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 readers 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.
Author(s): Jóhanna Katrín Friðriksdóttir
Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
Year: 2020
Language: English
Pages: XXII+252
City: London
List of illustrations
Acknowledgements
Language and pronunciation
Introduction: 'Valkyries decide who dies or lives'
1. Infancy and childhood
2. Teenage girls
3. Adulthood, married life and divorce
4. Pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood
5. Widows
6. Old age and death
Epilogue
Further reading
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Image Section
