Image Credit: Minnesota National Guard (CC BY-ND 2.0)
There are a number of battle cries and sayings around the National Football League that many fans are foreign to. Why do New Orleans Saints fans say "Who Dat"? Why do Chicago Bears fans say "Bear Down"? Why do Cincinnati Bengals fans say "Who Dey"? "Skol, Vikings" is another popular saying heard around the league. There are a number of stories about how the saying came about but we'll stick with the most consistent ones.
For starters, many residents of Minnesota have Scandinavian ancestry which is the reason the Vikings are the mascot for the football team. "Skol" throughout Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Denmark) was kind of like a toast to "good health" or a way of saying "cheers". If you want a more William Wallace-like story, Skol also meant "Skull" which Viking soldiers used to say to each other when decapitating and drinking from the skulls of their fallen enemies. Kind of gross but I can see how Middle Age violence can relate to the football field and provide a certain level of hype for Minnesota Vikings fans. The guy in the photo above is Ragnar, the mascot of the Minnesota Vikings.
"Skol, Vikings" is also in reference to the team's fight song which can be heard below. The song was introduced circa 1961 when the Minnesota Vikings were first founded. It is played after every Vikings score and following a Vikings victory.
"Skol Vikings, let's win this game.
Skol Vikings, honor your name.
Go get that first down.
Then get a touchdown.
Rock em! Sock em!
Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!
Go Vikings, run up the score,
You'll hear us yell for more
V-I-K-I-N-G-S!
Skol Vikings, LET'S GO!"
And there you have it. Learning this little bit of history gives a new perspective and makes us think that the Minnesota Vikings have the best mascot in the National Football League. Skol Vikings!
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