Women and Weapons in the Viking World: Amazons of the North

Synopsis

&“Invigorating . . . Gardeła reappraises the connections between women and violence in an early-medieval society that has left few texts to guide us.&” —Studies in Late Antiquity This book sets out to investigate the idea of &“the armed woman&” in the Viking Age through a comprehensive and cross-cultural approach and weaves a nuanced picture of women&’s lives in the Viking world. The Viking Age (c. AD 750–1050) is conventionally portrayed as a tumultuous time when hordes of fierce warriors from Scandinavia wreaked havoc across the European continent and when Norse merchants traveled to distant corners of the world in pursuit of slaves, silver and exotic commodities. Until fairly recently, Norse society during this pivotal period in world history has been characterized as male-dominated, with women&’s roles dismissed or substantially downplayed. There is, however, ample textual and archaeological evidence to suggest that many of the most spectacular achievements of Viking Age Scandinavians—in craftsmanship, exploration, cross-cultural trade, warfare and other spheres of life—would not have been possible without the active involvement of women, and that, both within the walls of the household and in the wider public arena, women&’s voices were heard, respected and followed. Lavishly illustrated, this pioneering book explores the stories of the female warrior and women&’s links with the martial sphere of life in the Viking Age, using literature and archaeological evidence from Scandinavia and the wider Viking world to examine the motivations and circumstances that led women to engage in armed conflict.

Copyright:

2021

Book Details

Book Quality:

Publisher Quality

Book Size:

216 Pages

ISBN-13:

9781636240695

Related ISBNs:

9781636240688

Publisher:

Casemate Publishers (Ignition)

Date of Addition:

10/14/23

Copyrighted By:

Oxbow Books and the author

Adult content:

No

Language:

English

Has Image Descriptions:

No

Categories:

History, Military, Nonfiction, Social Studies

Submitted By:

Bookshare Staff

Usage Restrictions:

This is a copyrighted book.