]

People does not seams to understand that 175cm 1300 years ago was massive.

[@kveldulfskallagrim731]

Some don't seem to understand the difference between "average" and "massive"

[@hoezouikheten]

I should have been born back then I would be massive (I'm 175 cm). But sadly now I'm short xD

[@armando1829]

@@hoezouikheten you wouldn’t be 175 if you were born back then tho

[@MidKnightblue0013]

@@hoezouikheten That's not short, that's just a tad less than average. I'm only average height, just a few cm taller than that but I'm 225 pounds of muscle and could kick the arse a lot of people much taller than me. Also, most people lie about their height by about 1 inch, even in a tall country, that's not much less than average.

[@armando1829]

@@hoezouikheten lol

[@bear0907]

Another great video and very interesting, I love the way you put the information across. If they get butt hurt about the facts tough!! hahaha Skal !!

[@deathmetalchili6902]

Awesome shirt!!!! Wardruna is on our daily playlist! :)

[@anidaralopez5676]

You always have such interesting tidbits of information. Thank you for all the energy you put into your research and then sharing with us.

[@ericpatton5211]

4:57 is why I like your videos. That is a detail many miss... great stuff!

[@TMTFT]

Fun fact, Dutch are the tallest at the moment but within the Netherlands the Frisians are the tallest, next are the people from the provinces Groningen and Drenthe which are also in the North. I'm Frisian and 2,02 m. but I've still been looking up to quite a lot of guys towering 2,10-2,15 . Reason I bring this up is because the North of the Netherlands had a lot more interaction with North Germany and Scandinavia, during the viking age but also in the middle ages (the North- and Baltic sea trade was the most essential trade during the Dutch golden age). I think even to this day most in Frisia are both culturally and genetically most closely related to Scandinavia, Groningen and Drenthe are more Saxon related.

[@willmosse3684]

2,15???!!! That is bloody tall man! I am 192 and I thought I was quite tall 😂. Interestingly, I have seen it reported here in England that our closest genetic relatives on the continent are the Frisians. I’ve not heard anything about people from Groningen and Drenthe, but perhaps that is just because it is not so well known in England? Is it near Frisia? Also, the Frisian language is apparently the closes still existing language to English, though I think it is a particular version of Frisian (East Frisian or something) that is closest? They say many Frisians actually came to settle in England in what is known as the Anglo-Saxon conquest, but also included other peoples from nearby the Angles and Saxons.

[@youtubesbichasspolicys5888]

@@willmosse3684 you are overly tall lol

[@j.l.h.6128]

Im from Groningen and Im 1.87 Its not as tall as you but still a bit tall. But yea there are alot of people with my height or in the 1.90's and 2m but as soon as Im in an other country I feel tall. It is indeed a fact that atleast people from Friesland and Groningen are 2 to 3 cm taller on averages than the Southers parts. Btw took a DNA test a few weeks back and found out Im 56,6% Scandinavian 39,6% Wester and Northern European and 3,8 % English

[@TMTFT]

@@willmosse3684I don't know which version of Frisian would be closest to old English, but tho my Frisian is only decent at best it's still almost confusing how easy it is to understand old English. There's some good YT video's about it. About Groningen and Drenthe, before the middle ages most of the time it was part of Frisia (at it's peak Frisia stretched from the North of Belgium to the south of Denmark along the coast line) but with the 'introduction' of Christianity and the rise of the HRE they slowly formed their own identity/region and focused more to the south/east. It's said that somewhere around 300-400 most of Frisia was abandoned and most resettled in North-west Germany so when the Anglo-Saxon conquest started the Frisians between them were simply seen as Angles/Saxons invading Britain, I'm not sure on this point but the language spoken by the Angles and the Saxons were probably very similar to Frisian as well.

