In a decadent shrine swarming in swords of valor, arrowheads, a spear, a knife, a couple shields, and two sacrificed horses, archaeologists have long believed that the ancient shrine that housed the remains of a high-ranked, wealthy warrior located in modern southeastern Sweden belonged to a man. However, recent DNA analyses of the bones reveal that the warrior was a female.
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Alongside the weapons of war, the deceased warrior possessed gaming pieces. These pieces signify that the woman held a leadership role, possibly as a tactician who would plan, strategize, and execute raids. This woman apparently possessed the nine noble virtues of a warrior lifestyle including courage, industriousness, self-reliance, and a handful of other admirable qualities that highlighted the code of conduct and honor a Viking warrior would abide by.
Archaeologists have discovered Viking lore texts that support the idea of a female warrior from times around the 10th and 13th centuries depicting them as “shield-maidens” who fought alongside their male counterparts. However, these primary documents were cast away as mythological creations in the imaginative minds of the writers as opposed to the documentation of reality in the world the authors had lived in.
The astonishing discovery of the female warrior provokes questions as to what extent were female warriors involved in the infamous Viking raids, and if females in Norse culture experienced a greater level of equality in comparison to their European neighbors. Despite the mounting questions in relation to the DNA findings, the discovery encompasses the undeniable conclusion that women are stronger than society admits and history is on their side.