Essay: Vikings

The Vikings were a force to be reckoned with during their age and were often depicted as being brutal and powerful. Women in the Viking age are often cast aside and yet, it can be shown that they were an important part of everyday life. What we know of women is from stories, specifically the sagas but there is some archaeological evidence of women and how they were viewed and treated. The sagas do offer us the most in-depth view of Viking women, however the way in which they are depicted could likely be over dramatized. If it is not, women evidently were able to hold great amounts of power. Women in the Viking age were not just of interest hundreds of years ago but also in present day popular culture. The appearances of Viking women in movies and TV shows often is influenced by their presence in Norse mythology, where their stories continue fuel the imagination of people even today, hundreds of years later.
Archaeological evidence of the prominence of women in the Viking age is discouragingly in short supply. However, we do have some pieces of evidence that gives us insight into the way Viking women may have lived and their interactions with men and the world. “The social anthropologist Thomas Hylland Eriksen noted that there is a ‘fundamental difference between gender systems and other systems of human differentiation, including ethnicity” (Jesch 87). He also notes that, “If there is to be ‘societal continuity’, then women cannot be ‘expelled, exterminated or ignored’ as members of other categories could” (Jesch 87). In the Viking age, physical gender characteristics were enforced through clothing, hair and the use of weapons. “Thus, the medieval Icelandic laws in Grágás prescribe a penalty of lesser outlawry not only for women wearing ‘men’s clothing, or whatever male fashion they adopt in order to be different’ but also for men who ‘adopt women’s fashion, whatever form it takes’” (Jesch 93). Based on archaeological evidence, there is no specification as to what is considered men’s and women’s clothing since the textiles used in the Viking age did not survive well enough for us to study them today (Jesch 93, 94). This means that main source of evidence we have is what is described in texts that have been preserved. We do have archaeological evidence of women in the Viking age through the Oseberg ship burial. The Oseberg ship was used as a burial ship for the remains of two women in the year 834, one who was between the age of 70 and 80 and one who was just over 50, who’s cause of death is unknown (“The Women in the Oseberg Burial”). Some of the burial gifts placed with the women were clothes, ship equipment, tools, carved animal heads, horses, dogs and cows (“The Women in the Oseberg Burial”). Considering the elaborate burial these two women were given, this suggests that these women held a level of importance. Upon examination of the skeletal remains, the younger woman had healthy teeth that were well cared for with a metal tooth pick she used, she also most likely had a good diet (“Two Wealthy Women”). These discoveries could suggest that this woman was wealthy and lived a good life filled with luxuries and wasn’t faced with a crude diet. The other woman had suffered from many ailments in her life including a lumbar fracture, osteoporosis and cancer, which she probably died from (“Two Wealthy Women”). The evidence could propose that she was highly regarded and important to the community to have been cared for as a person that had these ailments and was of a lesser status may have not have survived these health problems. Evidence of women’s political power has only been demonstrated in sagas, which is the main source of writing available to us that gives researchers a glimpse into what could have possibly occurred in the Viking age.
Women in the Viking Age are typically ignored when it comes to their mention in the Viking sagas. The prominent women in the Viking sagas are frequently regarded as near equals to men and are often only mentioned if their presence is noticeable and impacts the community. In the chronicle of Olaf Tryggvason at the Battle of Svold, Queen Sigrid is able to influence King Svien into deciding to go to war against Olaf Tryggvason (Somerville 160). The fact that this piece of information is included could suggest that women held some form of political influence and power in decision making. At the very least, some women may have been able to guide their husband in a certain direction and have their opinion be heard, whether the advice was taken or not is another matter. Also in the chronicle of Olaf Tryggvason, Sigvald’s wife, Astrid, appears to be seen as a close friend to Olaf Tryggvason (Somerville 161). This demonstrates how women and men could be friends and possibly viewed as equals. It could depend on the social status of the women, as evident in other sagas such as Unn the Deepminded in the Saga of the People of Laxardal. Unn the Deepminded is a highly regarded character in this saga who possesses a fair amount of power. When her son, Thorstein, was killed, Unn had a ship secretly built so that she could flee (Kunz 278). As it says in the saga, “She took along all her kinsmen who were still alive, and people say it is hard to find another example of a woman managing to escape from such a hostile situation with as much wealth and so many followers” (Kunz 278). Another example of strong and powerful women in the sagas is in the Saga of the People of Laxardal with Gudrun Osvifsdottir. Gudrun is a highly regarded woman who is strategic and trusted by the community. Women like Gudrun are treated like a rarity in the sagas and she is viewed as being “superior to other women” (Kunz 344). Towards the end of her story, she tells her children to seek revenge and does it in a manner to scare them and cause them discomfort in order to get what she wants. Gudrun is shown as not caring if she hurts others, as long as it benefits her in the end (Kunz 388). This is also demonstrated on page 388 where she promises marriage to Thorgils so that he would avenge Bolli, with no intentions to actually follow through with the promise (Kunz). This event may be a portrayal of her character as she does not seem to mind putting others in harms way in order to benefit herself. Possibly those who wrote this saga viewed powerful women as being deceitful towards others and that is how they wanted to portray them. The portrayal of Viking women appears to vary depending on who is telling the story, which is evident in modern day popular culture.
