Let's not get carried away. The majority of Viking women WERE NOT warriors and rarer still, held political power. Yes, there is evidence that Viking women did participate in battle. For instance, the Byzantine historian, Johannes Skylitzes, records that after a battle in 971 between the army of Kiev-Rus and the Byzantine forces of Bulgaria, some battle-dressed female warriors were found dead on the battlefield. The 13th century Danish historian, Saxo Longinus, wrote about several female warriors, however, only names a few of them, including "Stikla" and "Rusla", who are mentioned in the 7th Book of Gesta Danorum. He also wrote about other female warriors such as Hed, Visna og Veborg. However, the most famous Viking shield maidens are featured in well known Sagas such as Hervor from Hervor's Saga and Brynhild from Völsungesaga. This is not to say that female warriors were written about or spoken of extensively in Viking historical tradition. Quite the opposite, in fact. Female warriors in the Viking historical tradition are rarely mentioned. In fact, shield maidens were typically not trained for direct battle. They were trained to defend their homes and villages to be used only at the uttermost need. To put it bluntly, the "shield maidens" from the popular series, "Vikings" and "Vikings Valhalla" are an exaggeration of historical fact. There were no vast armies of women warriors wandering Viking lands, beating up men at every turn, ruling cities or ordering men around. Women in Viking society were under the authority of their husbands or fathers. However, they did have a greater measure of freedom within Viking society as compared to women of other societies. Women could own property, manage households, operate farms, initiate divorce, engage in trade etc. However, in Viking society, men controlled the political power. According to the Denmark Historical Society, Viking women could not appear in Court or receive a share of a man's inheritance. To be blunt, even if women had a relatively strong position, they were officially inferior to men.
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Let's not get carried away. The majority of Viking women WERE NOT warriors and rarer still, held political power. Yes, there is evidence that Viking women did participate in battle. For instance, the Byzantine historian, Johannes Skylitzes, records that after a battle in 971 between the army of Kiev-Rus and the Byzantine forces of Bulgaria, some battle-dressed female warriors were found dead on the battlefield.
The 13th century Danish historian, Saxo Longinus, wrote about several female warriors, however, only names a few of them, including "Stikla" and "Rusla", who are mentioned in the 7th Book of Gesta Danorum. He also wrote about other female warriors such as Hed, Visna og Veborg.
However, the most famous Viking shield maidens are featured in well known Sagas such as Hervor from Hervor's Saga and Brynhild from Völsungesaga. This is not to say that female warriors were written about or spoken of extensively in Viking historical tradition. Quite the opposite, in fact. Female warriors in the Viking historical tradition are rarely mentioned. In fact, shield maidens were typically not trained for direct battle. They were trained to defend their homes and villages to be used only at the uttermost need.
To put it bluntly, the "shield maidens" from the popular series, "Vikings" and "Vikings Valhalla" are an exaggeration of historical fact. There were no vast armies of women warriors wandering Viking lands, beating up men at every turn, ruling cities or ordering men around.
Women in Viking society were under the authority of their husbands or fathers. However, they did have a greater measure of freedom within Viking society as compared to women of other societies. Women could own property, manage households, operate farms, initiate divorce, engage in trade etc. However, in Viking society, men controlled the political power. According to the Denmark Historical Society, Viking women could not appear in Court or receive a share of a man's inheritance. To be blunt, even if women had a relatively strong position, they were officially inferior to men.
This grave site isn't proof of anything
Yea woman were essential, who gave birth? Smh