The Viking Shieldmaiden: Lagertha Between Legend and History

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the figure of Lagertha, the legendary shieldmaiden associated with Ragnar Lothbrok in Saxo Grammaticus's Gesta Danorum. They dig into the historical plausibility of Viking warrior women, examining archaeological evidence like the Birka grave Bj 581, which suggests a high-status female warrior. The conversation also touches on the sagas' portrayal of Lagertha compared to other legendary women like Freydís Eiríksdóttir, and how modern pop culture has reshaped her image. Along the way, they discuss Saxo's possible sources, the role of women in Viking society, and what the written sources actually tell us versus what we want to believe.

#Lagertha #Shieldmaiden #VikingWomen #GestaDanorum #SaxoGrammaticus #Birka #Bj581 #FreydísEiríksdóttir #VikingAge #WomenWarriors #Archaeology #Sagas #RagnarLothbrok #PopCulture #History #FexingoHistory #NorthernEurope #Medieval

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