The Real Valkyrie: The Hidden History of Viking Warrior Women

Author:   Nancy Marie Brown
Publisher:   The History Press Ltd
ISBN:  

9780750997911


Pages:   336
Publication Date:   17 September 2021
Format:   Hardback
Availability:   In Print   Availability explained
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The Real Valkyrie: The Hidden History of Viking Warrior Women


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Overview

In the tradition of Stacy Schiff's Cleopatra, Brown lays to rest the hoary myth that Viking society was ruled by men and celebrates the dramatic lives of female Viking warriors. In 2017, DNA tests revealed to the collective shock of many scholars that a Viking warrior in a high-status grave in Birka, Sweden, was a woman. The Real Valkyrie weaves together archaeology, history and literature to imagine her life and times, showing that Viking women had more power and agency than historians have imagined. Brown uses science to link the Birka warrior, whom she names Hervor, to Viking trading towns and to their great trade route east to Byzantium and beyond. She imagines Hervor's life intersecting with larger-than-life but real women, including Queen Gunnhild, Mother of Kings; the Viking leader known as the Red Girl; and Queen Olga of Kyiv. Hervor's short, dramatic life shows that much of what we have taken for truth about women in the Viking Age is based not on data but on outdated Victorian biases. Rather than holding the household keys, Viking women in history, law, saga, poetry and myth carry weapons. In this compelling narrative, Brown brings the world of those valkyries and shield-maids to vivid life. AUTHOR: Nancy Marie Brown is the author of highly praised books of nonfiction, including Song of the Vikings and Ivory Vikings. Brown has spent decades studying Icelandic literature and culture. She lives on a farm in Vermont, where she keeps four Icelandic horses and an Icelandic sheepdog. 18 b/w illustrations

Full Product Details

Author:   Nancy Marie Brown
Publisher:   The History Press Ltd
Imprint:   The History Press Ltd
ISBN:  

9780750997911


ISBN 10:   0750997915
Pages:   336
Publication Date:   17 September 2021
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print   Availability explained
This item will be ordered in for you from one of our suppliers. Upon receipt, we will promptly dispatch it out to you. For in store availability, please contact us.

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Reviews

Magnificent. It captured me from the very first page! -- Pat Shipman, author of <i>The Invaders</i> Once again, Brown brings Viking history to vivid, unexpected life – and in the process, turns what we thought we knew about Norse culture on its head. Superb -- Scott Weidensaul, author of <i>A World on the Wing</i> A complex, important and delightful addition to women’s history. Introduces us to a broader version of the Viking world -- Pamela D. Toler, author of <i>Women Warriors</i> This amazing book offers nothing less than a paradigm shift … Carefully researched and beautifully written, this journey into the distant past has a lot to offer for current discussions of gender bending, the instability of scholarly “facts”, the dynamics of misogyny and the legacy of slavery -- Gísli Pálsson, author of <i>The Man Who Stole Himself</i> A much-needed alternative retelling ... refreshing and thought-provoking -- Marianne Moen, author of <i>The Gendered Landscape</i> Engrossing ... Brown engages the reader fully with her storytelling and with her unique point of view -- William R. Short, author of <i>Viking Weapons and Combat Techniques</i>


Magnificent. It captured me from the very first page! -- Pat Shipman, author of <i>The Invaders</i> Once again, Brown brings Viking history to vivid, unexpected life - and in the process, turns what we thought we knew about Norse culture on its head. Superb -- Scott Weidensaul, author of <i>A World on the Wing</i> A complex, important and delightful addition to women's history. Introduces us to a broader version of the Viking world -- Pamela D. Toler, author of <i>Women Warriors</i> This amazing book offers nothing less than a paradigm shift ... Carefully researched and beautifully written, this journey into the distant past has a lot to offer for current discussions of gender bending, the instability of scholarly facts , the dynamics of misogyny and the legacy of slavery -- Gisli Palsson, author of <i>The Man Who Stole Himself</i> A much-needed alternative retelling ... refreshing and thought-provoking -- Marianne Moen, author of <i>The Gendered Landscape</i> Engrossing ... Brown engages the reader fully with her storytelling and with her unique point of view -- William R. Short, author of <i>Viking Weapons and Combat Techniques</i>


Author Information

Nancy Marie Brown is the author of highly praised books of non-fiction, including Song of the Vikings and Ivory Vikings. Her work has been reviewed in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Economist, The Times Literary Supplement and many other publications. Brown has spent decades studying Icelandic literature and culture. She lives on a farm in Vermont where she keeps four Icelandic horses and an Icelandic sheepdog.

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