[@willmosse3684]

@@TMTFT Ah, yes, that makes sense. I remember a few years back there was a DNA study in England to look for the DNA markers of people from Angeln and Saxony (the Angles and Saxons obviously), as well as the Jutes from Jutland in Northern Denmark. But they were surprised by the results, which showed more Frisian DNA than Angle, Saxon or Jutish, even though the Frisians are not really mentioned in the historic texts. So they thought lots of Frisians must have come too, and now whenever people here talk about that age of invasion they always mention all four groups. Perhaps it was because some Frisians moved up to Saxony and Angeln? Though, I think the DNA showed that we were related to people who live in Frisia now, so if Frisia was abandoned by the people of that time I am not sure how that would work? And also, this was a good few years ago now and DNA reading technology has changed a lot, so this might all be out of date? Also, this is the video I was thinking of where the dude at Langfocus (he’s good) explains the different forms of Frisian - West Frisian, North Frisian and Saterland Frisian. The one that he compares to English is West Frisian, which is the one that has most speakers and is based in the Netherlands. The other two varieties are spoken in what is now Germany, and are endangered languages. But he doesn’t actually say that West Frisian is closer to English - I misremembered that. It is just the variety that he uses for comparison. kzbin.info/www/bejne/g3izaIGVfcmgpc0

[@patriciadavison1486]

Another great video..apart from learning so much I always fall about laughing (the fat guy on the pony😂 - priceless). Thanks for another brilliant video X

[@willmosse3684]

Great video. I like the inclusion of the actual data from skeletons, and then developing the argument from there. I feel like sometimes this kind of the data is what is missing from these discussions. Personally, I take the thing about kings always being taller with a bit of a pinch of salt. Yes, the nobility will be taller than the peasantry because of better nutrition. But re kings in particular, I think we have to keep propaganda motives in mind! You can’t just believe everything at face value in historical texts! Good work bro!

[@hyperionone4208]

If you want to see Viking descendants, come to Lincolnshire and visit the towns and villages that run alongside the River Trent. Every second person you see looks as though they've just jumped off a Longboat .

[@sethhamby9405]

I'm American and 6'2" shortest male in the line, We came from Lincolnshire and were Lords and Knights.

[@jaif7327]

@@sethhamby9405 bless you and your family

[@jenna2431]

I would also attribute taller or shorter to age at death for those skeletons. As you get older, your skeleton wears and compresses. If you don't age, you die taller. Also, do they account for muscle contribution? Well-muscled people can extend the skeletal height a bit (relates also to my first point). Finally, activity--when you're carrying heavy crap around (boats, dead enemies, loot) all the time, your skeleton will also suffer advanced compression.

[@metalmindedmaniac2587]

I believe you are on to something science has confirmed maybe not word for word but I do believe you to be correct. The average height of the skeleton then add flesh and tissue I am sure their average height would increase two maybe three inches before decomposition and before the bones are too brittle to be handled.

[@xXCREEKSTARXx]

Most vikings were offseason farmers, most of them were used to hard work in shit weather.... stealing someones golden buttplug was just the icing on the cake of physical wear and tear 😄

[@guilhermesalesferreiradaco2934]

That happens today but back then they die before they'd get any shorter. U don't see people in their 30s and 40s getting shorter do u?

[@sammy13ificationable]

My family raises Scandinavian mini horses here in Missouri, and I wouldnt even let a child ride them. Our tallest is 32inches, and hes the son of a pony, so significantly bigger than the rest. I probably wouldnt have even recommended letting that child in the photo on that donkey, miniatures have very weak backs, but very strong cores, which makes them great for pulling carts and rickshaws though.

[@williamdawkins4731]

I saw a bunch of guys in a highland game once and they gave the size of the competitors as they performed, all of them averaged 6’9” in hight and around 320 pounds in weight.

[@grizzlyaddams3606]

Thanks for the Q&A video. I immediately watched the Midsommar movie and wow. Super intense. Learning about the meanings of the days of the week are super cool too. Feeling connected. Thanks again.

[@shaneanderson3734]

We need the warrior spirit to rise once more

[@leonidjoseph5483]

your countries over run by the Islamists.

[@AA-vr8ez]

@@leonidjoseph5483 Like it or not, Islam has the warrior spirit.

[@stevepenney2073]

Blood Eagles for everyone!!!

[@israhelldid9119]

@@AA-vr8ez Yes, but they can't compete with germanic warriors

[@wyrdwildman1689]

We aren't dead yet.

[@frankschmidt7705]

Tack för din fina presentation.

