The standard theme often given for Viking history is that of blond-haired, blued-eyed, burly men exploring, trading, ransacking, and pillaging across Europe, Asia, and the North Atlantic. While historical Viking exploits still entertain history buffs, a pervasive study of DNA extracted from the bones of their burial sites is overturning the idea that a fair Scandinavian complexion was the norm among these people.1
The activities of the Viking Age (793–1066 AD) radically shaped the demographic landscape of Europe—along with its politics, culture, and demographics—in ways that are still playing a major role to this day. Viking explorers developed trading partners and established colonies that stretched across the Atlantic to North America and even to locations in the Asian steppe.
In this new study, researchers sequenced the DNA of 442 different individuals from a diversity of Viking archaeological sites spanning Europe and Greenland.1 The new genetic data was then analyzed together with published data from 3,855 modern individuals of diverse ethnic backgrounds. Significantly, they discovered an influx of non-Scandinavian genetic diversity into specific regions of Scandinavia from both the south and east. The lead scientist of the study stated, "This study changes the perception of who a Viking actually was—no one could have predicted these significant gene flows into Scandinavia from Southern Europe and Asia happened before and during the Viking Age."2
Alternatively, the researchers also documented how the Vikings themselves influenced other cultures and people groups with their Scandinavian DNA. They showed that Danish DNA of Viking origin had a large impact on the genetics of England, and Swedish Viking DNA flowed into the Baltic region. Viking DNA of Norwegian background was found to have provided a major influence on the regions of Ireland, Iceland, and Greenland.
So where do all the people groups around the world come from to begin with? Previous research combining genetic, language, and demographic data from multiple people groups has shown that the various ethnic groups have independent origins.3 These results are exactly what would be predicted from the confusion of languages at the Tower of Babel as described in Genesis, chapter 11, in the Bible. And of course, languages, along with DNA variability in populations, change as people migrate to new areas and intermix with other people groups. Some populations split off while others merge.4,5
In Genesis, chapter 11, the Bible tells us that shortly after the global Flood mankind disobeyed God's command to disperse and replenish and fill the Earth. Instead, the post-Flood humans congregated in one place and attempted to reestablish the pre-Flood idolatrous culture that had previously filled the Earth with wickedness. God then confused their language, which not only brought an end to their rebellious ambitions but also forced people to split into genetically distinct people groups forming the various nations and cultures of the post-Flood ancient world.
References
1. Margaryan, A. et al. 2020. Population genomics of the Viking world. Nature. 585: 390–396.
2. St John's College, University of Cambridge. World's largest DNA sequencing of Viking skeletons reveals they weren't all Scandinavian. ScienceDaily. Posted on Sciencedaily.com September 16, 2020, accessed September 21, 2020.
3. Tomkins, J. P. Out of Babel—Not Africa. Creation Science Update. Posted on ICR.org February 16, 2015, accessed September 21, 2020.
4. Tomkins, J. P. 2018. Human Traits Not So Simple After All. Acts & Facts. 47 (2): 15.
5. Tomkins, J. P. 2019. Are Blue Eyes in Humans a Mutation? Acts & Facts. 48 (9).
*Dr. Tomkins is Director of Research at the Institute for Creation Research and earned his doctorate in genetics from Clemson University.

Viking DNA Highlights Post-Babel Genetic Diversity
The Latest
Designed Deep-sea Vertebrates
Creationists marvel that God has designed creatures both small and big to inhabit a variety of punishing habitats. These examples include the bacteria...
CREATION.LIVE PODCAST
Beauty for Beauty's Sake! | Creation.Live Podcast: Episode 17
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right? Or is beauty an objective standard? Where do our ideas of beauty even come from?
Hosts...
Fire Sensory Capabilities of the Venus Flytrap
Fascinating discoveries have been made regarding the amazing Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula).1 For example, all parts of this amazing plant...
CREATION PODCAST
What Really Swallowed Jonah? | The Creation Podcast: Episode...
The book of Jonah contains the historical account of the prophet Jonah. In verse 17 of chapter 1, the text states that the Lord prepared a great...
More Flood Evidence
Paleontologists recently discovered the partial fossils of two new species of dinosaur just outside of Casablanca. As stated in a Science Direct article,...
New York Times Editorial: Big Bang Unraveling?
Two physicists have suggested in a recent New York Times guest editorial that Big Bang cosmology ‘may be starting to unravel.’1...
Your Functional ''Yolk Sac''
For decades, evolutionists pointed to dozens of ‘useless artifacts’ of the human body to make their questionable case for evolution.
But...
The Beauty of Creation: Created for God’s Own Glory
Have you ever wondered why a sunset on a beach is captivating, snowcapped mountains are breathtaking, and a valley filled with wildflowers is enchanting?
Scripture,...
CREATION PODCAST
Devastating, Dangerous, and Deadly Bacteria? | The Creation Podcast:...
Bacteria are everywhere! While we can't see them with the naked eye, these little critters are everywhere, even in and on your body! Some of...
Pre-Flood Reptile Fossil Discovered With Baleen
Baleen whales (suborder Mysticeti) are amazing filter-feeding mammals of the sea. They belong to a group called the Cetacea. Evolutionists suggest they...