Scandinavia and the World
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According to some old Arabic texts both male and female Norsemen aka Vikings wore black eyeliner to increase their beauty. Apparently it never faded once applied, which just sounds like they refused to leave the house without applying their makeup.

Svalbard Norway
30th April 2021
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Schiffy

30
4 years ago #9856941        
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All makeup is war paint, regardless of gender or intent.


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4 years ago #9856934        
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Go back to almost any old civilization and they used makeup for beauty, utility, status or religious purposes. It only became "female-only" when it turned into a luxury (either due to price or living conditions).

4 years ago #9857012        
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Viking men were OBSESSED with their appearances, cleanliness, and maintaining their looks. Women could choose to end marriages on a whim, for one... So a dirty husband was soon an ex. Viking men bathed at least once a week (which was HUGE back then), combed their hair, braided, wore ribbons in their beards, wore the nicest furs they could, and took care of themselves.


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minando

51
4 years ago #9857244        
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It's called 'war paint'.


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4 years ago #9857162        
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Their makeup is different because G.F. North isn't as into metal as his grandchildren.


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4 years ago #9858701        
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By the way, the fact that Norsemen were particularly clean is a myth created in 19th century by British scholars (like a lot of misconceptions concerning Middle Ages) who tried to reconcile the grooming practices of the Norsemen with the idea that everyone in the medieval period was dirty. The truth is, that people were always taking care of their hygiene and looks, as well as they could. Vikings were not outliers - depictions, accounts and archeological findings strongly suggest that Gauls, Slavs and Balts put as much importance to their looks as Norsemen did. And yes, they perfectly knew that being dirty is a good way to get sick, especially in the heyday of miasma theory. They simply didn't bathe as often as we do, because heating several dozen liters of water is not a small task if all you have is a fireplace, iron cauldron, bucket and wooden tub, and a river is 10 minutes walk away.

By the way, the relative lack of cosmetics and uniform short hair with lack of facial hair among Western (European) men is really a long-standing fad rather than any norm and is only slightly older than the Great Male Renunciation that happened in early 20th century resulted in the uniformization of male clothing. It is very likely that Georgian dandy or a French noble from the era of Sun King would consider modern male fashion trends an 'unrefined peasant's taste'.

4 years ago #9857062        
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Even within the gender roles of the day (say some types of jewelry was apparantly pretty stricktly female only based on grave goods) calling someone unmanly in an honour culture where everyone was armed is not a way to long life.....

4 years ago #9856940        
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Color pink use to be manly, now it's feminine...
Wearing a dress use to be manly, now it's feminine...
Make up use to be manly, now it's feminine...
Modern time "manly" men would look rather silly in the eyes of men of the "good old times", that modern people so adore...


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MikoMae

16
2 years ago #9874328        
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that's why i stan the vikings

3 years ago #9859929        
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Pretty rare seeing Svalbard in comics now a'days

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