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The Real Valkyrie

The Hidden History of Viking Warrior Women

Nancy Marie Brown

$49.99

Hardback

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English
HISTORY PRESS
01 December 2021
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dramatic life shows that much of what we have taken for truth about women in the Viking Age is based not on data but on outdated Victorian biases.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

By:  
Imprint:   HISTORY PRESS
Country of Publication:   United Kingdom
Dimensions:   Height: 234mm,  Width: 156mm, 
ISBN:   9780750997911
ISBN 10:   0750997915
Pages:   336
Publication Date:  
Audience:   General/trade ,  ELT Advanced
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Unspecified

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.

Reviews for The Real Valkyrie: The Hidden History of Viking Warrior Women

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>


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