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The Hairy Hooligans are the central Viking tribe in both the Books and the Franchise.

History[]

Hooligans have lived on Berk ever since the day when the Great Hairybottom landed on its shores and lost his boot in the bog, declaring that there will be barbarians in the archipelago as long as his boot remains in the bog. The Hooligan National Anthem commemorates that event.

In the books, throughout their history, they've either lived on the Isle of Berk or the Island of Tomorrow. Their current Chief in the books is Stoick the Vast, and his son Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III is the current King of the Wilderwest.

It is unclear what the Hooligans actually do for a living apart from fighting, but the abundance of fish in Hiccup's diet suggests an economic base.

Culture and Customs[]

Hooligan Salute[]

The Hooligan Tribe has an official salute, describe in How to Be a Pirate.

DEATH OR GLORY!" yelled Stoick the Vast, performing the complicated Hooligan salute, which consists of making a slitting motion across your own throat while letting out a fart like a clap of thunder.
  — Book 2  


Hooligan Hoorah[]

Hairy Hooligan Members yell congratulations to another tribe member by chanting their name three times, followed by three "ughs". This is demonstrated in "How to Be a Pirate" when Snotlout find Grimbeard the Ghastly's treasure chest on the Isle of the Skullions.

SNOT-LOUT SNOT-LOUT SNOT-LOUT, UGH UGH UGH.
  — Hooligan treasure-seekers to Snotlout  


Hooligan War Cry[]

The Hooligan War Cry is a simple "YAAAAAAAAAH!" screamed at enemies during battle of boarding ships. The Viking Novices may learn this yell during trail runs of 'Boarding-Enemy-Ships' lessons against Peaceable fishing boats.

Temperament[]

And when a Hooligan loses his temper, he REALLY looses it. A Hooligan in a rage yells so loudly it makes his ordinary yelling sound like a baby's lullaby.
  — Book 3  

Unlike many other Viking tribes, the Hooligans did not keep slaves or even prisoners. In How to Be a Pirate after winning the "Battle Aboard the Lucky Thirteen", the Hooligans released their Outcast prisoners "with typical generousity".

Education[]

The Hooligans run a Pirate Training Program and a shorter Dragon Initiation Program on the Isle, to teach the Tribe's children topics ranging from 'Badd Sppeling' to 'Frightening Foreigners'. In fact, to be an official member of the tribe, one must find a dragon, capture it, and train it during the Dragon Initiation Program.

Hooligans are forbidden from learning Dragonese, the language of dragons. They are also forbidden from learning any foreign languages.

Hooligans do not, I repeat, DO NOT, speak Latin. Hooligans don't talk to dragons either. Or write books about them.
  — Stoick the Vast in Book 3  


Hair[]

Facial Hair, especially on adult males, appears to be an important symbol of masculinity, maturity, and heroism to the Hooligans, and presumably other Viking Tribes in the Barbaric Archipelago. Cutting hair and beard on a Hooligan is a very shameful and embarrassing event, and is used as punishment. Even touching one's beard uninvited is a serious transgression.

HtTaDT-BeardFashion

Beard Fashion

A beard was a Hooligan's pride and joy. The redder, the hairier, the tanglier the better, as far as the Hooligans were concerned. It was a terrible insult to lay so much as a finger on another Viking's beard - let along pin him to the wall with it.
  — Book 3, when a Roman pins Gobber to a wall with an axe by his beard  


Red hair is particularly valued by the Hooligans, and is considered "Heroic" and may be a sign of a leader or great warrior. Beard Fashion may be influenced by people thought of as celebrities, such as those considered Heroes.

'World' View[]

The Hairy Hooligans, like much of the Vikings of the Barbaric Archipelago, thought that the world was flat and sailing too far in one direction or another would result in falling off the end. This belief was abandoned by some members of the tribe after the events of How to Cheat a dragon's Curse and How to Ride a Dragon's Storm. Because of the flat Earth belief, Hooligans did not think other continents such as America existed.

Holidays and Festivals[]

Political System[]

Berk is a monarchy, led by a chief. It is worth noting, however, that although the chief has no legal checks on his power, Hooligans are unlikely to carry out unpopular orders. The current chief was Stoick the Vast who lived in the Hooligan Village with his son, Hiccup, and his wife, Valhallarama, until the little isle's population was enslaved and removed. But after the second dragon war, Stoick and the rest of the Hooligans returned to Berk to rebuild.

Though the Hooligans operate as a Chiefdom, the tribal elders have power to make decisions, or at least hold powerful advisory positions to the Chief. And example is the Elder Huddle seen in How to Train Your Dragon, deciding the fate of the Viking novices for failing the Dragon Initiation Test.

As Stoick details in How to Speak Dragonese, Viking chiefs are expected to carry out their duties in specific ways.

A Chief feels no pain. A Chief feels not fear. A Chief must be above mere weak, personal feelings.
  — Stoick in Book 3  


Stoick also adds in How to Cheat a Dragon's Curse that "a Chief is a public figure", gets "judged by the company he keeps," and that " Hooligans need to be FEARED by the other Tribes so they don't start thinking they can sneak along and invade" Berk. He feels that Hiccup having a friend like Fishlegs will lead others to think he is weak and soft and easy to take advantage of.

Chiefs do not get too much advantage over other tribe members as "Viking are used to fairly simple living conditions. A Chief just has a larger hut than everybody else", according to Book 3. However, there are some understood but not enforced social rules that the tribespeople generally follow, such as the Chief's family taming the coveted Monstrous Nightmare as a hunting dragon, and the chief's offspring getting first choice of the available riding dragons.

Although the Hooligan Tribe has no official prominence above the other tribes, it has been the effective leader of the entire archipelago since the days of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock I. Almost every King of the Wilderwest rose from the Hairy Hooligans, and even after the kingdom disintegrated the Hooligans' exceptional Bashyball skills allowed them to consistently dominate proceedings at the Thing.

Chieftain Succession (In Order)[]

Notable Members[]

Appearances[]


Gallery[]

Site Navigation[]

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