Strong Women and Battle in the Viking Age

unamoosedwerewolf asked:

Hello! I have his question that I’ve been wondering about for a long time. So my friend once told me that there were more woman in battle than men. She said she got it of Internet (which isn’t such a reliable place either). However, I once read a book about runes and all the runes that were in there were made for men who died in battle. No single woman who died was mentioned on one. Also, I watch the tv show Vikings and there are way more men than woman in battle. So are there more women? Skål!

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I am glad you have asked this. I have begun to notice that there is a lot of confusion regarding women in the Viking Age. The literature, which we get most of our information about this subject from, displays an interesting amount of strong women. Yet, that literature often portrays this as an oddity or in a negative light. Strong women are admired when they stay within the boundaries of social normalities (such as raising strong sons, managing a major household, etc.). The sagas (histories mixed with fiction) have numerous women that do this, some negative and some respected. It is a complex picture, but I will save you from those details.

Before I provide primary and secondary source material on this, I will answer your question. There was definitely more men in battle than women. Even if women did battle, only a very select few would have done this. If they had, they may not have been respected for it or socially “allowed” to do so. Most women that show up in archaeological evidence have been given fame and prestige for factors aside from battle. I will be brining up the Oseburg ship burial for a good example. This is one of the most extravagant ship burials ever discovered, but they were not buried with battle gear like many men were. For women, honor was obtained through different means than men. Women, in general, held society together while men went out on raids. If both men and women went on raids, society would weaken and not be able to function properly.

Some Archaeological Evidence:

Odendisa Runestone

This runestone is known for being dedicated to a woman. It was raised at Hassmyra, Västmanland, Sweden. This woman is praised for what she did within the realm of the household, not based on achievements in battle. 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:

There will come
to Hassmyra
no better housewife,
who arranges the estate.

Here is an image of this runestone:

The Oseburg Ship Burial

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, but not through means of war and battle.

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:

Women burials are found in all parts of the world that the Viking went to. This does not mean that they were participating in raids though. Women, children, and livestock were often brought along for settlement reasons. Raids began to take on the role of both temporary and permanent settlement. This is the case because not many burials of women are found where settlement did not also take place. Women were colonizers, and their grave goods reflect aspects of commerce, not war.

Wrap-up:

I will be covering this topic in a lesson in about two weeks, so you will have a chance to learn more about the image of women as warriors. But, if you want more than I have given before that time, feel free to ask. If you want to really get insight for women in the Viking Age, or rather for the period right after, I will happily provide you a list of sagas to read. Otherwise, I hope this information helps you. There were definitely mostly men in battle.

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Sources:

1. Jennifer Dukes-Knight, “Women,” Lecture, Viking History, University of South Florida, 2015.

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.