You Do Not Have Viking DNA

A massive recent study has thrown up loads of cool information on what the Viking Age looked like, using state of the art DNA analysis.
But can the new study tell us everything we hope about how people moved around back then? Can we draw all the amazing conclusions from it we'd like to? Does it prove anything at all? Let's jump in for a quick chat and find out!
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The study itself:
www.nature.com/articles/s4158...
An article about the study's findings: www.medievalists.net/2019/08/...
Dr Cat Jarman's Twitter Thread: CatJarman/status/...
Maple Leaf Rag by Kevin MacLeod
Link: incompetech.filmmusic.io/song...
License: creativecommons.org/licenses/b...
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The Welsh Viking,
PO Box 821,
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YO1 0PY

[@laulutar]

Vikings marrying people in the areas they went to isn't really surprising at all. I mean in pre-pandemic times, lots of people would travel and hook up with people they met on their journeys. I refuse to believe that our earlier ancestors were that different, really.

[@TheWelshViking]

Quite right! I’m marrying someone I met on my travels, after all!

[@laulutar]

@@TheWelshViking I married someone I met during my younger self's more adventurous years, too 😁 and he was sweet enough to follow me home, when I got homesick 😍

[@davidjohnston7512]

Why do you think they got married.They could just have had sex.

[@laulutar]

@@davidjohnston7512 marriage has been a way to consolidate wealth and power since pretty much the start of human civilization.

[@Amy_the_Lizard]

@@davidjohnston7512 Well some of them were buried together, which generally isn't done with short term hook ups...

[@susannekalejaiye4351]

Ok. I shared to FB. If I were still teaching (retired) at university, I absolutely would find a way to include this video in my course plans. You summarise an academic article; mention the facts and flaws (the whys and wherefores), describe the process of writing an academic article, remind us of what should be already "known".... Ah! Brilliant 🎇 Oh, and you are clear well spoken and concise. Sorry. That's all for now. Give yourself a pat (or two) on the back from me.

[@TheWelshViking]

This, Susanne, is a huge compliment. Thank you so much for this generous comment and for sharing. I very much appreciate this and am quite touched!

[@norsemendanes9622]

Fuck your uni and your bullshit about it

[@gigglepantsiii9350]

Editing Jimmy has to cover a lot of stuff for you, he deserves something nice to drink, also he has excellent opinions

[@TheWelshViking]

He had a lovely snack and drink whilst editing, and he thanks you for agreeing!

[@CarynOMahony]

-Consults English degree- "Yup, right there, 'Clickbaitily', 100% a real word"

[@TheWelshViking]

Sweet! Legitimacy!

[@tiffanytomasino335]

A little bit of knowledge can be more dangerous than complete ignorance sometimes. I think it’s the moment a person thinks they definitively /know something is when the trouble starts. This was a very gentle reminder that humility keeps us honest and kind human beings. Also, spreading the news of a really cool new study too, lol. Thank you for sharing!

[@Lunareon]

I saw an article about this in the Finnish media, and it was all like: "Not all Vikings were blue-eyed blonds!!!". What a "revelation". xP Thank you for explaining this research in a non-sensational way.

[@laulutar]

Yeah, I read that one too, and was like "it's taken you this long to "realise" that? Lol 😂"

[@TheWelshViking]

Haha! I know! Thanks for the comment, too :)

[@veronicajensen7690]

the truth is the amount of blonde hair found it the test is the same as is found in Scandinavians today, Scandinavians ave never in history been all blondes, that sounds like something Americans think. 97% of the test from Viking burials tested , and the test is from UK,Russia, Ukraine, the Baltic, Finland and other places ,-had Scandinavian dna and some were mixed with the local population where they were found

[@luciamac]

Not so long ago i've got into a "fight" with a group of danish guys that obsessively told me that I wasn't supposed to reenact (or even like) anything "nordic" because im latin. btw us they also told me "you don't look latin" because my skin is kind of pale, so they were kind of jerks anyway.

[@TheWelshViking]

What a bunch of arsepieces! Keep on reenacting whatever the heck you want. You rock!

[@mettejakobsen7017]

Do as you please. Sorry for My follow danes being stupid. 🇩🇰😊

[@1.1797]

Id like to think they were trolling you. But.....prolly not.

[@lindmueller_art]

Rassismus und Nazi-Ideologien gibt es überall...scheiss' drauf! Schaue auf das Genom der Europäer! Es ist ein schöner, dreiteiliger Mix mit zusätzlichen Komponenten aus verschiedenen Himmelsrichtungen. Der Eine mehr, der Andere weniger. Wer das nicht verstehen will ist dumm und will es auch bleiben. Liebe Grüße aus Deutschland, dem Land, dessen Nazigeschichte zum Glück nicht lange hielt aber in dieser Zeit viel Schaden in Europa anrichtete und die Welt in den Krieg brachte.

