First chronicled by Saxo in the 12th century, Lagertha is the most famous shield-maiden in Viking folklore, a shrewd ruler and warrior who means business on the battlefield! In anticipation of Jorvik Viking Festival, we had a natter with this legendary Nordic heroine about matriarchy, marriage, and what became of her second husband…
Hello, Lagertha. We’re honoured to meet you! Can you please let any unfamiliar readers know who you are?
Greetings. They call me Lagertha, and I am ruler and skjaldmær (‘shield-maiden’) from Norvegr, which you may know as Norway. I am a leader and warrior. I have commanded fleets of ships and legions of men.
Has your life been typical of a Viking woman?
No, it has not. In Viking culture, a woman’s place is generally ‘innan stokks’, which means ‘inside the threshold’. The women control the keys to the house, and manage everything in it. A Chieftan’s property can hold up to 100 people or more, and women are in charge of providing food, clothing, provisions and warmth for every subject, which is no easy job! You must remember that the men can be away fighting and marauding for months or years at a time, and women run the roost. You can also find plenty of businesswomen, craftswomen, seeresses, noblewomen, Queens, leaders, and shield-maidens, although they are rarer.
How would you describe a day in the life of a shield-maiden?
Well, it depends if they’re at home or away: at home, they’ll have to balance household tasks like milking the cows with drills, fitness, and weapons training; when away, they’ll usually allocate the running of the house to a trusted subject, and get on with doing what they do best… bringing fresh hell to the battlefield!
As well as ferocity on the battlefield, you’re also known for marrying the Viking hero, King Ragnar Lodbrok. What can you tell us about the relationship?
We first met in Norvegr, when we were fighting to avenge the slain King Siward. Ragnar was a magnificent fighter, and he was forced to vanquish both a great hound and a bear in order to win my hand. We eventually married and had three children, but in the end, it was not to be, and we divorced.
Was divorce common amongst Viking couples?
I’m becoming tired of your questioning, Your Local Link. While my affairs are my own business, I will say this: according to Danish law of 1241, brides are given to their husbands “for honour and as wife, sharing his bed, for lock and keys, and for right of inheritance of a third of the property”. Yes, divorce is acceptable for Viking women, and we are often entitled to the spoils thereafter.
Thanks, Lagertha. Finally, is it true that you murdered your second husband with a spearhead?
Hold your tongue, fool, or I will cut it off!
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