[@pendragonU]

Another point many often ignore is that those who wrote about them were Church men and Courtiers and the only Vikings they saw close to (if not they would not have been alive to tell) were those sent by delegations to Peace Talks (usually ransoms or other payoff's) and these were most probably made from the Nobles leadership of the Viking Kings or Chieftains, the tallest warriors. Either by achieving position due their physical prowess that made the difference in the short careers they usually had, or as children of those nobles (already taller a generation before) so much better fed than those in other households. Like Royals and titled Aristocracy, also in the rest of Europe, where nobles were higher than the average farmers, traders and craftsmen, etc. They enjoyed too more athletic lifestyles, by hunting in the outdoors and Military training than all those others exhausted and overworked by tilling or routinary jobs with less detours to be practicing athletic sports or drill activities of skills as the Nobles did

[@Heavywall70]

I’m HUGE in Japan. Actually I am rather large in most places 6-0 weighing in at 290

[@VikingGnomeAnime]

i'm about 6'3 and in japan a decent amount of people looked at me funny as some sort of inhuman lol

[@witchhazel4135]

My Japanese aunts thought my 5'10 American husband was so tall that they asked him if he played basketball.☺ They're 4'9 and 4'10.

[@geirbroden244]

@@VikingGnomeAnime im also 6'3+ and always wanted to go to japan. I have always imagined a photo where i stand in that super busy crossing! Would be fun haha

[@neuroleptika]

im 34, 189cm, I used to be considered tall but these younger guys are 200-230cm in the grocery store in Sweden...my younger cousins are taller too. In 1600s here the clothes, beds, houses were like for children due to famine

[@Showwieh]

Interesting video, greetings from The Netherlands

[@TheLegendaryLore]

Icelandic horses have no trouble carrying even large people. Yes, they are relatively short, but they're also strong and solid-built.

[@FlowerKnight2]

Excellent video as usual, thank you for the awesome information!

[@superbombracing]

Was just talking to my mom about this a few hours ago. Interesting shit really enjoy your info brotha.

[@James_744]

My Norman, Danish and Anglo-Saxon ancestors were definitely more free than I will ever be.. much love from totalitarian Australia! Stay away!

[@DreymaComposer]

Stay strong brother 💪

[@WisdomPrevails369]

@sesh gremlin Do you live under a rock?

[@marypetrie930]

What?

[@wernerbro3208]

@sesh gremlin it is now. Victoria, look it up

[@WisdomPrevails369]

@sesh gremlin You don't

[@jongabrielsen3868]

In school in Norway we were taught that Erik the Red was only a meter and a half tall (4'-9")

[@gustavthemagician]

We found viking skeletons here in Ireland, most were about that size. Their heads were missing though, they might have been taller before my ancesters beheaded them. Nowadays scandinavian tourists are welcome, but i advise them to behave.

[@ML-762]

@@gustavthemagician savage

[@Feeelipeeee]

@@gustavthemagician we can say they were a head shorter than average ;)

[@partench]

Great info, always good stuff you share. Looking forward to the next one

[@tracysmith2874]

Informative video. Love the shirt.

[@Mma-basement-215]

Dude I love your KZbin channel it's super cool thank you 👍

[@chasingthestorms]

Glad I found this channel! Sköl! Loving Wardruna!

[@stevejohnson6858]

Excellent video. There is good information on this from burials. Grave #511 from Repton is but one. That man was 1.87 m in height and appears to be large boned. His brother buried next to him in grave #295 was 1.79 m in height. What is also interesting about the Vikings buried there is that they apparently had a chiefly marine diet. There is a nice burial map put together from a site called Anthrogenica showing many Viking age burials in Norway and Denmark. It must be said the map focuses on bruials where the men carried the I1-M253 haplogroup but it is still interesting nonetheless. Not all of the men are what we would consider tall but quite a few are described as being "robust". Even a man who was 5'7" tall could be built like a tank. Genes do not always express themselves in tall height even with good diet but it is still absolutely true that diet still affected average height over the centuries.

[@torstenscott7571]

I read somewhere a while back ( I apologize for not remembering the source ), that much of the myths regarding how we are much taller in our modern era stems from 20th century scholars who observed shorter heights in the 19th century and assumed that older generations were short. They failed to acknowledge the often terrible diets and working conditions alongside to toxins of the new urban industrial age. Populations of farmers working and eating well migrated to polluted cities experiencing poverty and malnutrition.

