Historical records show that the average Viking male was about 1.70 metres tall (5’7″), which was not exceptionally large for that time. Blond hair may have been considered the ideal but many lacked a golden look, so they bleached their hair with lye.

The Waffen SS used runes extensively, including the ‘Sig Rune’ – originally representing the sun – which formed their logo.

It was also used by a Nazi SS division. 

Ms von Malmborg continued: "When a symbol becomes too closely connected with a racist movement, it becomes theirs – it belongs to the racists and eventually, using it can be seen as a form of inciting racial hatred. Then the symbol is removed from common cultural use."