New Research Redefines Understanding of Women's Roles in Viking Society
Shanna Bryman, a PhD candidate at the University of the Highlands and Islands Institute for Northern Studies, is redefining our understanding of women's roles in Viking society. Her ground-breaking research, spanning the 8th to 11th centuries, unveils a society that accepted women into pivotal roles in leadership, politics, and land ownership.
In her latest article, Shanna explores the diverse roles of Viking Age women from the 8th to the 11th century and challenges the simplistic historical narratives that often limit them to domestic realms.
Evidence shows that women engaged in a variety of influential activities, sometimes through their relationships with men—such as daughters, wives, or widows—but often demonstrated significant independence on their own. The research highlights women's contributions beyond the home, showcasing their broader impact on Viking society and influence within the community. These findings emphasise how historical accounts frequently underestimate women's agency and significance, particularly in Old Norse culture, where gender roles were more dynamic and complex than previously depicted.
Shanna goes on to state, “Norse women were active agents who held influence and the ability to shape community dynamics, though their influence varied depending on factors such as social class, marital status and specific regional customs. While wealthy women had more inherent privileges, others could elevate their status through strategic marriages or becoming concubines, a housewife also held significant economic and social advantages…..For example, a woman who inherited land and resources after the death of her husband (or male kin) was not just a passive recipient of inheritance, but a potential economic and social leader. “
Widows and so-called ‘ringwomen’ often held significant power in that they could manage estates, engage in trade and in some cases represent their family’s interests in community assemblies. Gender roles and responsibilities and assumptions of power must also be addressed as Shanna argues that Old Norse society was not as strictly rigid in gender roles as some late 19th century and early 20th century interpretations would lead modern day scholars to believe.
Examining the evidence from both archaeological analysis and written sources, Shanna states that, even though there was a tentative gender divide based on a division of labour Viking society was often more complex and nuanced. For example women were present on battlefields, buried armed to the teeth as warriors, and are depicted as leading men into conflict.
It is clear that the leadership role of women in the Viking Age is an area ripe for further research. Women were not supporting characters in a male-dominated story but active, influential agents who shaped their communities’ economy, social, and sometimes military future.
Shanna Bryman is a recipient of the Dorothy Dunnett Centenary Award, an academic grant that supports the research of PhD and Masters students in areas of study that support the charitable aims of the Dorothy Dunnett Society.