Vikings: Valhalla features some epically eye-catching beards, from neat trims to big bushes of hair meant to keep a face warm during the chilliest of Scandinavian weather. But how did Vikings really wear their hair? As with all the costuming and makeup in the show, historical consultant Justin Pollard has done plenty of research on the subject.

“The historical evidence we have for beard styles is pretty scant,” Pollard tells Tudum. “We have descriptions from an Arab traveler, [Ahmad] ibn Fadlan, visiting the Viking Rus’, who says that the men wore beards often bleached! We also have various sculpted items showing men with beards and mustaches, like the bronze Thor figure from Akureyri, Iceland, in 1000 CE.”

Both Prince Harald Sigurdsson (Leo Suter) and Leif Eriksson (Sam Corlett) are sporting longer beards in Season 2, but for different reasons.

Bernard Walsh/Netflix

“We had more time, so a lot of that was genuine growth,” Suter tells Tudum.

“For him,” Corlett interjects, “I can’t grow a beard, so mine was an hour and a half in the makeup chair with [makeup and prosthetics designer] Tom McInerney putting on 20 hairs at a time.”

Vikings always had to think about fighting and didn’t want to give enemies an easy handhold in  a brawl. “Generally, it’s thought men wore their beards as long as they found comfortable but, as with their hair, which was usually collar or shoulder length, warriors had to think practically about how to wear this without it getting in the way or making them vulnerable — hence, our use of braiding,” Pollard says.

The characters are often shown with frozen beards as they traverse hostile terrain, but that effect was also created by makeup. This raised the question of how long it would take real ice and snow to melt on their faces. “It was particles that we were putting in the beard, and then we were going inside and we were doing a fight,” Corlett says. “Shouldn’t the ice have melted by now? But that involves an hour and a half of taking it off and putting it back on again.”

The beard styling became a major ritual during filming. ​​“There’s a nice moment at the end of the day,” Suter says. “You know the day is over when you can take your beard off and just be done with it.”

Even though he can’t grow his own beard, Corlett probably would have still fit in as a Viking. “In truth, there was no one Viking style and some statues are clean-shaven,” Pollard says.

11 Best Beards in Vikings: ValhallaFrom a forked beard to a Rapunzel-esque facial cascade, the beards in 'Vikings: Valhalla' are a whole mood.