[@norsemagicandbeliefs8134]

Yes very true. Horrible diets and lifestyle made people shorter than than ever

[@inspectorcal]

look,,dont take anybody's word for it,,go have a look around old buildings, people where a lot shorter than they are today, and if thats down to poor nutrition, then so be it, but the truth is they where shorter and thats a fact, look at the size of doorways and ceiling heights and beds and chairs.

[@Ackalan]

@@norsemagicandbeliefs8134 Not sure why you think the monks ate poorly, since they were rich and allowed to tax people in both coin and food.

[@brandondavis7777]

I don't mind being short. I'm only 5'7". So roughly the size of the average person going viking.

[@Stephanthesearcher]

this means half of the vikings where smaler than you :-)

[@RaymondCore]

Interesting video. Thank you for answering the question, posed in the title, at the beginning of the video. That is a rare thing.

[@aaronjantzen7048]

Such a great video concept! Great Work

[@OnGuffeyHill]

Nice shirt man! I love Wardruna!

[@adampilot8275]

Great clip as always.

[@candee2320]

Off topic you are wearing one of my favorite group's Tshirt, good on you

[@josefeliciano1077]

Awesome video,thanks!

[@bookman7409]

"Too tall to (comfortably) ride a horse" may not be the exaggeration most folks believe it to be. I heard mention of war and draft horses, and someone in the comments mentioned miniature breeds, but there's one strain that's been left out: Amblers, who have the "amble" gait, which the others do not. This made them the preferred horse for simple transportation, since it's far less bouncy and jouncy than normal horse gaits. They are also a smaller breed, but not due to miniaturization. Someone who's 6'6"+ might well have difficulty in finding one tall enough that he could ride it comfortably. Other horses that were trained for riding would have been as hard, perhaps harder to find, since most in civilian hands would be used as draft animals, due to their larger builds. And until they conquered or otherwise settled, those who went viking had to depend on the local animals that were available, since longships were not suited to carrying horses as cargo. So the story that Rollo of the many names was too tall to comfortably ride a (riding, i.e. ambler) horse could be quite true, even if he was only 6'6" in actual fact. That's history for you, though, there's always the potential for drawing a conclusion that's not entirely correct, due to not knowing something in particular about something you generally know pretty well. Hell, I found the tale hard to swallow, myself, right up until I saw an ambler with a man riding it. TV, but not fictional, so real horse, real man - and it did have the distinctive gait, too.

[@m.f.hopkins8728]

I recall the story of the ax man on the bridge... that was one big, scary, brave dude!

[@ElderHiker]

Well, that clears that up. Thanks for sharing.

[@keeperofthegood]

Height is also dependent on the physics of gravity acting on the chemistry of bone. Sandy Allen lived and worked in my city when I was in grade school, talked to her a few times but mostly hung out with her brother. She was a lovely friendly person, but at 7 foot 7 inches, in the end gravity was not her friend.

[@deanyorke1717]

I've read something somewhere that the Norse men and women of Scandinavia were never much separated in height difference except when of the lower class. Your video here confirms that with solid facts.

[@mayorofsimpleton5674]

I’m Swedish and all of my male relatives are 2 metres or taller. I drew the short straw though as my dad’s an Englishman, I’m only 173 :(

[@zackisen]

Rip

[@marypetrie930]

Read the Romans description of the ancient Celts.

[@wernerbro3208]

@Acca Dacca lol. Im 176cm, but 86kg of ripped explosive muscle. Youre talking like a beta right now 😅 but i feel for you, if ur 175 and unathletic/weak aswell 🤭

[@willmosse3684]

2m is too bloody tall man! Somewhere between 173 and 2m might be good 😂

[@Dom-fx4kt]

@Acca Dacca Celt were tall according to the Romans

[@MidKnightblue0013]

Good vid as usual. Another source I once looked at said Vikings were just a tad shorter at either 5'7-5'8 but that's only one inch from what he is saying here, same ballpark.That is still a bit taller than the average at the time. In the USA we have a great variety of people, including Asians and Hispanics that average a bit shorter. If you look at just white and black people both of them average 5'10 which is interesting because among Black people you have some of the tallest in the world but then you also have a lot of short guys, so it averages to the same as whites. Very true what he says about nutrition being big factor, 80 years ago Japanese people where very short, today they average 5'8 just a little shorter than Americans.

