Viking DNA Study?

Question

"In the largest genetic study of Viking DNA ever, scientists have found that Vikings — and their diaspora — are actually much more genetically diverse than we may have thought and were not necessarily all part of a homogeneous background.

"Based on these results, Willerslev says that even well-known imagery of Vikings being blonde and blue-eyed (like Chris Hemsworth's depiction of Thor) may not be totally true, especially for Vikings with Southern European roots."

https://www.inverse.com/science/viking-dna-study?utm_source=pocket-newtab

Answer 1

No I did not know that, Other Tink.

Here is my (quickly taken) interpretation: We in the 21st century are accustomed to going about in autos, airplanes. But historically people traveled about much further than we would expect to be commonplace, and took the discomfort and deprivations as part of the adventure. For example, the county fairs that are so popular in America (Europe too), they have apparently been going on for thousands, even tens of thousands of years...so a Viking travels to a fair in Spain, and meets a ladylove from Italy or something! (Would have kept the genetic pool diverse and strong.) 

When I lived on Mt. Baker in Washington State, I learned that wool from mountain goats there has been found in blankets as far away as the East Coast!

Comments

Actually, Vikings dancing fandangos or tarantellas doesn't doesn't exactly fit my image of them... but leaving their DNA in many places, including the Mediterranean area, certainly does.

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Tink that's so funny...N'kay, people came far-flung to meet the Vikings then got directly down to 'business' in their travels.

Late edit, oh wait I forgot, there were the religious gatherings, all over North America Europe and prolly everywhere! People would come from miles around; they were just winding down in Southwest Washington State, in the 1940's when I came on the scene -- there was a saying for our revival meetings, "more souls made than saved."

And what lady does not enjoy a dally with a nice foreign-looking gentleman? Blond Viking maiden goes home bearing wild seed...again keeping the genetics diverse and strong...

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The Vikings were kidnapping and raping beautiful women from other tribes.

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LOL, Virginia... "more souls made than saved."  I never heard that one before. 

I guess the revivalists must have been cast in the mold of Elmer Gantry. 

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Well you are not in revival country, Tink -- or if they ever did hold them on LI, it has been a long time! 

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Yeah. it's been a while... but I think Billy Sunday must have drawn some Long Islanders.

Maybe Billy Graham did too, probably in Madison Square Garden.

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Well, it seems some things never change -- and maybe your Long Island DNA was enriched by Billy Sunday programs (saving and making souls). 

Sigh, couldn't help but notice the 'Cost to Build' in 1917 -- $68K these times might build a fancy doghouse, not much more...oh, I have been looking at the Tiny House movement, and $68K will build one of those if you do all the work yourself and everybody gives you free stuff.

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Here is a street view of Broadway and 168th St today. The old apartment houses (on the right of the 1917 pic) are still there, but no sign of the tabernacle.

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.8408823,-73.9398672,3a,75y,330.93h,97.09t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sdQ4D0xXN9zQnTfmgzAof6g!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

And yes, $68,000 must have been cheap, even then, for a structure of that size.

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I enjoyed looking at both photos, Tink. Maybe I will put NYC on my bucket list -- the few times I ever flew into NY, I headed directly up the Hudson River for Rhinebeck! I did stop off at some FDR memorials and such, including Revolutionary War sites, and wandered through the Catskills before going home...but never yet NYC...I think it was just a bit daunting, for someone born in a town of pop. 1700 (and that same town is still the same size, as is Tenino where I live now!)

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The museums in NYC are excellent, Virginia, but I never really enjoyed walking around on the streets, especially not in winter... the skyscrapers channel the icy winds through the streets at higher speeds than they would otherwise have. And of course that utter fool mayor De Blasio has done his best to ruin quality of life in NYC. I haven't been there in over a year.

But I definitely want to go to the Rhinebeck Aerodrome and fly in a WW1 plane!

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N'kay then, next time I go to NY State, back to Rhinebeck it is!

Answer 2

And they probably didn’t wear those helmets either!

Comments

Say it ain't so, Olaf!  

Answer 3

The Vikings were kidnapping and raping beautiful women.

Comments

A few of the women were probably willing.