Who was the Viking queen Ingrid? Ingrid was one of the most powerful women in medieval Scandinavia. She was a Viking warrior queen, twice married to kings, and played an important role in Norwegian history.
While the historical record, so far, suggests that men were more often chieftains and battle leaders in Viking times, women could — and did — rise to the ranks of queen, revered warrior and merchant.
Lagertha, according to legend, was a Viking ruler and shield-maiden from what is now Norway, and the onetime wife of the famous Viking Ragnar Lodbrok. Her tale was recorded by the chronicler Saxo in the 12th century.
According to Saxo, Lagertha was a shield maiden of particular skill and ferocity. She is known for her cunning and ability to hold her own on the battlefield and is credited with turning the tide of battle in favour of Ragnar multiple times.
Women that fought were in the Norse literature called vakyries or shield-maidens (skjoldsmøyer). There were several kinds of female warriors. – Some were divine beings, like the valkyries sent by Odin to pick up the warriors that were slain on the battlefield.
Lagertha. Thanks to Saxo Grammaticus' Gesta Danorum, we know of a legendary female Viking known as either Lagertha or Ladgerda. This incredible woman was part of a larger group of female warriors who volunteered to help renowned hero Ragnar Lothbrok avenge his grandfather's death.
Valkyrie, also spelled Walkyrie, Old Norse Valkyrja (“Chooser of the Slain”), in Norse mythology, any of a group of maidens who served the god Odin and were sent by him to the battlefields to choose the slain who were worthy of a place in Valhalla.
The battle is considered by historians to mark the end of the Viking Age in Norway. This is how Harald became Norway's last Viking king, and Ellisiv became the last Viking queen.
While other characters are based on real people, Estrid Haakon is an invented character, whose Viking grandfather met her royal African grandmother while in the great trading city of Alexandria, Egypt. They fell in love and returned to Kattegat, eventually passing on ruling duties to her.
The Vikings were ruled by powerful magnates and kings. However, the term king was not used in the same way as it is today, because in the Viking period several kings could exist at the same time. A king was simply a leading magnate, who the other magnates regarded as “first among equals”.
His wife Ljufvina was a princess of Mongolian descent and despite her dark skin and unusual looks, she reigned as queen over the Norsemen at Karmsundet. Hjor and Ljufvina had two sons: the twins Hamund (Håmund) and Geirmund. They, too, had dark skin and were therefore nicknamed Heljarskinn; the “Black-Skinned”.
At the head of these warrior women was Lagertha who was so fierce in battle that all who watched were amazed. Despite being dressed in men's clothing, Lagertha's long golden hair was loose and falling down her back showing that she was, in fact, a woman.
Scandinavian women from the Viking Age were more similar to males in facial structure and skeletomuscular strength. When looking at facial structure, female Scandinavians had an austerity and firmness more commonly associated with masculine faces.
While there is evidence to suggest that Vikings may have been more diverse than previously believed, including the possibility of Viking presence in Africa, the evidence for the existence of black Vikings is still extremely limited. We can therefore say that no, it is not likely that there were black Vikings.
Last week, archaeologists reported that a Viking buried with a sword, ax, spear, and two shields—first discovered in the 1880s and long thought to be a man—was, in fact, a woman, making her the first known high-ranking female Viking warrior.
The Vikings were seafaring people who originated from Scandinavia during the 8th-11th centuries. They are well known for their raids and exploration of much of northern Europe and beyond. As such, an estimated population of over 15 million people today claims Viking descent.
In Vikings: Valhalla, Caroline Henderson stars as Jaral Haakon, a female warrior, and respected leader. History buffs may assume Jarl Haakon is based on the real historical figure also known as Haakon Sigurdsson, but this is not the whole story.
Hjor and Ljufvina had two sons: the twins Hamund (Håmund) and Geirmund. They, too, had dark skin and were therefore nicknamed Heljarskinn; the “Black-Skinned”. Geirmund the Black-Skinned – the black Viking – never became king at Avaldsnes.
Do you need to have watched the original Vikings series to understand Vikings: Valhalla? This is an easy no. Not at all! Vikings: Valhalla is a new series, not a sequel, with a fresh storyline different than the History Channel series.
Emma of Normandy (referred to as Ælfgifu in royal documents; c. 984 – 6 March 1052) was a Norman-born noblewoman who became the English, Danish, and Norwegian queen through her marriages to the Anglo-Saxon king Æthelred the Unready and the Danish king Cnut the Great.
Modern descendants of Norsemen include the Danes, Icelanders, Faroe Islanders, Norwegians, and Swedes, who are now generally referred to as "Scandinavians" rather than Norsemen.
The final Viking invasion of England came in 1066, when Harald Hardrada sailed up the River Humber and marched to Stamford Bridge with his men. His battle banner was called Land-waster. The English king, Harold Godwinson, marched north with his army and defeated Hardrada in a long and bloody battle.
In the Eddas and sagas, Valkyries are mortal human women born of mortal human parents. It is not their origin, but their service to Odin, which bestows on the Valkyries certain supernatural powers. Freyja and Gondul are both mentioned as strong Valkyries who drive the myths forward.
Prose Edda
High says "these women are called valkyries, and they are sent by Odin to every battle, where they choose which men are to die and they determine who has victory".
Valkyries can become pregnant and carry the fetus to term, but they die in childbirth (Let Them Burn). Upon a Valkyrie's last death they disintegrate into particles of light.