Are the Vikings the reason why Scandinavians are so good-looking (on average)

[gixajo]

As far as I know, a significant proportion of them are descended from Vikings, so if you're referring to physical characteristics, then a significant element has to be attributed to their ancestral lineage. The OP's question is extremely redudant and obvious. It's like asking if the Iberians are the way they are because they are descended from the Iberians of Antiquity or the Middle Ages. The answer is both yes and no. The current society and culture, as well as the way of life we lead, which is very different from that time, also has a huge influence on the way we treat and present ourselves. The Vikings would have been smelly, short, with rotten teeth, like almost everyone else at that time when compared to today.

I was referring to those social or cultural characteristics such as education, elegance, etc. that you said were positive about the Scandinavians.

The physical ones of course come from their ancestors, and most of them from the Vikings.

[Rumata]

IMHO, the survival of the strongest (more typical for barbarian societies) is probably more positive for looks than the survival of the most cunning and conformist (more typical for states).

[Rumata]

How many did not Arab, Turkish and Persian Muslims take?

Turks achieved a considerable shift in their looks through briding slaves. I think they're very proud of that. But it can't be the only factor for good looks of course.

[nederlandseamerikaan]

Maybe I’m biased because I’m half Germanic, but I think Scandinavian people are the most physically attractive people on the face of the Earth. I’m going to put a theory out there that the reason for this is simply because Scandinavian men evolved to have very high testosterone, which promotes the development of strong well defined bone structure. Scandinavian women’s looks benefit from this superior bone structure as well.

[tropicalslavic]

Maybe I’m biased because I’m half Germanic, but I think Scandinavian people are the most physically attractive people on the face of the Earth. I’m going to put a theory out there that the reason for this is simply because Scandinavian men evolved to have very high testosterone, which promotes the development of strong well defined bone structure. Scandinavian women’s looks benefit from this superior bone structure as well.

I don't want to burst your bubble but don't Africans have the highest testosterone with Scandinavians having the lowest?

[Rumata]

But it can't be the only factor for good looks of course.

Actually, I feel that briding a slave is rather damaging to the off-spring compared to a regular briding.

[Oliver109]

I don't want to burst your bubble but don't Africans have the highest testosterone with Scandinavians having the lowest?

Tbh some African men can be quite good looking and even some of the women

[Pepa]

Maybe I’m biased because I’m half Germanic, but I think Scandinavian people are the most physically attractive people on the face of the Earth. I’m going to put a theory out there that the reason for this is simply because Scandinavian men evolved to have very high testosterone, which promotes the development of strong well defined bone structure. Scandinavian women’s looks benefit from this superior bone structure as well.

Darker european balkan atlantomed and dinarid women are better

[Rumata]

Most likely the best looking woman is the one one has

[Septentrion]

Ok, I know I am hammering this point home as of late, but the term 'Nordic beauty' is not just based off a stereotype. All I see is cope from those who say that Scandinavians are 'ugly'. The aesthetic average in these countries is superior to the wider northern European average (which is NOT great). Now it has often been a joke that Scandinavian women are 'beautiful' because the Vikings took all the 'beautiful' women from the places they raided and brought them back home but there is no evidence of that. I guess it's just a case of a population evolving rather 'striking' features (blue eyes/blonde hair) as an adaption to the colder climate. This is combined with the fact that in these colder climates only the 'fittest' would have survived. I know that sounds simplistic and in many ways natural selection has been a focal part of human history, but I guess Scandinavia had that on steroids? Also throughout most of any given year in the Viking age, whole villages in Denmark/Norway/Sweden would have seen their male populations drastically (temporarily) reduced in size (for obvious reasons) and due to this insanely imbalanced (temporary) sex ratio, all the single ladies could have been particularly 'picky' about their partner. I wonder if something like that sounds plausible.

I just think it is genetic or a result of sexual selection. In northern colder weather as most of the year was cold, people stayed closer to their partner. Thus the choice of a very good - looking part was vital! Another point could be that Scandinavian males who went «*a Viking*» made sure they brought the most good-looking females (seen as trophies) as wives back from the land they’ve looted.