I can't tell you how many times I've been asked that as a Vikings fan. Most people think it's just a common, Scandanavian greeting...and it is. It can also translate into bowl, as in drink from a bowl. And although there are varying opinions on how 'skol' came to be a greeting, this is my most favorite one. Let's see how we can tie these two disparate meanings--(bowl and hello) together.
Back in the Middle Ages, rampaging bands of Vikings were roaming Europe and kicking the holy dog crap out of people. From Lindisfarme to France it didn't matter. For about 500 years, the boogeyman would check his closet before he went to bed to make sure there weren't any Vikings in it.
Anyway, at the end of the battle, Viking warriors would decapitate the king or leader of the tribe/army they had just vanquished and that night would drink from his skull--spelled skoll--as a sign of respect for the fallen opponent. It was only then, Viking warriors believed, could an opponent who had fought valiantly be allowed into Valhalla.
In battle, Vikings would urge each other forward by yelling "SKOLL" to one another. By doing so, they were telling each other to keep it up so they could drink from the skull (and the top of a lopped off skull looks roughly like a..wait for it...BOWL!!) of the Vanquished that night.
These days, it just is a way to urge each other on to victory in an American football game, but if you piss us off too much, we'll put Packer Nation's head on a metaphorical pole, parade it around, and then drink some Grain Belt from it, so keep one eye open, because the Vikings can go medieval on you in a heartbeat.
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So, at least mythologically speaking, both meanings originate from our Ancestors kicking the hell out of some poor sap who was the leader of some hopelessly pathetic tribe that dared to give us the finger.
I mean, think about it...after a hard day of rampaging, killing, and pillaging, you're beat. You're beat. Your shoulders ache from swinging a battle axe and crushing skulls, and you got blood and brains on your new wolf fur hoodie. All you want to do is sit around a campfire, drink some grog, and shoot the breeze with your buddies. You're too tired to strike up a conversation, and as a warrior, you don't gush over someone when you see that they're still alive, so you come up with simple, one or two word phrases that capture the essence of the moment.
Today, it's "dude".
Back then, as the skull of the poor chucklehead (who hours before was some minor bigshot) is passed around, all you have the energy to do is give a wry smile over to a fellow warrior and say....skol. One word conveyed it all.
So skol has evolved from a battle cry of warriors to a common salutation or toast to friends, which in a way, it always was.
Only under much different circ*mstances.
And if it is just a myth, as many claim, well, it's one hell of a myth, and until someone can prove to me they DIDN'T drink from the skull of a vanquished opponent, then By God, they did. Because until then, it's just opinion, and I like this side of the story a lot better, because it's totally badass.
"May we always drink from the skulls of our enemies!"
Skol.
FAQs
Skol (written "skål" in Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish and "skál" in Faroese and Icelandic or "skaal" in archaic spellings or transliteration of any of those languages) is the Danish-Norwegian-Swedish-Icelandic-Faroese word for "cheers", a salute, or most accurately a toast, with a raised glass, cup, or 'skål' (meaning ...
What is a Skol slang? ›
(intransitive) To drink a toast; to drink deeply. (Australia, New Zealand, slang, transitive) To drink the entire contents of a drinking vessel without pausing.
Do they still say Skol? ›
“Skål” is a modern Scandinavian word, the Old Norse word was “Skál”, and that's what Norsem*n of the viking age would've said - and what Icelanders still say. Was “Skål” actually used as a Viking/Norsem*n way to say cheers? It still is used to this day in Scandinavia, for yule, mudsummer and parties.
How to use Skol in a sentence? ›
This informal term is also sometimes used to describe when someone is drinking quickly, even if they don't chug the entire drink. Example: Skol! The Vikings win over the Seahawks!
What does Skol mean on twitter? ›
Skål or Skol means Salute or Cheers - a toast, and is used as such.
What does Skol mean drink? ›
Australian English informal. /skɒl/ us. /skɑːl/ -ll- to drink something, especially beer, all at once without a pause.
Is it Skol or cheers? ›
Salute in Italian, skol in Danish, sante in French, cheers in English all mean roughly the same thing: I'm happy to be here, in this moment, with you. And even when our meeting places are digitized and we can't share a drink IRL, these small acts of communion remain.
Is it Skol or scull? ›
The Scots took the word and it evolved to skole or scoll or skoal until the spelling in British English finally settled down as skol. We Australians, ever the great tinkerers shifted the vowel sound and ended with “scull”.
How is Skol written? ›
It is spelled "skål" in Swedish and pronounced with a rounder "O" than the version known in the U.S. today. Skål means bowl, referring to a communal bowl (often filled with beer) that was passed around. Each person would take a drink and then say skål. It was similar to the English version of "Cheers!"
What does Skol mean in Scrabble? ›
Definition of 'skol'
1. good health! ( a drinking toast) verbWord forms: skols, skolling, skolled (transitive)
· Jan 11. Vikings actors don't always say "Skul" before drinking, they say “Skol”, which is the Norse word for “your health, or cheers”. "Skol" is a derivative of the Swedish/Danish/Norweigen word "skål." A "skål" is a bowl that fits beverages, that was shared between people.
What Skol means? ›
"Skol" is a derivative of the Swedish/Danish/Norweigen word "skål." A "skål" is a bowl that fits beverages, that was shared between people. Over the years, it evolved to essentially mean "cheers." Now, it's used essentially as a celebratory cheer whenever the Vikings score, and pre-game.
How do Vikings say hello? ›
Originally a Norse greeting, “heil og sæl” had the form “heill ok sæll” when addressed to a man and “heil ok sæl” when addressed to a woman. Other versions were “ver heill ok sæll” (lit.
What does skål mean? ›
Spelled variably as Skål, Skál, Skaal, Skoal, or Skol (depending on country and how it's transliterated in English), it's the ubiquitous Scandinavian “cheers” that no drink of aquavit would be complete without.
Why do the Vikings do the Skol chant? ›
"Skol" is a derivative of the Swedish/Danish/Norweigen word "skål." A "skål" is a bowl that fits beverages, that was shared between people. Over the years, it evolved to essentially mean "cheers." Now, it's used essentially as a celebratory cheer whenever the Vikings score, and pre-game.
Who says Skol for cheers? ›
The word for bowl is “skål” in Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian. From that tradition of passing the bowl, the term “Skål” is now also a toast — ”cheers!”
What does Skol mean when drinking? ›
It is spelled "skål" in Swedish and pronounced with a rounder "O" than the version known in the U.S. today. Skål means bowl, referring to a communal bowl (often filled with beer) that was passed around. Each person would take a drink and then say skål. It was similar to the English version of "Cheers!"
