Traditions of the Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960. They have made consistent playoff appearances, and the league's Hall of Fame has inducted 10 former members of the team as of 2011. From the appearance of the mascot to innovative viking headgear, Minnesota Vikings fans turn out to sell out the team's stadium.

  1. Ragnar

    • The Minnesota Vikings team mascot is Ragnar. A legendary Viking king, Radnar claimed to be descended from Odin, the chief god of Norse mythology. Minnesota Viking team tradition has Ragnar entering the field on game day on his motorcycle to the delight of fans. Ragnar is brought to life by Joe Juranitch as of 2011. Juranitch has portrayed the Viking hero since 1994 and has never missed a game in his tenure as mascot; the fact that he once shaved off his beard with an axe helped contribute to his winning the job.

    Skol

    • The Minnesota Viking fight song reflects Scandinavian history as well. The title of the song, "Skol Vikings," is a reference to Norse warriors who drank from bowls after a battle or in the course of a feast. They toasted each other with bowls of ale, wine or grog. Norse legend claims the Vikings drank from the skulls of their vanquished enemies. Team colors are purple and gold; many fans turn out in body paint to reflect their team spirit.

    The Helga Hat and Horns

    • The Viking helmet with the horns and braids is not an exact duplication of Norse tradition. Minnesota Vikings fans adopted a horned version of the cone-shaped helmet the Vikings did wear. Viking women wore braids, while the men bleached their hair and beards to make them yellow. The horns Minnesota Vikings fans blow during games are replicas of rams' horns. Viking fan accouterments are modern interpretations of Viking traditions. The Viking traditions associated with the team reflect the immigration of people from Norway and other Scandinavian countries to the area in the late 1800s to the early 1900s.

    Team Tradition

    • The Vikings' first coach was Norm Van Brocklin, former quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, who had no previous NFL coaching experience. The new team played five exhibition games before the start of the regular season. Their first opponents were the Chicago Bears, a far more experienced team. The upstart Vikings, lead by Fran Tarkenton, went on to win the game decisively by a score of 37 to 13. This game marked the beginning of the fierce winning tradition for the team.