[@thelight2889]

Thanks for these informations man... U helped alot.. No need to search anymore

[@thewormwhoisgod9886]

John of Gaunt was 6’9”, would be cool to trace his lineage back to the Normans/Angles/Saxons that passed down those giant genes to that well-fed legend and progenitor of many of the most famous royal lines in Europe...

[@monkoko6441]

Great video

[@whiskyfake]

Recently I've finished to read "Heimskringla" and almost every character there (and other sagas) is described as "tall" (they have few short vikings as well). Probably this is another reason why people think that the viking were giant warriors.

[@zarahmb1711]

There is another aspect to it: stress in childhood. My foster daughters' biological parents are 185 cm / 6 ft (mother) and 190 cm 6.3 ft (father). They look like people would imaging Vikings = blond, tall, broad built. The daughter is now 12 years old and stopped growing at the age of 9 when puberty started. Now, at 12, she is 160 cm /5.3 ft and stopped growing at 10 years old. The doctor said, it is because of the survival modus in early childhood: her body tried to get adult as fast as possible, it doesn't even stop when she came here at the age of 2. You can see, that she was meant to be taller, because of her broad shoulders, big hands, and feet, etc. It is very sad for me to see, how neglect is shown in a persons' body for the rest of their life.

[@enigma1247]

I find that hard to believe...me and my brother had really bad childhoods and we both are 6'4 while no one else in our family is above 6 foot. And our family is from germany

[@zarahmb1711]

@@enigma1247 We went to the doctor's to find the reason for her being small. He proved it, It is sad.

[@jaif7327]

@@enigma1247 you must be an outlier then

[@crazy1azy]

7:37 just the idea of giant men riding tiny horses in battles had me crying 😆

[@Elkhorse]

Well done!

[@dandyrevisionist7879]

Good information, nice content.

[@viking_sasquatch]

I'm american of scandinavian decent. I'm 6'4" 230lbs. All the men in my family are 6' or taller except for 1 uncle and 1 of his sons. My son is 4 and already taller then everyone his age. Everyone thinks he's like 6.

[@deekay1310]

I bet all big for nothing.

[@viking_sasquatch]

@@deekay1310 hahaha... True. We're all big for no reason. My buddy says that all the time. None of us play sports... Plus side is I don't need a ladder to change light bulbs and walking in crowds most people just move out of my way.

[@fratercontenduntocculta8161]

Lol I was listening to Wardruna's 'Fehu' when I clicked. Nice shirt!

[@jayhrafn3644]

I like how you threw Bill Gates in there haha. I’m really liking your videos.

[@notinside1]

At 6'2" and large shoulders with mostly norsk blood. A builder asked me my name. Told him it's Eric he said "you look like a big fkn viking"

[@xGlocklesnarx]

Average blk guy

[@hyperelon5067]

There’s a story of a gothic Thracian called maximus said to be 8ft

[@VikingGnomeAnime]

that is also odd to me, I'm also about 6'3 but i always seem to see people taller than me. i assume it is because i simply just do not register people of avg height, but instinctively register every one of similar height or taller as potential threats, perhaps?

[@norsemagicandbeliefs8134]

Haha yes I though the same here

[@natenowak2227]

I don’t know if I believe you 😂. If the average man is 5’9 6’3 is half an entire foot taller than that. If you are a legit barefoot 6’3 you are quite literally entering 98th percentile of adult male height. Like the guy in this video also claims to be 6’3 and somehow “sees people way taller than him everywhere he goes”. What he’s basically saying is he’s seeing 6’6-6’8 guys everywhere which is statistically impossible unless he’s hanging out on NBA courts. I think what REALLY happens is people overestimate their height. You’re probably 6’0.5 right out of bed and 6’2.5 in boots and round it to 6’3. Because you are not seeing that many people taller than that. I’m 6’1.5 barefoot and while there are people taller than me it’s not usually by a lot. If i walk into a room of 100 men statistically speaking 5 would be taller than me and probably not more than 2 inches. That being said my heights been guessed anywhere from 6’0-6’6 so just goes to show you people are clueless when it comes to height. People fails to realize just to be a legit barefoot 6’ is 3 whole inches taller than average and by 6’ I mean 6’ not 5’8.75” rounding up to the nearest foot.

