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Appearances

Archaeological findings throughout Scandinavia and viking settlements in the British Isles support the idea of the well groomed viking. Burial with grave goods was a common practice in the Scandinavian world, through the Viking Age and well past the Christianization of the Norse peoples. Within these burial sites and homesteads, combs, often made from antler, are a common find. The manufacturing of such antler combs was common, as at the viking settlement at Dublin hundreds examples of combs from the tenth-century have survived, suggesting that grooming was a common practice. The manufacturing of such combs was also widespread throughout the viking world, as examples of similar combs have been found at viking settlements in Ireland, England, and Scotland. The combs share a common visual appearance as well, with the extant examples often decorated with linear, interlacing, and geometric motifs, or other forms of ornamentation depending on the comb’s period and type, but stylistically similar to Viking Age art. The practice of grooming was a concern for all levels of viking age society, as grooming products, combs, have been found in common graves as well as aristocratic ones. Together, these grooming products indicate a conscious regard for appearance and hygiene, especially with the understanding of the regular bathing practices of Norse peoples.

Vikings in Television

The appearance of vikings within popular media and television has seen a resurgence in recent decades, especially with the History Channel’s series Vikings (2013), directed by Michael Hirst. The show has a loose grounding in historical facts and sources, but bases itself more so on literary sources, such as fornaldarsaga Ragnars saga loðbrókar, itself more legend than fact, and Old Norse Eddic and Skaldic poetry. The events of the show frequently make references to the Völuspá, an Eddic poem describing the creation of the world, often directly referencing specific lines of the poem in the dialogue. The show portrays some of the social realities of the medieval Scandinavian world, such as slavery and the greater role of women within viking society. The show also addresses the topics of gender equity in viking society with the inclusion of shield maidens through the character Lagertha, also based on a legendary figure.Recent archaeological interpretations and osteological analysis of previous excavations of viking burials has given support to the idea of the viking woman warrior, namely the excavation and DNA study of the Birka female Viking Warrior, within recent years. However, the conclusions remain contentious.