Nostalgic for a world I never got to experience

Combined Percentage of British Ancestry in the USA in 2024

Autumn sunrise in the alps - Adlerweg, Tirol, Austria, October 2022

photo by: nature-hiking

Patagonian Waterfalls - Torres del Paine National Park, Patagonia, Chile, March 2025

Photo by: nature-hiking

To be clear, “shieldmaidens” as a concept only exists in stories and myths, most of which come centuries after the age of Vikings. These stories, like that of Hervör or Lathgertha, were written through a Christian perspective of women, which often serve as cautionary tales for why women shouldn’t go to battle or challenge traditional gender roles.

We have little to no archaeological evidence, barring some rare exceptions, that Viking women went into battle with the army. But I think, the concept of the “shieldmaiden” overshadows the fact that Viking women were leaders and landowners in the absence of the men. It’s not unlikely that some, or even many, were skilled in fighting, perhaps inspired by the many warrior women that are found in Old Norse myths.

Strength, bravery, and honour were major values for these cultures, but those values can present themselves in many ways, which we see throughout the story cycles in the Poetic Edda and Codex Regius.

Martial cultures require high birth rates to offset the mortality rates of combat. It would make very little sense to intentionally put young women in harm's way.

That's not even getting into the physical differences such as upper body and grip strength that would make it harder for women to maintain a shield wall. Including them would endanger everyone.