Vikings live on: 1million Britons alive today are direct descendants of the Vikings
ALMOST a million Britons alive today are of Viking descent, according to a study.
One in every 33 British men, around 930,000, can claim to be male line descendants of the Norse warriors who invaded more than 1,000 years ago.
The genetic study found that men in the Shetland and Orkney islands, which were heavily populated by the Vikings, are most likely to have Norse ancestry.
Further south, the Viking presence falls significantly.
The study by the company Britains DNA was commissioned to mark the start of the second season of US TV show Vikings, on Amazon Prime Instant Video streaming service.
Michael Hirst, creator and writer of the TV show Vikings, said: "The research demonstrates the profound effect that the Vikings had on our country when they invaded centuries ago.
"To think that many of us may still have the blood of these feared and famed warriors flowing through our veins so long after their reign is an incredible and profound thought."