[@angelcollina]

They are just a bunch of douchecanoes! Of course you like vikings! Everyone likes vikings because vikings are rad as hell! And anyone can reenact anything. It is a way of connecting with history as long as it is done historically and respectively.

[@angelaplatts]

My job is running the costume hire department in a theatre. Over the time I have been doing this I have had a couple of requests for Viking Helmets. I feel proud in my knowledge that I can tell people that yes, we have Viking style helmets - but not the stereotypical ones with horns as everyone usually associates with Vikings. For some reason they never came back to me to hire them. I suppose everyone prefers the false ideal.

[@andrewnyberg5726]

I really dislike the idea of the horns. Im building a costume for Halloween this year and trying to make a fairly authentic ensemble. I am going to eventually try to create a metal helm that is true to the period but EVA foam will have to do this year due to time constraints.

[@asilverfoxintasmania9940]

Blame Hollywood, they started it, so everyone has an expectation now that if they have horns they must be Vikings!! Its annoying....

[@persiswynter6357]

I want one with wings! I blame Wagner for that.

[@beth7935]

Oh, how I hate those horned helmets :D And you don't even need to know history to work out no-one would've worn them, just physics! Great way to catch a blow that otherwise would've missed your head! (Yes, former re-enactor, lol)

[@cliffbooth1620]

@@beth7935 actually bronze age people both in the Mediterranean and scardinavia wore horned helmets, probably for fear factor

[@historiansrevolt4333]

Group that raids and trades also intermarried? Who'd have thought?! Great break down of what the study actually means. Very interesting about the Sami especially.

[@MemoTercero]

It’s so awesome to find a channel to learn about Viking culture without the racism.

[@VchaosTheoryV]

What "racism"?

[@eydnamortensen5985]

Hi, new subscriber here. I’m from the Faroe Islands and as it is a very isolated place scientists have been studying our genes. It has been said that studies have shown that the Faroe Islands were populated by men from Norway who found/took women from the “celtic” areas. The Faroe Islands were also raided by “turkish pirates”. And my grandmother always told me there was turkish blood in our family tree. Looking at my grandma I always felt like there might be some truth to it. She had olive skin, black hair and dark brown eyes. I always wanted to find out if anything could be found in my genes that would either debunk or support this family legend. Got my dna results back a few weeks ago and this is my results: 62.1% Scandinavian, 36.3% Irish/Scottish/Welsh and 1.6% West Asian (Turkey is part of that). Now I know these dna test are not exactly proof or even exact. But I still can’t help feeling like I did find some kind of proof. I was also a bit surprised that I had such a big % of the “celtic” genes and not a drop of English genes. Any way, just thought I would share :) Kind regards from a Faroese viking in Denmark

[@persiswynter6357]

I've tended to view the Vikings like a motorcycle gang: brothers in adventure, not blood.

[@TheWelshViking]

I kind of love that

[@gelflingmama]

Same. My hubby and I are actually arguing about this right now. I’m saying that yes, they were probably mostly European, but it was more a job that your country of origin. He thinks I’m wrong because skinheads. 🙄 Like they’ll be using accurate info it doesn’t serve their racist narrative. lol

[@gelflingmama]

@Berserking Bishop Sure, but they weren’t all JUST Norse only, like you said they were a mix of Germanic peoples. His argument was “Nope, all Norse.” lol

[@ReasonAboveEverything]

That is propably the most realistic view as well. In many aspects they were like hell's angels and were propably treated in a similar way. Some admired them some despised them and most people avoided them. "I told you not to play with Björns kids! He goes viking and we want nothing to do with that!"

[@runarhe5913]

@@gelflingmama Why would pagan warrior tribes from Scandinavia who spoke Norse have non-norse speaking non-pagan warriors?

[@andrewnyberg5726]

I grew up knowing that my ancestors came from Norway and my grandfather, aunts and uncles loved the idea that we were Norwegian. My great grandparents spoke fluent Norwegian and they speak often about how we are Norwegian. My grandpa and uncle still speak it a little and they have Norwegian flags and other things all around their homes. Well, the 21st century caught up and I too found it fascinating so I took the Ancestry DNA test and traced my lineage. Come to find out, we are not actually Norwegian. My great great grandfather immigrated to Norway from Denmark and his son immigrated to the US in the early 19th century. So, our entirely family story was we were Norwegian. We are actually Danish. My grandfather didn't take that too well. I still dont think he believes it. Sorry, gramps. It still something to be proud of, though. All cultures and nationalities in that region are a giant melting pot anyways. :P Nyberg was the name he took when he arrived in the states. Prior to that we were Severnson, Larson, and Knudson following the norse surname taken from the father before. PS: Love your channel! I hope you put out a lot more videos talking about the true history of the Vikings and early European history.

[@persiswynter6357]

Wasn't that an Ancestry.com commercial?

