Book Series Viking and Early Medieval Europe, vol. 1

Viking Women

Between Theory, Text, and Materiality

Charlotte Hedenstierna-Jonson, Anne Irene Riisøy, Jakub Morawiec (eds)

  • Pages: approx. 186 p.
  • Size:216 x 280 mm
  • Illustrations:12 col.
  • Language(s):English
  • Publication Year:2026


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  • € 90,00 EXCL. VAT RETAIL PRICE
  • ISBN: 978-2-503-62267-5
  • Hardback
  • Forthcoming (Jul/26)

Forthcoming
  • € 90,00 EXCL. VAT RETAIL PRICE


Subject(s)
BIO

Jakub Morawiec, associate professor in the Institute of History, University of Silesia. His research concentrates on the history and literature of medieval Scandinavia, especially skalds, their poetry and the concepts of royal power expressed by them. The author of numerous articles and several monographs, published both in Poland, Austria, Sweden and Great Britain.

Anne Irene Riisøy, associate professor at the Faculty of Humanities, Sports, and Educational Science, University of Southeast Norway. Her research concentrates on the legal history of Viking and medieval Scandinavia. In her studies she applies an interdisciplinary approach using both written and archaeological sources. The author of numerous articles and a monograph, published both in Norway and Sweden, Great Britain and United States.

Charlotte Hedenstierna-Jonson, associate professor at the Department of Archaeology, Ancient History and Conservation at Uppsala University and part of the World in the Viking Age Centre of Excellence. Previous research projects have focused on warfare, identities, mobility and material culture in Late Iron Age and Viking Age societies. With a background in archaeological science, Hedenstierna-Jonson has worked extensively in interdisciplinary projects, including archaeo-genetics. The author of numerous international articles and (co-)editor of several volumes.

Summary

This volume offers an interdisciplinary exploration of gender relations in medieval Scandinavia, focusing on the roles of women in Old Norse society. Despite decades of research, this topic continues to attract critical attention, a reflection both of its enduring relevance in medieval studies and of the ways in which it intersects with contemporary cultural discourse. Bringing together eight contributions by leading specialists, this book combines archaeology, history, literary analysis, and legal studies to shed new light on established debates and to offer insights into emerging perspectives. The chapters draw on both methodological and theoretical approaches, variously tracing connections between legendary heroines such as Brynhild and the enigmatic women of the Oseberg and Birka graves, exploring gender in the mortuary landscape, and assessing the role played by women in creating and promulgating skaldic verse. Highlighting the interplay between text and material culture, this collection presents a coherent yet multifaceted picture of women’s roles in Viking Age societies.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

List of Illustrations

1. Viking Women — Between Theory, Text and Materiality. An Introduction
Charlotte Hedenstierna-Jonson, Jakub Morawiec, and Anne Irene Riisøy

2. The Role of Women in Viking Age Society: Previous Research Evaluated
Alexandra Sanmark

3. Women and Chairs in Legal Rituals: Between Text and Materiality
Anne Irene Riisøy

4. Gender and the Mortuary Landscape: Burial Mounds as Meaningful Symbols
Marianne Moen

5. Active Men and Emblematic Women: A Reflection on Agency, Narrative and Interpretations in Archaeological Practice
Charlotte Hedenstierna-Jonson

6. Power, Magic and Gender in the early Viking Age: The Case of the Oseberg Women
Bjørn Bandlien

7. Female Understanding and Transmission of Skaldic Poetry
Jakub Morawiec

8. The Lady with the Book: Feminine Figures of Wisdom, the Alfred Legend, and the Cultural Politics of Englalond
Rafał Borysławski