How to determine nationality by the appearance of a person, especially in the modern world, which as a result of migration processes has turned into a new tower of Babel? After all, if you come to the UK, then three out of five people you meet in the crowd will have a look that is not even European. Nevertheless, the typical English have not yet been extinct. More often they can be found in rural areas than in large cities.
What do the representatives of the so-called titular nation look like? They joke that felinologists can give an accurate description of the exterior of a purebred "Briton". He has a massive body with a round head, short ears, large amber eyes and thick fur of a smoky gray suit. Of course, we are talking about British Shorthair cats. As for the people, the nation was formed over the centuries under the influence of the Normans, Germanic tribes, Vikings, and utes. Many in the veins of modern English and French blood. The British only benefited from such a blend of genes. Representatives of this nation are considered beautiful. In this article we will consider the appearance of the British, especially their appearance.
Nation formation
In ancient times, the island was inhabited by the Britons. This people not only gave its name to the Foggy Albion. The Britons belonged to a Celtic ethnic family. They assimilated with later aliens. Despite the fact that the culture of the Britons disappeared, their genes to a very large extent influenced the appearance of the British.
In the early Middle Ages (5-6 centuries), Germanic tribes landed on the island - the Utes, Saxons and Angles. They drove the Britons north into Scotland, as well as into the mountains of Cornwall and Wales. English is being formed at this time. In the 8th-9th centuries, the Scandinavians (Norwegians and Danes) arrived on the island, and in 1066 the Norman conquest began. But this Frankish ethnic group was in no hurry to mix with the local population. For centuries, commoners spoke the Anglo-Saxon dialect, and the nobility spoke Old French. Only in the 12th century did the mixing of the Normans with the Anglo-Saxons begin.
Common signs of the appearance of the British
As we can see, in this cocktail of a wide variety of bloods it is difficult to determine one type, as, for example, in countries that are small and isolated from other states. Most of the aliens on the islands carried dominant genes, which greatly influenced the appearance of their descendants. But we can determine that in Scotland the appearance of the indigenous people - the Britons - is more often and more clearly manifested. And in the west, in Wales, the influence of the Franks.
According to some representatives of the English nation, it is clear that they are descendants of tall and thin Scandinavians. Others, on the contrary, are squat and inclined towards fullness, are a purely Danish and Saxon product. But still, we can isolate several features that are characteristic of all English. This is an elongated skull, closely set light eyes and a small mouth. It is extremely rare to meet a swarthy Englishman (unless he is a child of a mixed marriage).
Irish character
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland includes many lands. We think that the appearance of the Englishman is homogeneous, but this is not so. After all, it is impossible to draw a portrait of a typical Russian - the inhabitants of Arkhangelsk and the Krasnodar Territory differ from each other. But British citizens themselves know how to determine their nationality by appearance. They intuitively suspect whether the person’s ancestors were from Scotland or from Scandinavia.
Consider the types of the British, in which Irish blood dominates. There are two of them. The first is fully consistent with the stereotypes of the Irish. A cheerful and slightly romantic sanguine person, with a freckled face, green, wide-set eyes, fiery red, sometimes curly hair. Representatives of such Irish English are the Ron Winsley family in the Harry Potter epic. But there is another type. Short and thin, with a pale face and piercing blue eyes, he is the exact opposite of the tall red-haired compatriots.
Scottish appearance
In the harsh inaccessible mountains, where warlike aliens shaded the indigenous ethnic group, the Britons survived and even formed their own type of modern Englishman from the north of the country. Of medium height, mobile choleric, with a narrow face and thin nose, the Scot makes a good impression. This type is also characterized by a small mouth, and his eyes are necessarily light - often gray-green or steel shade. As for hair color, Scotland even surpasses Ireland in terms of the number of redheads. About 13 percent of the population of the north of the island have fiery hair.
Many more people wear more or less reddish hair. But in Scotland, as well as in Ireland, there is a type that does not at all resemble the immortal mountaineer Duncan MacLeod. And if we describe his image briefly, we will say this: "This is Harry Potter." A pale, thin face with large, slightly set blue eyes, a sharp chin, black or dark hair - these guys and girls are very attractive.
Scandinavian appearance
The Vikings also contributed to the formation of the English nation. Those who have been given their genes may not need to go on diets and indulge in the pleasure of eating an extra piece of cake or drinking a pint of beer. The Scandinavian type can be called lean, if not too thin.
Often, representatives of this appearance - both men and women - have a disproportionately long neck. They are characterized by high growth, a bony, very elongated face with sunken cheeks, slightly protruding teeth forward. Like all northerners, they are fair-haired and blue-eyed. If we compare the types of the British with movie heroes, then the brightest representative of the Scandinavian appearance is Captain Hastings, a friend and partner of Hercule Poirot.
Norman type
This last wave of emigrants for a long time did not want to mix with the indigenous Anglo-Saxon and British populations. The Normans, capturing the island with the right of the sword, formed the top of feudal society. And, despite past centuries and the bourgeois revolution, the appearance of the British still depends on social origin. The elite, although it will never admit it, will look down, even very wealthy. The Norman type is elegant. Its representatives have small and soft facial features.