[@andrewnyberg5726]

@@persiswynter6357 HAHA Maybe something similar. Idk. :P

[@TheWelshViking]

Love it! Thanks for sharing the story, mate. I’ll certainly be trying to put out some more content related to the Norse and their history and world for sure!

[@michaeld9484]

I don’t have that kind of funny story. I’m a Scannian Dane Viking. I know this because it’s where my grandfather and grandmother come from and have traceable family history as far back as 1520 and then prior records destroyed in a church fire. Likely they’d been there since the Neolithic. No one moved much back then. Most have vague Scandinavian ancestry but I’m fortunate. Mine is quite specifically a singular group of Viking and a prolific bunch at that. Viking burial mounds on the family farm property, several ship burials outside of the town and even a rune stone. So Viking central. So much so the very word Scandinavian is a hyphenate of Scani-Dane land. And thankfully I’m not Norwegian 😂🤣😅. I have the recipe for Danish pastries though if you want to make a batch for your granDad. Get him used to the food. 🥸

[@GoodmansGhost]

@@michaeld9484 "So much so the very word Scandinavian is a hyphenate of Scani-Dane land." Not really, the name is of course from Scania/Skåne but it's just a continuation of even older names like Scandza mentioned by the byzantines in 550s who also mention Danes separately at the same time.

[@Nessi-dances]

People really underestimate just how much travel was done before the 1860s (so much, so so much travel) . Thanks for bringing the paper back into context! Your nail polish looks good!

[@TheWelshViking]

Thank you! I felt like making an effort last week :3

[@someoneinoffensive]

I'm always fascinated by how geneflow studies show a relatively stagnant picture over history... Then you realise that we're assigning genes to modern defined areas. There seems to be a little bit of circular logic going on in historical genetics

[@angelique_cs]

"clickbaitily" It's officially canon To your topic, it's really important that the context of the study is being talked about. I was very excited to read the press on the subject, but also to bear in mind how little an article does to give full context. Much of the tone was shock and surprise at the findings that seemed really obvious to me. Also, I concur with editing Jimmy's thoughts on the bad folks

[@aimeemcleonard5143]

Editing Jimmy does rock. And so nicely dressed when we see im 😉

[@TheWelshViking]

Bahaha! He is a style icon! And also very intolerant when it comes to racism.

[@JMSciFrey]

Re: Viking being a job description, not a culture - it just reminded me of being in Japan and learning that the Japanese call buffet dining "Viking Style" ..... Because you just go take what you want.😅

[@Melys415]

I found out that I am one of 80 people with ancestors from Iceland that could possibly have a Native American wife. This haplogroup is believed to be from Novia Scotia. It is still controversial though. They say it could have come from Siberia too, but no one in the area has this haplogroup. Another problem is the tribe doesn't have any living descendants so there isn't alot of DNA to match with.

[@baskey3723]

Thats kinda cool

[@WilloughbyRose]

I had to pause this just so I don’t forget to tell you how much I like your nails. Right, back to Vikings. ETA: This study sounds awesome but I appreciate the realness! Racists *do* suck.

[@TheWelshViking]

You are just excellent.

[@rd6203]

@@TheWelshViking ?

[@therealhellkitty5388]

Testing strontium isotopes is a fairly reliable way of identifying residential origins and migration patterns of humans and other animals. Strontium is taken up in the diet and deposited in teeth and bones. The composition of that residue is traceable to where the food was grown or grazed. It would be interesting to do a crossover study of genetics and strontium to see where a genetically (Scandinavian, Danish, Norwegian, etc.) person was born and lived.

[@ymor1451]

If anyone wants to dispute that we're all related if you go back fa r enough I would politely suggest they read Byrn Sykes book on the history of microcrondria DNA "The Seventh Daughters of Eve."

[@TheWelshViking]

Hear hear!

[@TwoMikesProductions]

Never let a massive leap of logic get in the way of a good article headline! :D

[@RowanWiccae]

The Welsh Viking is one of the few channels I follow where I actually go back and re-watch older videos again from time to time just to kinda re-inspire my love for all things archeology :)

[@TheWelshViking]

Very cool of you to do so! Ta!

[@AnnoyedKitten]

"Jimmy meets a cat" LOL! Well, cats are made for interrupting and making filming hard. It's a known fact. 😂

[@patriciaadams7965]

That's true

[@skellagyook]

They're famous for it.

[@onerva0001]

It is known.

[@NBDYSPCL]

Can we take a minute to appreciate that Bomb-ass bed? My partner dreams of owning a four poster like that.

[@eleanormccarthy2713]

I really enjoyed your discussion of what we know and what we really don’t, and that this s not sufficient to make broad conclusions. Thanks!

[@canucknancy4257]

Another wonderfully informative video. I believe that there is a heritage site in Newfoundland that showed that the Vikings even made it to the wilds of North America before any other Europeans. They went everywhere. It only makes sense that there would have been mixing. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Take care.