In popular culture, Vikings are often portrayed as being rough and rugged barbarians pillaging innocent villages and unsurprisingly, women are occasionally shown to be of the same nature. There is now an interest in Viking masculinity, which is evident in many popular culture examples of Viking life such as History Channel’s Vikings or Marvel Comics’ Thor but here doesn’t seem to be any great mention of Viking women in popular culture today other than depicting them occasionally as warriors. Whether or not this is an accurate depiction is definitely up for discussion. Women in the Viking age would have been in charge of housework and life duties similar to that and rarely are shown as being warriors. There is mention of a strict division between males and females in the Viking world however, in Norse mythology, women are sometimes shown to have high statuses of power much like men did. The Valkyries were, as quoted by Snorri Sturluson in The Viking Diaspora, women who served in Valhalla, looking after drinks and tableware and also were sent to the battlefield by Odin where they were to decide who would live and who would die (Jesch 105). It is unknown if they bore weapons however, there is evidence of pictures from the Viking Age where women are offering men drinks as they enter Valhöll, which is the hall of the slain (Jesch 105). There is one representation that depicts a female warrior which was found in Denmark in 2012 and it is a silver figurine with long hair, a long dress, a shield and a sword (Jesch 105). As Jesch notes, this is an interesting depiction as in literary texts, Valkyries were usually represented holding a spear while wearing armour, which does not fit with the figurine found (Jesch 105). It seems as though even in the Viking age, people were interested in the Valkyrie and the idea of armed women, just as much as there is an interest in popular culture today. The portrayal of Viking women in popular culture today continues to be dramatized in a way that touches on only the exciting sides of their lives. In today’s world, audiences have shorter attention spans and enjoy action filled experiences to keep them engaged. By portraying Vikings as barbaric warriors, it creates an enticing subject matter for the general public as people love violence. In order to draw in a female demographic, it is necessary to have some female Viking characters that are portrayed as being strong and powerful. This draws on the ideas of the Valkyrie as well as the sagas mentioned before where women had equal status to men. In popular culture, the view of women is often inaccurate however, the less glamorous housework and housewife side of Viking women doesn’t sell as well as the female warrior narrative. Interactive activities are increasingly becoming popular with younger audiences, especially families such as the Lofotr Viking Museum where they offer reenactments and festivals where people can dress up like Vikings. The museum obviously does not exclude women from participating in archery or sailing because in today’s world, that would be unacceptable. However, this then gives an inauthentic view of Viking life as women most likely were not allowed to participate in those activities in the Viking age. Popular culture can be an excellent way to educate the public in an enjoyable manner but it does have its negative aspects in that it can create an unrealistic view of the true realities and struggles of women in the Viking age.
Women in the Viking age have been portrayed as everything from simple women of the household to power seeking land owners who are highly regarded in their community. Wherever women were, they appear to be an important backbone in the daily lives of Vikings, ensuring that the family and household are taken care of. There is evidence that women were seen as people within the society and valued, sometimes valued so much that they were given elaborate burials, suggesting that maybe the sagas did hold some truth to their influence and power. The sagas give us a possibly over dramatized image of women in the Viking age however, there may be some truth to the stories, showing how women could be of as much importance as men. This then is often depicted in popular culture as people become interested in Viking mythology because of the display of women often being powerful characters. This view of women will always be enticing to the general public as many women desire to be portrayed as powerful and independent characters. This may not be the most accurate depiction of the realities of Viking women but may show how the rare few were viewed, which is often the types of people that remain prominent and well known throughout the ages. We see examples of this in many other periods of history from the Egyptians to the Greeks where powerful women and even powerful men are the ones who’s stories continue to our present day knowledge. Viking women could be no different and this time period could have had many powerful women going against the gender norms, just as they do today. Evidence of everyday activities for women may have been lost over the years or is just waiting to be discovered in the coming years. History is changing with every discovery so we may find the answers or their true role in the Viking world may remain a mystery forever.