[@VikingGnomeAnime]

@@natenowak2227 This is based on accurate measuring not guesses. it is correct I do rarely see anyone more than barely taller than me if anything, but I still instinctively register that consciously while I do not register the vast array that are shorter. this is also based on the time I am in Scandinavia where people are taller than most countries on average. of course when I am in asia I never see anyone taller for all intents and purposes

[@pauladee6937]

Thank you for all the info..

[@decapolis01]

My family has Norse heritage and most of us are exactly 5'11. A few of us 6'4. I had 4 uncles who were brothers that were 6'7. I think that is just human genetics to vary.

[@daneaxe6465]

Totally agree. My dad's side came from central Netherlands and in the US every is 6' to 6'5", however my great grandfather who immigrated was only 5'7"(tough life in NL 1890s). I have blood relatives in the same location in the NL who are really short even with all the food available. Yeh, diet helps a lot but genetics get their say in the matter also.

[@0onpoint]

On average people walked 11 and something miles a day

[@algernoncalydon3430]

It's funny that the one said that vultures followed him around. My brother is a trapper on the East coast of the US and vultures know his truck and follow him around. He often goes to a farm and talks to the owner and when the owner sees the vultures coming my brother tells the farm owner it's his pets.

[@alejandrodavidbolanos82]

Their fear vs the splendid strength of Vikings in battle is the main factor to that perception of Giants. Peasants vs Special Forces

[@karlosthejackel69]

Great info

[@StevenTurner-iy2dw]

Idk know about tallest country but tallest ethnic group has to be in the South Sudan.the Dinka tribe is huge. They come out the womb 6ft. Lol

[@polaris8126]

Roman legionaires were 170cm-ish ( 170cm was the admission limit, so it was probably already considered high), but they still conquered half of the world... it is also a fact that they developed the most lethal military "machine".

[@andersistbesser]

The average roman soldier height was 160cm, germanic people where 172cm

[@oscarlindqvist7976]

Yeah but thats the reason why romans never could invade germanics in the end. When you think about it the tall romans were probably 170 cm or little bit over and the germanics were 175 cm at average so the warriors could have been 180 cm or more no wonder they feared the barbarians.

[@WapajeaWalksOnWater]

Also spending most of your time outside makes you healthier. Here in Turtle Island, people only came inside at night. And we were 100% healthier than we are now.

[@rob6738]

I would think someone an inch taller than me running at me with an axe would look like a giant too 😂

[@nkiruogene]

I like your channel!

[@skeletorlikespotatoes7846]

Skeleton remains are analyzed using a regression method to give an idea of a range. Usually 1-2 inches off from possible height. I'd put them at 5'11.

[@AzhidaReminiec9999]

At a time when the average height was under 5'8"...) in other countries)the Vikings were tall. Also genetics come into play My uncle was 6'1 ..my aunt was 6'

[@jakobfrej7072]

I remember when I went to Mexico when I was 15-16 years old and I towered over almost everyone of the Mexican people I’m 187-188 cm today or 6 foot 2 inches and I was at around 185 cm then. The only Mexican I met that was at my height was a security guard. But in Sweden where I am from I I’m not considered a big person or tall anymore and I’m 187-188 cm (6’2) and 84 kg (185 lbs)

[@Ryzilience]

Your a good size for height and weight. I am 5'6 at 145 - 150lbs and I look huge for my size lol I think the top of my head would just be below your lower lip if you know what I mean in height terms

[@Jonahexx13]

@@Ryzilience lmao manlet

[@Powys6732]

@@Jonahexx13 kek

[@Jonahexx13]

@@Powys6732 when will they learn lad? they never do

[@Powys6732]

@@Jonahexx13 Manlet Pride World Wide

[@daneaxe6465]

Good point on the warrior class. You don't send the dwarfs or smurfs to Lindisfarne.!!