[@euansmith3699]

Jimmy, "Four brothers buried together; isn't that cool see!?" Bereft Viking Family 😭😭😭😭

[@ipomoea2]

Seen some clickbait on this article, thanks for clarifying things! It will be nice to shove this up in the "pure viking blood" peoples faces. I'm swedish, so there's a lot of myths about vikings here.. btw, avoid calling the Sami people "weirdos", it's a bit derogatory towards them considering they and their way of living is still being heavily disctriminated against.

[@TheWelshViking]

Apologies, I simply meant that there’s an idea that the Norse may have considered the Sami weird. I shall publish a fuller apology on the Community page and in a future video.

[@andytopley314]

Can I just say 'editing Jimmy' is very patient with you!

[@TheWelshViking]

Oh he has to be!

[@Menthepomme]

Mun lean Sápmelaš! This reminds me of talking about Sámi archaeology with a Norsk buddy of mine who tried to say "we all are the same we all used to mix" and i honestly took that as them justifying the erasure of indigenous people within Scandinavian archaeology because it was said in sense to justify claiming our archaeological finds as "norsk" if they did not have contemporary samisk markers. I feel like these headlines might have been where that idea came from. Interesting to watch ur analysis of this!

[@hazeluzzell]

I took part in a TV programme many years ago, called ‘Sir Walter’s Journey’ with Sir Walter Bodmer, an eminent geneticist He was hurtling around UK with a film crew, visiting Viking ‘hotspots’ trying to find Viking genes in the locals. Somewhat unsuccessfully if I remember rightly.

[@TheWelshViking]

Didn’t know this!

[@anthonytroisi6682]

Obviously, the northern part of the British Isles would have a relatively high proportion of Viking genes. Also, the Vikings took slaves from foreign lands back to Scandinavia where the slaves contributed to the gene pool. There probably are Native American genes mixed with Viking genes because it is likely that the Vikings who came to North America interacted with the Native American population and/or took Native Americans to Scandinavia as slaves. Maybe the research question should not have been framed as "How much Scandinavian genetics has entered the British gene pool?" but instead should have been framed as "How much British genetics has entered the Scandinavian gene pool?"

[@Bildgesmythe]

Love your channel! Awesome.

[@TheWelshViking]

Why thank you! So kind of you to take the time to leave such nice comments :)

[@azteclady]

Thank you! ::looks in vain for the link to the twitter thread:: Edited to add: There were a number of pieces a few years ago on the funeral items in Viking burials in Scandinavia that showed that they were trading far and wide, from the Mediterranean Sea to the Middle East, so the idea that there was no intermarrying has always been absurd, but it's always nice to have more proof.

[@TheWelshViking]

*Throws link in* Thank you!

[@azteclady]

@@TheWelshViking Many thanks!

[@harperwalsh9041]

I know that there is supposedly a lot of Irish/ Scottish DNA in Iceland and Norway due to the amount of Gaelic- Norse marriges and Irish slaves that were brought across the the North Atlantic

[@TheWelshViking]

The Irish Sea was effectively under Norwegian control for 400 years, so there was plenty of time for people to move and be moved about!

[@hildenesvik1942]

@@TheWelshViking Hi! Had my DNA tested with My Heritage. Came out with 99,7% Norse and 0,3% Irish and Scottish. I have searched all the way back to about 1700 and almost exclusively everyone I find has lived within 2 hours drive from me in southwest Norway. So just maybe it comes from older times:-)

[@Valagrimm]

Omg i just had a sudden "ah!' Moment when i saw your nails! I went out in my kit in the snow earlier today an laughed cause my nails are painted black and thought "huh, i wonder what other reenactors would think of that" ♡♡♡ luv dem!!

[@kelseylogas1580]

Fantastic video! Thanks! And what a gorgeous bed! Editing Jimmy is snarky and fun and we appreciate his efforts to keep us all honest. 😄 My mom is really into genealogy and she was convinced that there was no Scottish connection for her side of the family. Lo and behold, she found one! Likewise for the Dutch side of her family tree, suddenly we are both Dutch and German (because the Pennsylvania Dutch aren't Dutch.) Amazing where these things can lead.

[@herdivineshadow]

SO if we want to say we have 100% Viking DNA, we need to get a bunch of mates together, hop in a ship and sail somewhere and do some vikinging and then our DNA will magically turn into that of a viking?

[@TheWelshViking]

Precisely! :F

[@trudiegraham6620]

Yes, I’m going backwards through your videos, but the last seconds of this are my favourite so far. Yes Jimmy, it’s what makes cats so adorable, they find ways to point out our shortcomings. Always. Because, cat! The rest of the content is pretty amazing too.