Unlike people of the Scandinavian type, they are not tall, but they cannot be called squat. The royal family of Great Britain is a vivid example of Norman appearance. This type of eyes are not set too close. A high forehead, a thin nose, an elegantly defined mouth and a sharp chin give the impression that the owner of such an appearance is an intelligent person. Of the film actors, Hugh Laurie, who played Dr. House in the eponymous series, is most suitable for this type.
German (Saxon) appearance
The German tribe of conquerors had a great influence not only on the formation of the English language, but also on the appearance of the modern inhabitants of Great Britain. In the provinces and cities you can meet large, full-bodied people. The description of a person of this type depends on gender. In men, it is wide, with slightly drooping cheeks. In women, it is often round, ruddy, with large features. Eyes pale blue or gray, often bulging.
From the description of the face of this type, it seems that he is not very beautiful. But it is not so. After all, Harry Potter’s uncle and cousin are just caricatures of the German type, like Aunt Petunia of the Scandinavian. According to the beauty Sophie Turner, who played the role of Sansa Stark in the Game of Thrones, it can be judged that the Saxon appearance is not so bad.
Gallic type
The southern coast of the British island has long been inhabited by the French, whose descendants have long considered themselves English. Gallic blood thoroughly mixed with Anglo-Saxon, Celtic (Irish) and others, which gave rise to a charming southern type. Its bright representative is the young actress Emma Watson, who literally grew up in front of viewers in the form of Hermione, childhood friend of Harry Potter.
Despite black eyebrows and brown eyes, she has a typically British appearance. It demonstrates an elongated skull, large eyes, a beautifully defined mouth, an elegant thin neck. Actor Orlando Bloom, made up as a Nordic elf in the epic of "The Hobbit", is actually a Gallic character. Many carriers of this appearance work in show business, because together with a spectacular and pretty appearance, genes gave them an artistic character.
Mixing races
In the 18-19 centuries, Great Britain colonized India and many other countries of Asia and Africa. New citizens also significantly influenced the appearance of the British. The migration processes of today have exacerbated the situation. In England, mixed marriages are not uncommon, and very beautiful children are born from them. A striking example is Naomi Scott, a singer and actress who is in the Top 20 of the most beautiful women in the UK. Her father is English, her mother is from India.
Also on the streets you can see many young people, adolescents and children born from the marriage of the British with immigrants from Black or Arab Africa, Southeast Asia, Eastern and Central Europe. But the older the man or woman, the more English blood in them. But even among pensioners, we observe several types that are strikingly different from each other.
Descendants of the aristocrats
Great Britain is a monarchy. The royal family still enjoys special reverence among the citizens of the country. Recently, princes can afford to marry persons of no aristocratic blood. Their chosen ones come from the rich bourgeoisie. We will talk about the appearance of the representatives of the “high middle class” later. Now let's look at how a typical Englishman looks from the upper world. Prince Charles does not count - his large protruding ears and long mouth make his appearance unique and special.
But the royal family consists of several dozen members, there is still a smaller rank to know, so that we can draw a portrait of an English aristocrat. He is tall, thin. He has a very elongated long face with close-set bright eyes, a long gristly nose, an inexpressive beveled chin, a small mouth with thin lips. In ladies of high society, female hormones slightly soften the angular shape. These ladies give conditions to dentists in order to correct a birth defect: their dentition is located in a narrow horseshoe bent inward.
Upper middle class
From the foregoing, it becomes clear why the princes of blue blood do not look for an equal, but choose brides from commoners. But the latter are also divided into classes. English women from upper middle class are very pretty. Not one family took part in the formation of their genotype, but people of Saxon, Norman, French and other nationalities. In Britain, there is even the concept of English rose. By "English rose" is meant a beautiful woman with typically northern features.
We can only give a number of names of famous actresses, so that it becomes clear how the representative of the upper middle class looks. These are Lily Esley and Elizabeth Brighton (theater stars of the early 20th century), Belinda Lee and Vivien Leigh (mid-century), Jane Birkin and Caroline Munroe (70-80 years), Rachel Weisz and Rosamund Pike (2000s). Similar appearance (a round chin, big eyes, a small, slightly upturned or straight thin nose, pouting lips) was possessed by the “folk princess” Diana, nee Francis Spencer.
Middle class
Celebrities and top managers can afford subscriptions to the fitness room, healthy bio food, and some can also correct the appearance of plastic surgeons. But what about English men and women with middle incomes? They usually have excellent genetics, allowing them to remain slim and youthful until old age.
Celtic, Scottish and British blood flows in their veins, and sometimes their stormy cocktail. And the fair sex from Britain refute the myth that northerners lose to southerners in appearance. The most beautiful woman in the country recognized Keira Knightley. She is the daughter of an Englishman and a Scotch.
Working class
Among this social stratum, one rarely encounters a real beauty or a pretty man. The types of women in this environment are divided into two types. The first is the so-called towie. Basically, this type can be found in the county of Essex. Ladies are trying to look beautiful thanks to tons of makeup. False eyelashes, nails, hair; rhinestones in eyebrows, navel, teeth; permanent makeup … All this war paint makes them spectacular, but by no means pretty.
The second type of women from the lower layers is Chav girls. These are girls who waved at themselves who live on social benefits. They do not particularly bother with the width of their waist, which in some individuals reaches impressive volumes. This unpretentious appearance is aggravated by a bad taste and especially the addiction of these ladies to leggings that they wear without skirts or long tunics.