[@mukhumor]

During the Industrial Revolution in Britain height went down, so that Vikings of 1000 years earlier were taller than the industrial workers. 5'8 is probably the average for men throughout history.

[@jonathanwessner3456]

A lot of people don't realize how a little height translates into visual differences. I am 6'6" tall. In pictures with my 6' tall sister, she looks short next to me. Just a 3 inch difference can look huge when they stand next to one another. So, someone who is 6' tall attacking people who are 5'6" will look like a "giant". Google the Pick of Dwayne Johnson (6'5" ) Charles Barkley(6'6" ) and Shaquille O'neil (7' ) standing with Kevin Hart. Barkley looks more than 1 inch taller than Dwayne.

[@DirtMcStride]

I'm a swede with a height of 187 cm, that's like 6'2 and I see myself as average to be honest.

[@Ackalan]

Same here, but if they just count average height without accounting for the difference between men and women it's going to drag down the average quite a lot.

[@mauricefricke6236]

@@Ackalan They also often include all age groups and lump them together. Older people are generally a bit shorter + most of them have also shrunk which is gonna drag down the average even more. For young Swedish males (18-35), I would say that 182.5-183cm is the average, the same goes for Denmark and Northern Germany.

[@rodturner4589]

I was wondering...have you done a vid about Viking-era food? Was it good...or awful? Would we have chowed down back then on some good ole' Viking home cooked vittles?

[@norsemagicandbeliefs8134]

Haha i will. It was probably nutritious. But Scandinavians have horrible taste buts in my opinion and I doubt it was different in the viking age. I like some spice in my life :)

[@beachesbonfires2536]

I like to dream that my ancestors were tall royal vikings lol. As a 6' 2" woman whose Dad is 6'6" I need to get answers and do a DNA test and find my family's history. Anyways new sub love all your videos...been binge watching and learning a ton, thanks!!

[@mannuraven2157]

yes you are right- genetics is only one part- good nutrition but also, from looking at "failure to thrive" as an RN, community, a tribe, strong role models and yes dare I say it: love and the parents being well supported by the whole community

[@jeepdriver7603]

Another reason they may have been thought to be taller - fierceness in battle would make them seem bigger than they were.

[@kieranleogriffiths685]

Badass shirt man, hail Wardruna 🤘

[@goatf1sh87]

My friend keegan was one of the stunt doubles for Rollo in viking. Big dude, we call him buff Jesus with his long hair. He hates it.

[@LonersGuide]

From what I understand of history, the Vikings, like the Angles, Saxons, etc., were not in the habit of riding horses into battle. They would ride their horses TO a battle, dismount, and fight. This was still true in 1066, when the Harald Godwinson and his Angles, Saxons, Danes, etc., met William the Bastard at the battle of Hastings. Harald had his infantry shield wall. William had mixed units, including cavalry and archers, which actually decided the battle. Likewise when the English first met the Muslim forces in the Crusades, they dismounted and squared up to fight. They were constantly harassed by the arrows of mounted archers (a thing they'd never seen before). Still, their infantry game was apparently so good that despite this and being greatly outnumbered they were victorious more times than not.

[@CarlosSanchez-my7zg]

I'm a vegetarian, been one for over 20 yes, and I'm 6ft tall and a muay thai fighter. Nutrition doesn't just mean meat. Other than that, your analysis is spot on.

[@ingmigueleduardo7]

Exactly... Bill Gates and the global elite who enslave and control the world don't want to cancel the meat industry for general public to weaken and enslave the masses. Actually they have another more effective methods for do this: - Contamination of air, water reservoirs, and food (crops, fast food industry and preserved foods) using technology and biochemical weapons. - Hybrid war methods against societies. This have 4 process: Demoralization (educate an entire generation in marxist ideology), Destabilization (economy, foreign relations and defense systems), Crisis (violent change of power, structures and economy) and finally Normalization (period of stabilization of the chaos) - Force people to coexist in multicultural globalist societies agglutinated and locked up in big crowded gray cities without nature and life and controlled by artificial intelligence with police robot dogs, drones, androids, etc. The air and atmosphere of large technocratic cities is harmful to human health, destroys the SOUL of the human being and makes the mind sick. Those are some of the factos who contribute to decrease the height, health and wellbeing of individuals. The real reason behind the global elite wants to cancel meat industry is because isn't sustainable for economic reasons, for environmental reasons such as mineral overexploitation of soils by excessive agriculture (massive quantities of cattle and farm animals must be fed with grains) and finally for spiritual reasons (hundreds of millions of animals are slaughtered each year for satisfy the cruel human pleasure for meat, not only for the necessity of feed)

[@CarlosSanchez-my7zg]

@@ingmigueleduardo7 I agree with you except for the name dropping.

