Prominent and highly-regarded Viking women appear throughout Norse history. Viking Women Were Prominent Members of Norse SocietyĮven if Viking women were not warriors and did not go on raids, this is not to say that women in Norse society did not achieve elite status deserving of respect and reverence through non-military means. See This Is How the Vikings Proposed and Got Married to learn more. ![]() Relationships were important in Viking society. Simple jewelry and trinkets native to the Vikings have been found in areas of Viking expansion as clear evidence that Norse women were present shortly after raids. While it is likely that quite a few Viking settlers found domestic partners among the local population, it is also certain that Scandinavian women also lived in these new settlements from which transplanted Norse communities sprouted. Viking settlements frequently followed successful raids, and it was not uncommon for warriors to put down their swords, pick up a shovel, and plow the earth in their newfound homeland. It appears that Viking women did accompany raiding parties and were stationed at safe sites out of harm’s way. But this is not to say that women were not present. Some historians believe Viking women mostly stayed at home and on the farmĭespite the archeological findings of the Birka and Solor burial sites, most Viking scholars firmly believe that the elevation of women to warrior status during the Viking Age contradicted the Viking ethos.Īs such, female Vikings participating in raids alongside males could not have happened. Viking Scholars Dispute the Notion of Female Viking Raiders In fact, the remains showed a non-fatal battle wound suffered to the head, likely the result of a blow with a sword or ax. Like the Birka warrior, the Solor Viking was buried with military hardware, including a sword, spear, and battle-ax, and was also determined to be female. įurther supporting the belief that female Viking warriors existed was another burial site discovered in Solor, Norway, in 1900. What was the fate of Viking women? See Did Female Vikings Go to Valhalla? to learn more.Īs far as the person’s prominence in life, the burial site was marked by a highly visible grave marker, indicating that the female Viking warrior buried there was indeed an esteemed member of her community. ![]() In 2017, scientists released a genetic analysis revealing that the warrior in question was, in fact, female. The same team reaffirmed this controversial and highly criticized finding in 2019. One of the two graves contained such a wide assortment of armor-piercing arrows that researchers theorized that the buried person was an archery specialist, likely on horseback as there were two horses buried in the same grave.Īlso among the grave contents were articles of clothing indicating a high-ranking military officer and a gaming set (to sharpen strategist skills) found only in warriors’ graves. There were two, however, that included full sets of weaponry and military gear indicating that the buried were prominent Viking warriors. They uncovered roughly 1,100 graves, most of which were relatively nondescript, indicating that the buried were ordinary citizens. Some Viking women were buried with weaponsĭuring the 19 th century, archaeologists were digging at an old Viking settlement known as Birka, located in what is now Sweden. ![]() However, what seems beyond dispute is that Norse women, and even children, were part of raiding parties that spent long periods abroad, with many eventually settling in new lands. Whether or not female Vikings directly participated in raids is a matter that will continue to be debated until conclusive evidence surfaces that puts the question to rest. ![]() While there are scholars who believe that there were female Vikings that went on raids and others who strongly dispute such assertions, Norse society seemingly embraced the notion of female warriors. This is perhaps best exemplified by legends of shield maidens and myths involving the Valkyries. Much of what is known about the Norse people and the lives they led during the Viking Age has been pieced together through fragmented pictures provided by oral tradition, various writings (which were written many years after the fact), and archaeological finds. One of the hottest topics of debate is whether female Vikings took part in the violent raids that besieged Northern Europe for centuries.
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