Lagertha, according to legend, was a Viking ruler and shield-maiden from what is now Norway, and the onetime wife of the famous Viking
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.
Lagertha. Perhaps the most well known of all the Viking warrior women of Norse sagas, Lagertha is most recognisable as the wife of Ragnar Lödbrook [portrayed by Katherine Winnick in Vikings].
Did you know that the Viking queen was called a “ruler of the sea”? And did you know that she was considered a powerful and influential woman? If you're curious about what this powerful woman was like, read on to learn more about the Viking queen and her fascinating history.
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.
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.
There is the case of Jarl Haakon (Caroline Henderson), ruler of Kattegat during the events of Vikings: Valhalla season 1 and the first Black Viking ruler in the universe of Vikings.
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.
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.
Kærasta, -n = Darling, loved one, female form. Typically translated as girlfriend.
Sanna Mirella Marin (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈsɑnːɑ ˈmirelːɑ ˈmɑriːn]; born 16 November 1985) is a Finnish politician who serves as the leader of the Social Democratic Party of Finland (SDP) since 2019. A member of Parliament since 2015, she previously served as prime minister of Finland from 2019 to 2023.
Vikings: Valhalla
The Jarl Haakon we meet is a woman of color, but one universally accepted as a Viking. In her version of Kattegat, she has established a truce between pagans and Christians. Traders from all over the world hock their wares in her city and her walls are protected by shieldmaidens.
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.
Some men would have two to three wives, but the Norse sagas say that some princes had limitless numbers. "So raiding was away to build up wealth and power. Men could gain a place in society, and the chance for wives if they took part in raids and proved their masculinity and came back wealthy.
One of the most famous Shield Maidens in Viking history is Lagertha. According to legend, Lagertha was a Danish noblewoman who fought alongside her husband in a battle against the Swedes. After her husband was killed, Lagertha rallied her troops and led them to victory.
The name most associated with the Viking attacks and raids on the British Isles is that of Ragnar Lothbrok (sometimes also written as 'Lodbrok'), who has gone down in history as a fearless leader and unstoppable warrior.
The written sources portray Viking women as independent and possessing rights. Compared to women elsewhere in the same period, Viking women had more freedom. However, there were limits to this. Even if women had a relatively strong position, they were officially inferior to men.
Fidelity. This belief in fidelity extended far beyond the modern understanding of it, which is to remain monogamous with your life partner. They also applied this belief in fidelity to friends and family as well, which meant that Vikings had to be unequivocally loyal to those that were close to them.
Viking women married young—as early as 12 years old. By the age of 20, virtually all men and women were married. Life expectancy was about 50 years, but most died long before reaching 50. Only a few lived to 60.
Their history in Africa, however, remains a forgotten part of their expeditions. According to sources in the Vikings' fragmented historical texts, the 9th century chieftain Hastein led a fleet to the African coast around 859 C.E. after raiding multiple Mediterranean cities.
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.
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.
The end of the Viking Age is traditionally marked in England by the failed invasion attempted by the Norwegian king Harald III (Haraldr Harðráði), who was defeated by Saxon King Harold Godwinson in 1066 at the Battle of Stamford Bridge; in Ireland, the capture of Dublin by Strongbow and his Hiberno-Norman forces in ...
Harald Hardrada (Harald III Sigurdsson) is often known as "the last real Viking," and maybe he was what many understood by a real Viking king.
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.