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Jochens, Jenny, “Race and ethnicity in the Old Norse world”, Viator 30 (1999): 79–104.

  • journal article
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Article
“Race and ethnicity in the Old Norse world”
Periodical
Volume
30
Pages
79–104
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Abstract (cited)
Taking as its point of departure Tacitus's observation of the homogeneity of the Germanic tribes, this article probes his idea about the Northern peoples, examining the physical characteristics of ancient Norwegians and the mingling of Norwegians and Celts in Iceland during the period of settlement and beyond. Among the problems explored are self-perception, awareness of "the other," naming patterns, and cooperation between the two groups, including marital and reproductive strategies. Features of dark hair, dark skin, and dark eyes were found occasionally in Norway, but they became more common in Iceland as blond Norwegians mingled with darker Celts from the western islands in the North Atlantic. Since Norwegians brought few of their women to Iceland in the beginning, Celtic women were largely responsible for funneling Celtic genes into the Icelandic population either directly or indirectly. After considering also the mixture of dark and blond peoples in the Orkneys, the article in conclusion pursues the Icelandic colonization of Greenland and Vinland, where the Norse discontinued their forefathers' practice of mingling with people of different appearance.
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Contributors
Dennis Groenewegen
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July 2015, last updated: January 2019
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