[@miamuggle555]

This is so cool! Thank you for sharing. I love that you share these studies, that would otherwise be less accessible to non-historians and non-archeologists as I (still) am ☺. And I'm adoring the nails btw 😍

[@TheWelshViking]

Thank you so much! They are shiny. :3 You are excellent! I take it from the comment that you're making your way into archaeology? Congrats!

[@miamuggle555]

@@TheWelshViking thank you :) I'm not sure whether I want to be an archeologist or a historian. So I've decided to start with two semesters in history. I can always change course after that. I find out if I'm accepted next month 😍☺

[@Michael.Moran.33]

I had my DNA Taken that my Anistors were from Norway and Scandinavia and ireland Scotland and wales. It's cool, really interesting stuff

[@thebratqueen]

One of the most useful lessons I got out of college was understanding how much research gets turned around by the time it hits the media. I need an "All Racists Are Twats" t-shirt btw.

[@TheWelshViking]

If I ever sell merch...

[@sylviaoneal5694]

@@TheWelshViking you should

[@Greye13]

@@TheWelshViking Yes, please do. I would love very much if you could eventually sell merch. I am a definite customer if you do. By the way, do you have a Patreon yet?

[@TheWelshViking]

You are all unbelievably sweet. I have a ko-fi account, but no Patreon as yet. I may consider it, but ko-fi is much less intrusive and takes no cut!

[@ladygray6522]

So is this a difference in language interpretation? Twat in American English is rude slang for vagina.

[@counter10r]

Call and response to and from Editing Jimmy pleases me to no end! I just looked at my ancestry DNA update--I come up basically English and Scottish, but my prior wee bit of Norwegian DNA (which my genealogical cousins had put to Viking influence in the Scottish isles) swapped over to a wee bit of Swedish DNA--slightly more mysterious . . . Of course, I've only got one major line traced out to any depth on either side of my family tree, so those Swedes could have been in any number of corners that I've not yet gotten to.

[@Blitzcomo]

Listen, everybody poops. I really appreciate this look into things, thank you! 🥰

[@KoraRubin]

😁😁😁😁 I'm really happy, that you mentioned that to go viking is an activity and not nationality!

[@DawnOldham]

Loved the cat bit! ALSO! YOUR SOCIAL LINKS ARE NOT LIVE LINKS HERE IN THE DESCRIPTION TODAY. (Thought you might see the message in all caps, although I risk being socially rude!)

[@TheWelshViking]

Trying to fix it. Thanks, Dawn!

[@haydenmetheny8119]

Its funny how people only focus on Vikings in the British Isles and Scandinavia without ever really discussing how these people (and pretty famous ones at that) migrated to places like Kiev and the Mediterranean and even integrated into parts of the cultures in those regions. Glad we have youtubers like you discussing this diverse group of people. I've found out recently I am part Norwegian which shocked me seeing as I'm also very much descended from the Scottish clan Mclaughlin. Love learning more about my ancestors without all the bullshit. Cheers mate.

[@TheWelshViking]

I mean, I mention the Kyivan Rus in the Mediterranean in this video, so hopefully that helps

[@haydenmetheny8119]

@@TheWelshViking Oh no of course! I was praising that you did so haha. I don't see them mentioned too much nowadays so its cool seeing it. Love your work and videos.

[@catherinerw1]

That's weird hearing my name shouted out.... You pronounced it properly! (there are plenty who don't) I suppose I should really go and read the paper, but was there any stable isotope testing done as well as DNA, to get more location information?

[@TheWelshViking]

It’s a familiar name to me :) I believe there was some isotope work done as well, yes. I’m out without access to it, though.

[@Mark-hf6uf]

First! Great subject, the way academic work functions is so misunderstood

[@m.maclellan7147]

Agreed. Most folks have no idea (nor care !), but SCIENCE is important !

[@morgainedepolloc4161]

Thank you. Just came across this as I try to do my genealogical research. Well worth viewing. I am a "mutt" in the US -- predominantly says East Anglia and Norman, and all groups of the British Isles. And then there were the Norse/Germanics in my lines -- all new for me! This helps me understand a little better. I would be interested to know what the original people of the British Isles looked like before all the invasions and mixing with Norse and others, if that is possible.

[@SachiNighte]

I love your nail polish!!! I read a book on how English got the way it was that postulated that part of the reason we spell things the way we do is because Vikings who settled in England and married spelled and said things the way it sounded to them and that got passed down but I think what you’re saying is important to remember, but even if something is obvious it’s important to have scientific back up! And I hope that it will help get people interested in it. Thank you for this video, it’s always so interesting to watch your videos.

[@agypsycircle]

I’m debating if I want to spend the 8.99 to read it...it sounds incredibly interesting...perhaps this weekend after I get paid! By the way, completely off topic, your bed is AMAZING! I need to find one and make curtains for it!!!

