Erling Haaland stands 1.94m tall, he is big and bullies defenders left, right, and center. Haaland‘s physique is very impressive as he is the perfect blend of muscle and speed. Hailing from the Scandinavian country of Norway, he has all the necessary traits to be called a Viking.
Who were the Vikings? ‘Viking’ is the name of the people from Scandinavian countries including Norway, Denmark, and Sweden, who via sea routes, from 800-1066, raided and settled European land. In popular culture, Vikings are depicted as a rough and tough group of men who regularly raided Europe. The Vikings generally used coastal cities to launch attacks on Europe.
It is believed that the Viking community as a whole, was a pacified community, and comprised mainly of farmers and fishermen. But since the Viking name was introduced to the world on account of the raids launched by them, that’s the reason why it became their legacy.
The Viking phenomenon gradually faded in the 11th century. After that, these people came to be known as Swedes, Danes, and Norwegians, to the rest of the world. So the question is: Is Erling Haaland a part of the Viking heritage?
What is Erling Haaland’s ethnicity?
Given that the Viking phenomenon came to an eventual end in the 11th century, Erling Haaland is technically not a Viking by birth. The former Borussia Dortmund forward was born in the year 2000, which would make him 900 years younger than the Viking age. Although, like most Norwegians, Swedes, and Danes, he probably does have at least some part of the Viking heritage in his bloodline.
Haaland was born in Leeds, England, where his father was playing professional soccer. However, when he was three years old, the family moved back to Byrne, Norway, from where they originally belonged. Byrne is located on the southwest coast of Norway. In hindsight, it would have been the perfect place to launch an offensive on Northern Europe.
Moreover, the 22-year-old’s hometown of Byrne is located near Stavanger, which was an important Viking center. Interestingly, the local soccer team in Stavanger is called Viking Stavanger!
While the Vikings disappeared back to their native land in and around the 11th century, their culture lingers on. The Viking way of life is practiced to this day in some of the Scandinavian regions. This includes fishing and farming.
While none of this proves that Haaland is a Viking, it does seem to establish something. Norwegians, Danes, and Swedes, probably all share the same Viking bloodline from centuries ago. It is very much possible that the Manchester City man, too, shares the same heritage.