[@maryhjort7318]

Maybe, in addition to everything else, they also made a point of being scary in their appearance and behavior and that caused them to loom large when invading.

[@davidelkington6342]

Doesnt matter how tall , the Vikings were , they are Badasses

[@willmosse3684]

People in Serbia are pretty bloody tall. I am a 6ft3.5/192cm Englishman. There are plenty of people here taller than me, but still, I feel quite tall. I went to Serbia and fook me - there were TONS of people a lot bigger than me. Noticed it more there than anywhere else

[@cacaberic]

Genes and good diet. I hope you enjoyed our food!

[@willmosse3684]

@@cacaberic I did!

[@elessar2777]

yay another video

[@navigator5426]

According Archaeological records and studies done by Universities in Norway and Denmark, The Viking Nobles ate a lot better than the ' Common Folk ' especially when it comes to meat. The common folk ate mostly grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts and fish. The Nobles ate much more beef than the ' common folk '.

[@informatiimanu9]

Ahile wasn't so tall but he may be the greatest warrior ever , speed and tehnique,inteligence definetly matters a lot

[@Braapncamp]

Interesting topic, the skeletons in the ship graves in Vendel / Valsgärde is tall. The tallest two estimates men at 198cm and 204cm length. The viking age graves in Österfärnebo rather close to the Vendel area, graves that looks like average normal viking age graves had so tall skeletons that the villagers of later times thought there was giants who have lived there (my ancestors are from this area for as long time we could see back). At Öland there is a grave with a very tall skeleton from the viking age as well. As you say the height must have been vary alot. It is interesting that we seemed to have had a very good nutrition at the time. Even so the vikings were eager to look for new land, trades etc. Probably alot of economical, control of power and political (religious) reasons as well, why the Scandinavians were so eager to get engaged in the northern Europe and it's Islands. Did the Scandinavians encounter a change in their wealth during the time?

[@norsemagicandbeliefs8134]

More wealth for sure in the viking age. Also the climate was warm and made it better for growing food at the time

[@Braapncamp]

@@norsemagicandbeliefs8134 Yes, that is what we learn. But there must also have been challenges at some point. The waterlevel got lower, but in what time frame. F.ex. Kaupangs harbor got dry. And we see it in our landscapes at other places as well. Göta Älv was 1km in width, today it's 100m. I like the data you showed about how height has differed over time. Something we are aware of ofc. How short people were during times where we had "minor ice ages".

[@Rockyourassed]

From my 10 years old i went from 161cm to 185cm at 13 years old :)! My Luxemburgish great grandfather was 6.1 feet.

[@Boudicaisback]

I read somewhere that we are getting shorter on average because of looking down at our phones, soon our bodies will adapt to this

[@anoordman1028]

Swedish/Frisian 6'6 - 6'8 with my favorite boots on, was not a big eater as a child didn't slow my growth down... weigh-in at 240lbs nowadays 💪 not fat !!! My favorite Thorkell the Tall !!!

[@LasseEklof]

Another viking that you can wonder how tall he was is Torkjell Høge (Thorkell the Tall or Thorkell the High).

[@ericborgen7311]

I am of Norwegian decent and I am 5'8" tall myself people probably got taller after the black death due to the fact that about 30 million people died due to the black death

[@HrRezpatex]

I must admit that when i saw the name of the channel with magic and so in it, i was kind of expecting a lot of bullshit. I was wrong, thanks for good content. :) And i forgive you for calling Egil Skallagrimson "a ordinary man", but i feel i have to tell you that ordinary men did not get their own saga.. ;)

[@norsemagicandbeliefs8134]

Hah. He was no ordinary man thats for sure. Just not a king or royal lineage