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Some 1,300 years after setting foot in Ireland, DNA technology has allowed scientists to determine the genetic makeup of Viking invaders from Scandinavia.
They changed the course of Irish history and left a lasting legacy in the island’s gene pool, but blonde hair and blue eyes were often not their dominant distinguishing characteristics, a major international study found, prompting the suggestion of Some television shows may have to rethink their casting calls.
Findings from the largest DNA analysis ever conducted of Vikings, who traveled by sea to attack and eventually settle on the island of Ireland, show that much of their genetic ancestry comes from Norway.
Additionally, many Vikings had brown hair and darker features, including the famous warrior Eyrephort from Co Galway, while English Vikings show marked ancestral differences from their Irish counterparts, with much stronger Danish influences. Some thought they were Vikings and received a ceremonial burial they turned out to be locals.
Researchers from the National Museum of Ireland and Trinity College Dublin (TCD) made a significant contribution to the six-year project led by Professor Eske Willerslev, a fellow at the University of Cambridge and director of the Center for Geogenetics at the University of Copenhagen.
The results published in Nature discredit the modern image of the typical Viking in both Scandinavia and Europe.
Viking raids into Ireland were first recorded in the late 8th century, the first in Europe. The first physical evidence was tombs containing personal belongings, such as swords, spearheads, shields, and ornamental jewelry.
Viking sword, 9th century AD, Ballinderry, Co Westmeath. Photograph: National Museum of Ireland
His presence had a lasting impact on Irish life. The origins of urbanism in Ireland date back to this time, as well as the influx of silver into the economy. “You can see many elements of Scandinavian art styles in Irish artifacts from the Viking age,” said Maeve Sikora, keeper of Irish antiquities at the National Museum.
“Until now, this wonderful mix of culture and ideas has been most clearly reflected in iconic decorated pieces that survive from the centuries that followed the initial invasions, such as the Cross of Cong. The new DNA research in human remains adds another rich layer of context to this interaction, ”he said.
The genomes of three men and one woman from Irish Viking burials in Dublin and Co Galway were sequenced. This includes sites at Islandbridge, near the largest early Viking-era funeral complex in Dublin; Finglas (a women’s burial excavated in 2004); a male burial on Ship Street Great in Dublin; and Eyrephort discovered near Clifden in Co Galway in 1947.
“Many of these invaders have long been suspected of coming from Norway. It’s great to be able to confirm this now with genetic data, ”said Dr. Lara Cassidy of TCD.
“New technologies have given us an unprecedented window into the world of the Irish Vikings – what they looked like and where they came from,” he added. “We are only just beginning to unravel the various ancestral and cultural identities present in Ireland in the early Middle Ages. The next exciting step will be to sequence local populations from the same period. “
Dublin became one of the most important cities in the Viking world, where the earliest physical evidence of Vikings is derived from these furnished burials that were always assumed to be Viking raiders of Scandinavian origin.
A Viking sword recovered from Lough Derg in Co Tipperary, believed to have come from the fortress of Brian Boru. Photograph: National Museum of Ireland
The Ship Street Great “local” was also predicted to have pale skin and blonde hair, with possible red undertones. In contrast, the famous warrior Eyrephort, who is of mostly Norwegian descent, probably had a darker complexion with brown hair and eyes.
“It’s the opposite of what you would expect from the Vikings’ representation in the media,” said Linzi Simpson, excavator at the Ship Street Great site. “In fact, many of the Viking burials sampled across Europe had brown hair. Some TV shows may have to rethink their auditions. “
Projects like this support the importance of caring for archaeological material, allowing future generations of researchers to discover more and more of our shared heritage, Dr. Cassidy stressed. “The archaeologists and museum curators who worked in 1947 would never have imagined that we could know the hair and eye color of the warrior who was buried with his weapons near Clifden, Co Galway, in the 9th century.”
‘Gaia’, a full-scale replica of the Viking ship from the ship Gokstad that carried King Amlaph (Olav), ancestor of the Norse kings of Dublin, to Dublin in 853. Stock Photography: Alan Betson
‘There is no single Viking identity’
The scale of the project is indicated by the team that sequences 400 samples from all over Europe, he noted. The results confirmed much of what was suspected; the most surprising thing was the diversity: in the pigmentation of the hair, the eyes and the skin.
“Scandinavia was clearly a dynamic place during the Viking age,” said lead author Dr. Ashot Margaryan of the University of Copenhagen. “We see regional genetic differences between Norway, Sweden and Denmark, as well as influence from southern Europe and Asia. There was never a single unified ‘Viking world’ and now we see that there is no single Viking genetic identity either. “
The Finglas woman died around 30 and was buried with a pair of richly decorated gold and silver oval brooches and a decorated comb. Her genome sequence suggests she was more in line with what you would expect from the stereotypical Viking woman: blonde with blue eyes.
Hiberno-Viking silver, late 9th – early 10th century AD Photo: National Museum of Ireland
The study also revealed that Viking identities were adopted by local inhabitants of Ireland and Great Britain. The Viking burial on Ship Street Great in Dublin showed very little Scandinavian ancestry and belonged to a male lineage more common in northwestern Ireland.
“Viking tombs in Ireland speak of a population that was very aware of their environment and the broader cultural sphere in which they lived. We see in Finglas, for example, an apparently non-Christian Viking burial placed next to a local Christian cemetery. We also see that many furnished graves contain locally made artifacts, ”added Ms Sikora.
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