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Valkyrie

The Women of the Viking World

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Valkyries: the female supernatural beings that choose who dies and who lives on the battlefield. They protect some, but guide spears, arrows, and sword blades into the bodies of others. Viking myths about valkyries attempt to elevate the banality of war - to make the pain and suffering, the lost limbs and deformities, the piles of lifeless bodies of young men, glorious and worthwhile. Rather than their death being futile, it is their destiny and good fortune, determined by divine beings. The women in these stories take full part in the power struggles and upheavals in their communities, for better or worse.

Drawing on the latest historical and archaeological evidence, Valkyrie introduces listeners to the dramatic and fascinating texts recorded in medieval Iceland, a culture able to imagine women in all kinds of roles carrying power, not just in this world, but pulling the strings in the other-world, too. In the process, this fascinating book uncovers the reality behind the myths and legends to reveal the dynamic, diverse lives of Viking women.

©2020 Jóhanna Katrín Friðriksdóttir (P)2021 Tantor Customs & Traditions Europe Medieval Scandinavia Social Sciences Women Middle Ages Tradition Mythology
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This was wonderful. A fascinating examination of women in the Viking world, reading them through archaeology, art and especially the great sagas of Iceland and elsewhere. Beautifully read. Highly recommended.

Probably the best book available on women in the sagas

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