Norway is leaning into its centuries-old Viking history – with fans, players and politicians on board – to boost their team at the country’s first World Cup in 28 years.
Erling Haaland and his team-mates posed as Vikings in an incredible pre-tournament photo shot by photographer David Yarrow. But the photoshoot sparked controversy with woke critics accusing them of backing ‘chauvinism’ and use of ‘neo-Nazi’ imagery due to the Vikings’ large-scale raiding, colonising, pillaging and raping throughout their dominant era.
But that isn’t putting off Norway. Their fans have been showing off the World Cup’s most eye-catching cheer – The Viking Row – in support of their team. And it has been copied by supporters of other teams too… and Norwegian politicians.
World Cup fever has spread to Norway’s parliament, where elected representatives performed a recreation of the rowing on the other side of the Atlantic.
Before, during and after Norway’s opening 4-1 win over Iraq in Boston, the country’s red-clad fans, many of them wearing Viking helmets, were pictured rowing in unison in bars, on public transport and even on escalators around the stadium as they embraced the heritage of their seafaring Scandinavian forefathers.
Norway’s fans were ‘rowing’ in the stands to support their team at the World Cup this week
Erling Haaland and his team-mates posed as Vikings for an incredible photoshoot
Yarrow captured Haaland, Martin Odegaard and Co dressed as the Vikings in the shoot
Thursday’s parliamentary session was briefly interrupted when the speaker suggested that the members repeat the fans’ rowing action to show the nation’s support for the ongoing campaign, and the parliamentarians responded enthusiastically in a cross-party display of unity.
Scotland fans and others have been seen joining the Norwegians in their Viking ‘rowing’.
Norway’s pre-tournament photoshoot came as a suggestion to the team – but got full endorsement from Haaland and the rest of the squad which includes Premier League stars Martin Odegaard, Jorgen Strand Larsen, Sander Berge and Oscar Bobb.
‘It was an ask or a question from the (photographers),’ Norway manager Stale Solbakken said in advance of his team’s World Cup opener. ‘The players wanted me to do it. They were positive. The federation was positive. And I was average positive. And then we did it.’
The Norway fan routine sees lines of supporters, wearing Viking helmets and the team´s red-and-blue jerseys, rowing in unison, forward and backward, to the steady beat of a drum.
It could potentially have a similar impact to the ‘thunder clap’ performed by Iceland´s fans at the European Championship in 2016 that resonated around the world and has since been used by many other sports teams.
The Norwegian football federation commissioned British photographer David Yarrow to take the Viking snap, and he said he knew ‘it might get some criticism.’
As well as sparking wonder for its breathtaking backdrop and creativity, it also is regarded by some as controversial for harking back to a time – in the 800s and 900s – when Norwegian Vikings conducted raids featuring looting and pillaging.
One commentator, Markus Slettholm from daily paper Morgenbladet, said the photo was chauvinistic and ‘a bit reminiscent of what neo-Nazis were concerned with 10 years ago.’
The shirts have rune-like writing on the back and Skjoldli said elements of it are ‘unfortunate and typical of neo-Nazi and fascist symbolic language’.
Jane Haug Skjoldli, a researcher and Norwegian academic recently argued that the Norway kits for the World Cup could be seen as ‘hyper-masculine and right-wing extremist’, when speaking to Klassekampen.
Solbakken doesn´t see the fuss.
‘There are many bigger and more difficult topics,’ he said before the World Cup. ‘I can’t afford to waste time on that.’
Yarrow previously worked with Haaland in a solo photo shoot.
The BBC reported that sales of the Viking-themed team photo will raise funds for Norwegian charities.
Haaland and his team-mates are next in action on Monday against Senegal in New Jersey. It is a key game in a group which also includes France.
