Heather Pringle wth new research on the Northwomen (Viking women)

“The Northwomen: Untold Stories from the Other Half of the Viking World” by Heather Pringle (National Geographic Partners LLC)

We’ve all seen the iconic Viking uber-male: tall, muscular, armed to the teeth, long red or blonde hair blowing beneath a horned helmet as he sails off to raid and pillage. We kind of assume his beautiful wife will take care of the kids while she patiently awaits his return with plunder and honor.

For a long time, archaeology seemed to bear out that image of the Viking: burials in longships, plenty of weaponry left around the warrior’s body, and the more important the person the more stuff that was left or sacrificed to accompany him to Valhalla. But with all kinds of new technology and institutes to interpret the increasing number of Viking burials, a startlingly new picture is emerging: the women were much more equal and valued than previously believed.

This book presents the latest in archaeology and its interpretation which presents a much more nuanced and realistic view of the Northwoman. Life was much less technological, but no less perilous; travel was more prevalent, and trading more widespread; exploration was not just for bold men but bold women as well.

We have learned that the women of medieval Scandinavia wove magnificent cloaks, cozy water-proof blankets, massive tear-resistant sails, and trade goods as well. They could travel with their husbands on trade-routes through the Keivan Rus all the way to Constantinople, the eastern capital of the Roman Empire (now called the “Byzantine”, although they apparently never thought of themselves that way.)

The Northwomen worked with metal to create exquisite trade items of jewelry and decorative ornamentation for clothes. These good were found all over Europe in archaeological digs as well as in the North countries.

They traveled across vast distances westward to settle first in Iceland, then in Greenland (which was going through a warmer time 1100 years ago) and even to Newfoundland (which they called “Vinland” due to the grapes they found apparently in St. Lawrence Gulf.) This made them the first Europeans to discover America almost half a millennia before Christopher Columbus! Along every voyage were women who cooked and sewed and cared for the children.

It is a fascinating account of the latest research on the women who stood beside (and sometimes even fought beside) the men of the North. We meet some of the most outstanding Northwomen in this beautiful book.