What A Viking's Smile Revealed

New Scientist ^ | 1-7-2006

[kalee]

"The Motel of the Mysteries"

Hilarious book, but so true! I had an archeologist tell me once that they operate in the realm of guess and speculation, not always provable fact.

[R. Scott]

Or, it could be analogous the Hell's Angel's "Red Wings" patches on their jackets.

Make that “Hells Angels” – not “Hell's Angel's” – and “colors”, not “jackets”. I can’t really see how the act denoted by the red wings would result in grooved teeth.

[Cvengr]

I thought that Vikings were scarred on their front teeth as a natural job injury from their no-hands, acrobatic, waterskiing maneuvers.

[Rudder]

How would a MC Club respond if you referred to their "colors" as a jacket in their presence?

Good point. LOL!

But my Norton can outrun their Hogs.(Once I get it started)

[RichInOC]

I was going to guess proto-English dentistry.

[Cvengr]

Vikings take their colors seriously, ... and they don't ride no stinkin' hogs, neither!;^)

[ASA Vet]

I don't have grooved teeth.

[Right Wing Assault]

Marks left by loose braces due to poor quality early orthodontics.

[R. Scott]

Me neither - but then again, my teeth rest in a cup.

[blam]

"I come from a long line of Norwegian red-heads - where do you think the Irish got their red hair from?"

The incidence of red-hair in Libya is the same as that in Ireland.

[packrat35]

Red wings most definitely does NOT cause grooved teeth. LOL

[blam]

"where do you think the Irish got their red hair from?"

" From Neandertals, same as all red heads."

Red-Heads 'Are Neanderthal'

[Rudder]

Holy Mackerel!!Is their a porpoise for that?

[Rudder]

Red wings most definitely does NOT cause grooved teeth. LOL

I dunno...maybe Vagina dentata was prevalent then.

[ASA Vet]

Exactly

[Francis McClobber]

Yes, but what does a Viking Kitty's smile reveal?

[wildbill]

Might have been a mark of membership in the Berserkers.

[dersepp]

Looks like toothbrush abrasion from ultra-stiff bristles of the time. Alas,that makes the advice of soft toothbrushes centuries, not decades old.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Skraling may be an anglicized form. I did an Internet search using "eric the red Skralings" and the first 5 or so results were Skraling.

I checked an online icelandic dictionary at:
http://www.zece.com/icelandic/?a=sh&le=s
Gives the definition as:
skrælingi n. m. barbarian, eskimo (-ja, -jar)

Note that in Icelandic and old english AE is a single letter, Ash. We would probly translate at the letter A.

Since the the modern Icelandic definition comes 10 centuries later, I checked several on-line English Norse dictionary. the only entry I found gave "Armr" (Cf German arme, poor, wretched).

I suspect that the definition "wretch" was one I learned from reading the introduction to a translated saga. (probably published by Penguin.) I would keep keep searching for the on-line Norse but I already see that I have spent too much time on this little search.

[elcid1970]

Thank you for your research. I've been wondering since the fourth grade (yes, that's when I first heard of Leif Ericson and Vinland), just why did the Vikings quit Vinland? They could handle the skraelings. Was it a matter of logistics?