Analyzing the Role of Women in Viking Society: Rights and Impact

This essay explores the significant role of women in Viking society, spanning from 793 AD to 1066 AD, a period marked by Scandinavian Norsemen's exploration, trade, and raids. It examines women's rights to property, marriage arrangements, divorce, and their influence within households. Viking women enjoyed greater freedom compared to other societies, with the ability to own property, initiate divorce, and reclaim dowries. The essay also discusses the role of shield-maidens, brave female warriors, and their symbolic importance. It concludes that women in the Viking Age served as an inspiration, offering historical evidence to overcome modern-day prejudices against women.

Running head: ROLE OF WOMEN IN VIKING SOCIETY
Role of Women in Viking Society
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1ROLE OF WOMEN IN VIKING SOCIETY
Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Discussion........................................................................................................................................2
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................3
Bibliography....................................................................................................................................5

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Introduction
A Viking Age talk about a period that lies within 793 AD to 1066 AD is a remarkable period in
the history of Europeans (Hedenstierna‐Jonson et al. 2017. It is a period during which
Scandinavian Norsemen visited many parts in Europe through seas as well as rivers for the
purpose of colonization, conquering various areas, trade as well as raids. The current discussion
talks about women playing a leading role during Viking Age with respect to their rights on
property, marriage-impact, and their rights against divorce and discusses about Shield-maidens.
Discussion
Women during the Age of Viking had greater freedom as well as independence than most other
females who belonged to other societies. People belonging to Viking Society were known to be
infamous as they were mostly fierce warriors or brutal raiders. They were famous due to trading
business that they have been able to spread throughout the world. They succeeded in terms of
settling in various parts of the world, towns as well as cities and their culture and local language
became famous all over wherever they landed in ships (Adam, 2014). Women who belonged to
this civilization enjoyed greater degree of freedom as they had their right to own properties of
households, request for a certification of divorce as well as they also enjoyed the authority of
reclaiming back their dowries if their marriages get ended. Rather than most other women who
were forced by their parents to get married at very young age, Viking women had a say regarding
their marriage arrangement and they usually used to get married at the age between 12 to 15
years. If a woman was in demand for divorce from her husband she had the right to call people
from her family who shall be the witnesses to her divorce from her husband. In those days an

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agreement that a woman used to make with her husband on terms of marriage used to act as the
evidence that ways in which properties would get shared if there is a divorce between the couple.
Women had so much of her rights that even if the male member was the head of the family, wife
played a leading part in taking care of her spouse, the children as well as the entire household.
Women of Norse society had sole authority to exercise their powers in the domestic environment
during the time the head of the family remains absent or may be busy with some other work
(Jesch,2015). If the husband would suffer a death then the wife used to take over the
responsibilities of entire family, look after them with care and compassion singlehandedly and
also used to run the family trading business. Certain women who belonged to Viking Society
after embracing death were usually buried with a ring consisting of keys that were made out of
gold that were symbolic of their authority and power for playing the role of responsible
managers throughout their lives.
Shield maiden belong to the folklore as well as mythological society of Scandinavia who acted
as brave female warrior. Two of such shield-maidens were proved to be brave belonging to the
society of Hervarar saga. They were known to be famous as they took the role of males since
their early childhood and known to have travelled through dense woods, in the attires of men.
They took over the swords of their father known as Tyrfing and turned into a raider and travelled
overseas (Clatterbaugh, 2018). Famous scholars like Judith Jesch as well as Jenny Jochens have
suggested that when shield maidens used to suffer defeat or if they would have suddenly turned
into taking the role of female, this served as a testament to their success as well as achievements
in terms of male as well as a female and they proved to be a unique symbol of power and
authority.

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Conclusion
Thus from the above discussion it can be concluded that women were successful in Viking Ages
and they serve in the forms of inspiration to women belonging to modern age and society. The
prejudices that still prevail against women in many parts of the world till today can easily be
overcome if people look back into the past, these historical evidences would be enough sources
of knowledge as well as power to inspire millions of women across the world.

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Bibliography
Hedenstierna‐Jonson, C., Kjellström, A., Zachrisson, T., Krzewińska, M., Sobrado, V., Price, N.,
Günther, T., Jakobsson, M., Götherström, A. and Storå, J., 2017. A female Viking
warrior confirmed by genomics. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 164(4),
pp.853-860.
Jesch, J., 2015. The Viking Diaspora. Routledge.
Clatterbaugh, K., 2018. Contemporary perspectives on masculinity: Men, women, and politics in
modern society. Routledge.
Adam, J., 2014. The Lives of Women in The Viking Age: The Role of Critical Feminist and
Historical. Athabasca, Canadá.