[@asilverfoxintasmania9940]

Email one of the authors, explain a little about why you would like to read it. Most authors are happy to email you a paper. Any money you pay goes to the journal and not the authors. Just saying :)

[@agypsycircle]

A Silver Fox in Tasmania Oh I’m willing to pay for it, I just have to wait until payday! There’s a few bills that need paid before I can get this to read is all!

[@OMG1961]

Fantastic....finally someone with a excellent brain! Not like some other channels on here!

[@asilverfoxintasmania9940]

Thank you for this, I wish more people who look at these news articles actually went and read the paper (or even the abstract if there is a pay wall, and then actually took the time to understand what was said. Too many people rely on media for their science information, which the media are notorious bad at actually reporting, usually because of click bait. I too will add a awesome nails comment too! I wish more male people did it, it looks amazing! :)

[@asilverfoxintasmania9940]

on on the note of paywalls. If there is an article you find, email any of the authors, they are allowed to distribute their work, they will usually send you a pdf copy for nothing!

[@ncalgal4699]

A breath of fresh air!

[@katwalton8819]

Random but I love your bed frame ... okay back to the video

[@brissygirl4997]

Thanks for another interesting video Jimmy! I'm curious why tv and movie productions insist on having vikings burn their dead rather than bury them as seems to be the case irl?

[@persiswynter6357]

Brunhilda on her funeral pyre? Blame Wagner for that one. And that the opera was too frickin long.

[@annagidlund5699]

There are also cremationgraves from the vikingage. But also fire looks good

[@elihyland4781]

i really love your videos

[@utardaheidinn9048]

Next these fools are gonna be like: "I've got electrician DNA 🤪."

[@elizabethmcglothlin5406]

Considering the Vikings took slaves, goddess only knows how many bloodlines eventually got included.

[@robynelisabethking]

1. Love your nails 2. Who the heck disliked this 3. Thank you for all your research and info ♥️ you are the best

[@TheWelshViking]

Robyn! 1. Thank you, it’s Evergreen by Barry M with gold flecks on top. 2. I dunno. Wackos? 3. You’re the best.

[@scouttyra]

2. Probably racists (the twpsyns (sorry for the probably incorrect pluralification of the word, my main sources of Welsh knowing is a little bit of Duolingo and a lot of Torchwood fanfic))

[@xenophon5159]

If your Northern European, you have 60% yamnaya culture dna or the Indo Europeans. So basically we’re all a big family.

[@TheWelshViking]

COUSIN! You made it! :D

[@timeastwoodbagpiper]

8:33 seems to be addressing The Golden One here, one of Survive The Jive's far right buddies from Sweden, he fits the description perfectly! Don't ask how i know about StJ and TGO, TGO is just funny, StJ is insidious.

[@jackiejames4551]

I really enjoyed this video, it was informative without being preachy, I agree with editing Jimmy, racist do suck.

[@TheWelshViking]

He respects you for this.

[@Thunor93]

Viking (to go on a raid, and voyage), vikingr (someone who goes on a raid or voyage) Drengr (courageous warrior/brave warrior) was the common term used by Scandinavians for their warriors, although not all Vikingr were warriors, many would be fishermen or farmers and hunters, hell even thralls(slaves) would go on a viking and could earn their freedom as well as land and share of the spoils after a few Vikings and Drew blood in battle.

[@medievalcontent6193]

I wish scientific articles weren't behind paywalls. Education and knowledge in general should be open to the public. That said, love your rogue hair in this and grounded sense of reality regarding all of these vague clickbait internet articles that never actually discuss the importance of any find or subject.

[@barbarapugh5662]

I'm not sure if the thing we got taught in school about Vikings dying their hair blond with goat urine is true (Probably not) but chucking it into the debate when anyone starts going on about the Vikings being nazi wet dream blonde and muscular and pure blood does a wonderful job of derailing them xx Thank you for the excellent explanation of the study which I'm now determined to go and read and I second the comment about needing that t-shirt 🥰

[@veronicajensen7690]

well it can't be Scandinavian Nazis since all Scandinavians know we have never in history been an all blond population mixing or not mixing

[@BRIMZ619]

That would make total sense. My grandmother was Swedish and Norwegian and my grandfather was Danish and English. My dad's DNA was 70% Scandinavian and 30% English .

[@sarahr8311]

Having found this video shortly after watching your toilet video, the continued references to poop are even funnier 😂

[@monikaczaja6089]

Now THAT is a thumbnail!

[@TheWelshViking]

I kinda hate myself blond!

[@cavoneant]

I recently was simply wearing a Mjolnir necklace and someone started verbally attacking me for it. They said, "You are not Scandinavian or Danish! You have no right to wear such an item." My heritage is from Siclily. Honestly I thought this was childish but was surprised by this person I don't even knows response. I would like to get other people's responses.

