Lagertha. Thanks to Saxo Grammaticus' Gesta Danorum, we know of a legendary female Viking known as either Lagertha or Ladgerda. This incredible woman was part of a larger group of female warriors who volunteered to help renowned hero Ragnar Lothbrok avenge his grandfather's death.
The sagas tell that women did go on some of the Viking expeditions. The most notorious and frightening of these long distance travellers were Freydis, the daughter of Erik the Red. She initiated one of the Viking expeditions to Vinland.
This has brought forward the question of whether or not the individual was originally from Birka, or if she had settled there afterwards. Controversially, the conclusion of the study was that "the individual in grave Bj 581 is the first confirmed female high-ranking Viking warrior".
Lagertha, according to legend, was a Viking ruler and shield-maiden from what is now Norway, and the onetime wife of the famous Viking Ragnar Lodbrok.
Lagertha Played by Katheryn Winnick. Lagertha is the first wife of Ragnar Lothbrok. She is an Earl, a strong shield-maiden and a force to be reckoned with. She has always fought in the shield-wall alongside the men.
Controversy surrounds interpretation of 1000-year-old grave. Last week, archaeologists reported that a Viking buried with a sword, ax, spear, and two shields—first discovered in the 1880s and long thought to be a man—was, in fact, a woman, making her the first known high-ranking female Viking warrior.
Lagertha. Perhaps the most well known of all the Viking warrior women of Norse sagas, Lagertha is most recognisable as the wife of Ragnar Lödbrook [portrayed by Katherine Winnick in Vikings].
Most of what we know about women warriors in the Viking Age comes from literary works, including the romantic sagas Saxo called upon as some of his sources. Female warriors known as “Valkyries,” who may have been based on shieldmaidens, are certainly an important part of Old Norse literature.
A shield-maiden (Old Norse: skjaldmær [ˈskjɑldˌmæːr]) was a female warrior from Scandinavian folklore and mythology.
Perhaps the epitome of the archetypal bloodthirsty Viking, Erik the Red violently murdered his way through life. Born in Norway, Erik gained his nickname most likely due to the colour of his hair and beard but it could also reflect upon his violent nature.
The best-known Viking explorer is, of course, Lief Erikson, the first European to set foot in the Americas, beating Columbus to the continent by over 400 years.
Female Vikings could go to Valhalla. Viking culture and mythos were not free of bias against women, but the gods cared about the method of their dying, not the details of their life. According to the Poetic Edda, Valhalla was reserved only for those who demonstrated their eternal valor by dying in battle.
Hel (Old Norse) is a female being in Norse mythology who is said to preside over an underworld realm of the same name, where she receives a portion of the dead. Hel is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century.
On the other hand, women were respected in Norse society and had great freedom, especially when compared to other European societies of that era. They managed the finances of the family. They ran the farm in their husband's absence. In widowhood, they could be rich and important landowners.
In the Middle Ages the Danish word for seeress “vølve” meant witch. Their rituals were by then connected with dangerous and harmful magic. Thus it might be said that the Viking Age seeresses were predecessors of medieval witches. Laws were issued in the Middle Ages in order to suppress pagan rituals.
The names of the most popular Norse goddesses are Freyja, Idun, Frigg, Skadi, Sif, and Hel.
These powerful Viking female warriors names include Brynhildr, Gunnr, Herfjötur, Alruna and Gondul. Other old Viking names originate from female Viking goddess names. So why not take inspiration from Norse goddess names such as Freyja, Idun, Frigg, Skadi, Sif, and Hel?
Marriage And Other Forms Of Cohabitation
Sagas and runic inscriptions show that families were formed by monogamous marriages. A man may have had relationships, and children, with several women, but when he died, only one wife was acknowledged.
Social and political alliances were also secured by marriage. Written sources tell us that the two most powerful Viking kings, Harald Bluetooth and his son Sweyn Forkbeard, both married Slavic princesses.
The faces of men and women in the Viking Age were more alike than they are today. The women's faces were more masculine than women's today, with prominent brow ridges. On the other hand, the Viking man's appearance was more feminine than that of men today, with a less prominent jaw and brow ridges.
Prose Edda
High says "these women are called valkyries, and they are sent by Odin to every battle, where they choose which men are to die and they determine who has victory".
Lagertha is undoubtedly the greatest ever shield-maiden because of her accomplishments. Not only does she never die in battle, but she is ambitious. She uses her skills to acquire power, unlike her counterparts whose only goal is to get to Valhalla.
Hjor was the last of the kings at Avaldsnes who descended from the Augvald dynasty. His wife Ljufvina was a princess of Mongolian descent and despite her dark skin and unusual looks, she reigned as queen over the Norsemen at Karmsundet. Hjor and Ljufvina had two sons: the twins Hamund (Håmund) and Geirmund.
Hel, in Norse mythology, originally the name of the world of the dead; it later came to mean the goddess of death.
While the historical record, so far, suggests that men were more often chieftains and battle leaders in Viking times, women could — and did — rise to the ranks of queen, revered warrior and merchant.