Anonymous asked:

Hello, im not sure if you already postet something on this topic but could you tell me a bit about strong women in the viking age or mythologie? (Links to your blog post about that topic would help 2) Thank you in advance, your blog is beautiefull ♡

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I have only touched on this topic slightly so far (but plan to visit it more soon, of course). It is a topic I enjoy studying, but I have been focused on language lately. You can see an ask I answered about the Rights of Women in Viking Times or, if you want something mythological, you can see my answer about Valkyries. However, since those posts really do not contain much, I will go ahead and add a little more about women in the Viking world here as well. It won’t be much, rather a summary of a topic that deserves much more. I will be revising this subject in a few lessons down the road in my crash course though, so more is to come about this topic.

In the Myths

I will start with a segment from Lesson 6b of my crash course about Freyja. When it comes to mythology, the two major areas for strong women I can think of are the Valkyries and Freyja (though, I am sure there are more):

Freyja is Frey’s twin sister and daughter of Njord. Her husband is Odr (Od). Some scholarship suggests that she and Frigg (Odin’s wife) are identical to one another (suggesting they are the same but later diverged). She is a very interesting goddess in that she is so diverse in ability and nature. It is said in the Ynglinga Saga that Freya first brought seiðr (a type of magic) to the gods and is then associated chiefly with the völva (sorceresses). 

She is also quite fierce and powerful, dwelling in a place called Folkvangar (warrior’s fields). Whenever she battles, half of the slain go to her, while Odin takes the other half. Her hall is called Sessrumnir (with many seats), which is large and beautiful.

Still, she is quite approachable and often fulfills her prayers. From her name comes the term for “ladies” (frovur), as Frey’s name is for “lord”. She is keen on matters of love and passion.

In my studies so far (which are still quite young) I have noticed women are in an interesting position in the historical record. As for runestones, many women raised them for their husbands or sons (this required money, which the woman must have been able to freely use if she was able to raise the stone). In the myths, there are strong women who are not pushed beneath men. However, even so, they seem to often be in the peripherals. I think this change is even more noticeable in the saga record, which show women as having important roles, but also battling against a new ideal that women should not have some of those roles. Anyway, I will go ahead an list a few of the most notable women from Post-Viking Age literature (which is where most of our information comes from):

I will talk about…

1. Heroines
2. Warrior Women
3. The Bad Girls
4. Other Historical Evidence

Heroines

One of the most notable sagas for women is called the Laxdæla saga. Some even call it the “women’s saga” and suggest that it was written by a woman. Here are some of the notable women of that saga:

1. Unn the “Deep-minded”
   1. She is a competent head of a household and among the most noble of original settlers of Iceland. Whether this is exactly true or not is debatable, historically, but it is interesting nonetheless to see a woman be so highly praised in a saga. Many times women are depicted as goading men into trouble.
2. Gudrun
   1. She is caught within a love triangle with a man named Kjartan and Bolli. A feud breaks out between the two men after she choses one of them over the other. It is interesting to see the main focus of a saga centered around a woman, which is why I bring her up. There was a rise in romantic literature around the time this saga was written, which might attest to such a focus being given. Nonetheless, she is still an interesting figure.

Warrior Women

There are two notable warrior women that can attest to the fascination of women being warriors in Viking Age society. It is difficult to say whether this is a literary phenomenon or whether women actually acted out such roles. I personally feel there is a chance that they did, although there is little evidence to say so with confidence. The existence of an interest means that there may have been some reality to it. The sagas show great anxiety for women who battle. I talk about Brynhild in my answer about Valkyries, so I will keep this conversation about one of the more recently popularized figures:

1. Lagertha
   1. She is historically attested in the Gesta Dacorum by Saxo Grammaticus. She really was the onetime wife of a Ragnarr Loðbrók. Whether she actually existed or not is another debate all together, but her existence in literature is equally valuable to the cultural framework women occupied. She was a fierce warrior, disguised as a man, but once she encounters a man named Alf (whom she knew), she is compelled to return to her “feminine ways”. This, I think, is an example of a new anxiety of women acting in such a way. Did women actually fight as warriors? Maybe not as often as some would hope. Did this historical memory make the new-age man under Christianity uncomfortable? Perhaps, but I cannot say so for sure yet.

The Bad Girls

These women were strong-willed and made sure they got what they desired, no matter what they had to do in order to obtain it. They represent the negative, non-christian women that the husbands do not “control”. Like I have said before, women seem to be attacked in certain sagas. It seems to be that they are aiming to redefine their image during a time of great change, culturally speaking. Anyway, here are a few examples:

1. Freydis Eiriksdóttir
   1. She dupes her brothers into an expedition to Vinland (North America) and plans to take most of the profit. In order to gain the profit, she accuses her brother of assaulting her. As a result, her husband has them killed for revenge. She even kills the women as well, in order to gain her profit. So, she is quite strong and independent, but painted in a very dark light. Much surrounding her is likely literary invention, but that still holds a story to tell if investigated carefully.
2. Hallberðr and Bergþóra
   1. These two women are the classic goading wives. Hallberd is definitely cast in a  poor light throughout the saga, causing quite a bit of trouble. However, looking beyond the literary fluff, these women are strong willed and proud. They have the best of interests in mind, even if they do not turn out in such a way.

Other Historical Evidence

Women have not only shown up in a literary context. They have been found in elaborate burials and even have a runestone that is solely dedicated to  a woman. I will provide two examples:

1. Odendisa Runestone
   1. This runestone is known for being dedicated to a woman. It was raised at Hassmyra, Västmanland, Sweden. I personally have not worked much with this stone, so I cannot offer a translation of my own for what it says, but here is one done by Judith Jesch, author of Women in the Viking Age:
2. There will come
   to Hassmyra
   no better housewife,
   who arranges the estate.

Here is an image of this runestone:

1. The Oseburg Ship Burial
   1. This burial was done for two women. It is a burial fit for a queen and the ship itself features intricate detail. One woman was middle aged (20-30) and the other was elderly (50+). They died around the year 830. This burial shows how women could truly achieve an impressive status in Viking Age society.
   2. Here are only a few of the items found in this burial:
      1. A cart
      2. Saddle
      3. Twelve horses
      4. Three beds
      5. Chairs
      6. Lamps
      7. Buckets
      8. Four looms
      9. Fine textiles
      10. Custom shoes for arthritis
      11. And much, much more…

Here is an image of the ship they were buried in:

Conclusion

I hope my input was what you were looking for. Once again, this is really only a small glimpse at a hugely complicated subject. Women in the Viking Age and Post-Viking Age definitely present an interesting picture. It is easy to get lost in the romanticism that flows in the air surrounding their image, but their image is quite complicated. This is what happens, though, when their record is sketchy and not often provided by themselves. Most information come indirectly and much be sifted through with care, ruling out biases and culturally anxieties. Anyway, I hope this was helpful. I will revise this topic many time again in the future. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask!

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Sources

1. Jennifer Dukes-Knight, “Women,” Lecture, Viking History, University of South Florida, 2015.
2. Snorri Sturluson, Prose Edda, Translated by Jesse L. Byock, (London: Penguin, 2005).

Images (In order of appearance):

1. (link) Gustaf Eriksson, Date: 14 july 2005, Beskrivning: Odendisastenen i Fläckebo.
2. (link) Oseberg ship, Kulturhistorisk museum (Viking Ship Museum), Oslo, Norway.