Valkyrie: The Women of the Viking World

Valkyries; the female supernatural beings that choose who dies and who lives on the battlefield. They protect some, but guide spears, arrows and sword blades into the bodies of others.

In Valkyrie, Jóhanna Katrín Fridriksdóttir introduces readers to the dramatic and fascinating texts recorded in medieval Iceland. It was a culture able to imagine women in all kinds of powerful roles, pulling the strings not just in this world but in the other-world too. Drawing on the latest historical and archaeological evidence, this book uncovers the reality behind the myths and legends to reveal the dynamic, diverse lives of Viking women.

Jóhanna Katrín Fridriksdóttir works at the National Library of Norway in Oslo, Norway. She has taught at Yale University, USA, and held research posts at Harvard University, USA, and in Reykjavik. Her research focusses on Vikings, Old Norse-Icelandic sagas, mythology and poetry, medieval manuscripts and gender.