[@swynyddcymru8445]

im wondering what you thought of the show vikings, obviously we all know that its dramatised and peoples histories changed to fit story lines but i mean on the aesthetics and the diversity of hair colours etc... i do wish we had seen more non vikings characters though, the vikings love to trade as well as raid, lol they rhyme..

[@barnes29510]

The medical university in South Carolina has been doing DNA studies. I volunteered and gave a sample... I received a lot of information about my health (along with my ancestry). Being born and raised in a small town; not knowing much about my dad's family. That I would have all kinds of mixed up genes.... So you can imagine how surprised I was when it came back & I'm 92% Scandinavian. After this a lot of the puzzle fell into place...asfar as my oddly blue eyes (changes from blue to gray)....my short temper...my stalky bone structure.... very mechanically inclined etc etc ...

[@jake-qn3tl]

Your eyes don't change colors, they just look different under certain lighting.

[@totallynotsauron]

I've traced my ancestry all the way back to Rollo of Normandy, due to my family name being from Normandy. Which was De Ros at that time and is now Rose. Super neat stuff, man.

[@eduardolimaargimon5499]

It was something that we quite knew from a long time, vikings were known as a society that women had a little bit more rights than most medieval societies at the time, they believed in bettering their warrior DNA by bringing good warriors to their society and all these things. There is also the fact that blonds (at this age) represent 2% of the population (Blond hair is a mutation from brunette hair) and blue eyes represent 10% of the population in this current age, years ago, the population number of these traits would be even smaller. This was fine, but since vikings started to become more popular in a few years back a lot of Scandinavian people started making videos about viking pride and all that. When this article came out, most of them took offense. Saying things like: How dare you say that not all vikings were Scandinavian, and that not all Scandinavian were blonds with blue eyes, how dare you say that the vikings were short and not tall and super muscular (things like this) It's like we are seeing a new form of white supremacy through viking worshippers. (I decent from vikings that conquered a part of spain, there is a village in spain and also a monastery after my family name, which is now written the way the spanish people were able to make it. This part here is just in case there is someone here to say I'm envious) Ps: Two of the norse goddesses had blond hair. Others are described to have red hair, darker hair. If even among their gods there were different hair colors, don't know why the insistence of blond hair and blue eyes only.

[@thomasfloyd3108]

It should be no surprise that vikings have finnish d.n.a...not all finns were sami.

[@ksbrook1430]

Forensic science does a better job of determining where people are from by analyzing isotopes found in bones, teeth, etc. Reference the work done in Scotland for a short series titled History Cold Case.

[@variabell3326]

I really need a shorthand for 「whatever the "Dr Google" equivalent is for Ancestry DNA 'enthusiasts'」.

[@elizabethclaiborne6461]

Some nice Scandinavian professor in some PBS doc on Prime said Vikings had yellow hair from the stuff they used for lice. I cannot wait to tell some idiot this and mess up their day... 🤣

[@gryox5098]

Most of my family recently took a DNA test (we live in Scandinavia). My mom thought we had ancestry from other countries because she's a brunette with turqoise eyes, turns out she's the one with the highest amount of scandinavian DNA (90% scandinavian, 10% finnish) 😂. My father and I thought we had waay higher since we're both blond and I have slightly bluer turqoise eyes but nope, my father added scottland, wales and some baltic countries into the mix 🙂

[@madeleinedarnoco5190]

Your fingernails throw me a little bit off every time I see them :D

[@clarkefountain2258]

I have a British Isles and Scandanavian mix, which must go back quite a way because for at least six generations every name (every!) is English. Er, one of them is Norman. So, Viking? In part.

[@jegeization]

Being viking was a way to live and believing in the gods is one too, both independent of the blood of people's origins.

[@TheWelshViking]

Yup!

[@button4631]

I adore the end, "let me be your friend...aww fu....."

[@vf3812]

Just found this channel. "The poop" *plopping hand gesture* 🤣🤣🤣🤣 ok I'm subscribing

[@leohale6449]

For an American, stuck in the states, what would be the best way to learn Gaelic (preferably the Irish derivative).

[@scythescythe884]

Wanting to ask too

[@beth12svist]

Probably not the best thing to ask a Welsh-speaking Welshman in the UK. :-)

[@ericjohnson8001]

Don't ask me where I picked up my info but I've always known or taken for granted, that viking physiology ran from the 6'4" blond and blue Thor types to the 5'6" dark bull chested type-- you don't travel around the world for a few centuries without having lots of sex with various ppl. I really don't think there's a "viking type" .

[@katjakuitunen6961]

I guess the Vikings really stayed away from Finland. My blue-eyed blond self has a disgustingly boring genetic record, 99,5 % Finnish according to 23andMe. My husband got full 100 %. So there are still parts of Europe that stayed really isolated, probably all marrying their cousins. The coastal areas in Finland have probably more diverse genetics but both of our families are from inland. And yes, 23andMe claims that I’m married to my fifth cousin or something similar!

