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Saxon and Viking Women Warriors DNA studies of corpses in an Anglo-Saxon village at Heslerton, North Yorkshire (AD450-650) found that two bodies buried with spear and knife are women. The body of an Anglo Saxon woman (circa 500AD) with a dagger and shield was found just outside Lincoln. Procopius' history of the Gothic War of 535-552AD includes the story of an English princess, referred to as "the Island Girl", who led an invasion of part of Jutland and captured the young king, Radigis, who had jilted her after their betrothal. Kahula, an Arabian army commander in the battle of Yermonks (circa 600 AD) joined her forces with those of another female commander, Wafeira. Together they turned back the Greek army. '722. Queen Aethelburgh destroyed Taunton' Thyra, Queen of Denmark, ruled in her husband's absence. She led her army against the Germans who invaded Sleswick and Jutland. Around 890 AD she built the Danneverke, a great wall which was Denmark's major defence for centuries. Aethelflaed, eldest daughter of Alfred the Great of England, was known as the Lady of Mercia. She led troops against the Vikings during her father's reign and was responsible for the construction of many fortifications. Her military achievements helped her brother Edward the Elder in his Kingship. She died 918 in AD Olga, widow of Igor of Russia, raised an army which attacked Drevelian strongholds and ended the revolt in which her husband died, in 945AD. "There were once women in Denmark who dressed themselves to look like men and spent almost every minute cultivating soldiers' skills." At the battle of Bravellir between King Harald War-tooth and his nephew Ring, three women, Hethna, Visna and Vebiorg led companies on the Danish side. Rusilla fought against her brother Thrond for the thrones of both Denmark and Norway. Sela was "a warring Amazon and accomplished pirate" Stikla ran away from home "preferring the sphere of war to that of marriage" (source "Women in the Viking Age" - Judith Jesch - Boydell Press - 0 85115 278 3) 11th Century Hauberk Gurith, Alvid's daughter, also took part in a battle to help her son Harald after her husband was killed. Hervor learns to use bow, shield and sword while living in her maternal grandfather's house. In her youth she dresses as a man and mugs people for their money. She decides to avenge her father's death, then joins a band of Vikings, calling herself 'Hervardr' and has a variety of warlike adventures before finally marrying and having children. In Hrolfs saga Gautrekssonar, the only child of King Eirikr of Sweden is Thornbjorg, who "spends her girlhood pursuing the martial arts". Her father provides her with men and lands; and she adopts male dress and name (Thorbergr) and is known as king. Freydis Eiriksdottir who took part in an expedition to Vinland, defended herself from Skraelings using a sword while heavily pregnant, and personally murdered several "inconvenient" people later in the expedition, is described in Eirik the Red's Saga Auðr was divorced by her husband, Þórðr, on the grounds that she wore breeches like a man. She attacked him with a sword in revenge. Þórdis (Thordis) appears in The Laxdaela Saga taking revenge against Eyjólfr for the killing of her brother. There was a formal mechanism whereby a woman could be treated as a male heir in the earliest Icelandic legal codex, Gragas, with respect to the paying and receiving of wergild ("blood money" paid by a killer's family to the victim's family). It only applied to unmarried women who had no brothers. This may also have extended to a responsibility for taking part in retaliation and blood feuds between families in cases where there was no agreement on the weregild. In 1867 a Viking Age grave containing a single skeleton with oval brooches (characteristic of a woman's grave) and a "sword like item" was discovered in Santon Downham, Norfolk, England. An excavation at Gerdrup in Denmark found a skeleton buried with a needlecase (characteristic of a woman's grave) and a spear. (source "Women in the Viking Age" - Judith Jesch - Boydell Press - 0 85115 278 3) Axes and arrowheads were found in women's graves at Kaupang. Salaym Bint Malham is described by Rosalind Miles as a war leader who, "with an armoury of swords and daggers strapped round her pregnant belly fought in the ranks of Muhammad and his followers". Queen Gudit (or Judith or Esther) of the Bata Yisrael conquered the Ethiopian kingdom in the 10th Century. Bibliography Women Warriors in the Roman and Celtic World << . . . . >> Women Warriors in the 11th Century |
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These pages are provided by Nicky Saunders of Lothene Experimental Archaeology |