[@fnansjy456]

Sweet home suomi

[@alliex968]

This was amazing, all your videos I've watched so far have been as well, and it's lovely to see you very politely shout out racists as the absolute numbskulls they are 😉😘🥰🤗

[@gothickevain]

talking about DNA in the bedroom???!!! Oh, the audacity! = P

[@Shuang_Shuang]

As a Dane who can trace their lineage back 1000 years on my mother's side and 600 years on my father's side, I came to this video thinking "let's see about that" 😂

[@EMMYK1916]

Has there been any DNA mass data collection on average life spans of 1. Vikings that remained 2. Those that migrated to Ireland,Scotland, Wales Iceland etc? I would love to know did this migration at all affect life expectancy & mortality rates and if there was an decrease in mortality rates versus say Norway at the time. Hope everyone can understand me. Had a kind of thinking out loud moment. And I'd like a citation if anyone does!!

[@TheWelshViking]

Yep, the study this video is about has done both of those things!

[@chrisvickers7928]

My ancestry is from many parts of England so I likely have some Norse ancestry (maternal grandmother from Yorkshire), Norman, Anglo-Saxon, and British. I also have grandfather who was born in London but whose family originated in Gloucestershire and Devon, a grandfather from Northampton, and a grandmother whose parents came from Dudley in Staffordshire. I don't think anyone from England can claim to be pure anything.

[@davidturner4610]

I’m Irish, Welsh, Scottish, Icelandic, Sami, Norwegian, Swedish, Norman.

[@thicclegendfeep4050]

As a matter of fact, Cnut the great, a famous Norse king, was half Slavic through his mother

[@rynthorn1551]

Just wanted to say thanks for your channel. I've been binging your vids recently and they're great. I (a white American woman) used to be really interested in Scandinavian history, Viking history, Norse mythology, etc. as a youth but that entire umbrella of subjects has really been appropriated by white nationalist neo-nazi idiots and that made me really pull away from the subject. But your vids are really helping me to disassociate all things Scandinavian history from the nazi fucks that want to claim a romanticized racist version of it as their own, and I really appreciate that. I even started doing nalbinding recently after hearing you talk about it briefly in a vid. :)

[@elizabethmcglothlin5406]

Rewatching: It occurs to me that they--the racists--forgot that 'Viking' was a job. Would they expect all plumbers to have consistent DNA?

[@you-in5iy]

I would assume that anyone with British Isles descent would be a direct descendant of a viking somewhere down the line?

[@TheWelshViking]

Hugely unlikely in the grand scheme of things

[@kiastar67]

Question: you sound very knowledgeable and use terms TOO correctly for a layman. LOL. Are you working in the field of medicine or DNA /genetics? No layperson is as well spoken as you! Also, if you are involved in medicine or the like, you probably already get your Peer Review Journals, studies, etc. paid or included in work. Due to the coronavirus, many sites are allowing up to X amount (often a 100 or more) to be read for free by the general public. While I'm not sure this is the greatest thing as many only read the abstract or first few paragraphs, and when they find out it is not written in everyday language and they'll have to sit with a dictionary to really understand it, they just SAY they've read the entire paper and make a judgement call. That, as you know, is pretty damn dangerous if you're trying to come to a conclusion that is backed by good evidence and understanding. Anyway, awesome video and you have me intrigued. I'm was raised to be the family researcher/family genetics and historian person and I do love it. I'm nowhere as knowledgeable as you if I can go by just this video, so I am going to follow your channel and learn more. If we can't learn something new daily, what is the purpose of living on? My mother just passed from COVID-19 at age 91 (and would have lived much longer if not for the COVID-19) so I'm even more determined to look deeper into my genetics and family. I know this for sure: On my father's side-I am related to Charles Carroll of Carrollton (I am a Carroll--O'Carroll- Gaelic Irish- Clan Cian--Ó Cearbhaill- ruled Eile, in the Kingdom of Munster-Castle Leap is one of the clans castles still (kinda) standing) a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Also, through the Carrolls, we are related to Daniel Boone, who married into it long ago. On my mother's side, we are related to William Barrett Travis, the commander of the Alamo. It is a good start!

[@TheWelshViking]

I'm an archaeologist :) Your family history sounds absolutely fascinating!

[@spinsterwitch1]

Considering how sparse historical data is on Viking age Scandinavia, I'm guessing any evidence expands the information considerably. Also, my sense of white supremacists and neo Nazis is that they are not profoundly impacted in their beliefs by science.

[@annabeinglazy5580]

Considering that im still getting the good old "but Hitler built the motorways!" .... Yupp. No Impact whatsoever. Even though it takes 5 Seconds to find out that the first motorways in Germany were built from 1913 onwards, with the first use for the public documented in 1921. Almost 10 years before the Nazis took over. But who needs History books...