The Nonsense Talked about so-called 'Shield-Maidens'

 In recent years a great deal has been assumed on the subject of 'shield-maidens', sparked off by the discovery that the body buried in Birka grave Bj581 was that of a female, not a male. From the time of its discovery in 1878, it was naturally assumed to be male due to the presence of a sword, a seax, an axe, a spear, two shields, armour piercing arrows and two stirrups.

Analysis of the skeleton's pelvic bones  in 2016, and a DNA analysis in 2017, established the remains to be female. An analysis of the weapons indicates that they had been used. Naturally, academics and feminists are wetting themselves into a frenzy about this and the assumption (unproven) follows that 'shield-maidens', either organised groups of them or individuals, were a common and natural part of life in 10th century Sweden, and by extension, the rest of Scandinavia and the wider Germanic world. However, as the saying goes, 'one swallow doth not a spring make.'

One thing that I would like the academics and feminists to explain, is the lack of wear and tear to the woman's bones, which one would expect from a seasoned warrior. The presence of weapons in a grave is not proof that its occupant was a warrior, and the condition of the bones would suggest otherwise. However, that did not hinder the makers of the television series, The Vikings from presenting 'shield maidens' for their gullible audience to uncritically assume as an historical 'fact'. It was an enjoyable series but at the end of the day, it was simply fiction.

Likewise, feminists and academics will refer to the presence of a few female warriors in ancient myths and legends and cite that as evidence to support their theory. Typical examples from the Germanic world include the following: Brynhildr from the Volsunga Saga, Brunhild from the Niebelungenlied, Hervor from the Saga of Hervor and Heidrek, Lagertha from Gesta Danorum (Deeds of the Danes) and many other lesser known ones. Examples from the Celtic world include Queen Mebd of Connacht from the Tain Bo Cuailinge (The Cattle Raid of Cooley), and Scathach, also from the Tain. There are also examples that my readers will be aware of from ancient history but none of them are said to be warriors but leaders of warriors, such as Boudica, the Queen of the Iceni (Tacitus, Annals), Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd, princess of Deheubarth, Aethelflaed, the Lady of the Mercians and daughter of Alfred the Great. Nobody is disputing the historical existence of female leaders of warriors but that is a far cry from the concept of the common place so-called 'shield-maiden'. 

The Germanic Ethnicity of Isolde, the Goddess Isa and Iceland

What follows is a short older essay from my former Celto-Germanic Culture, Myth and History blog:

In my researches into Germanic mythology I occasionally find references to a rather obscure Germanic Goddess called Isa. Isa as we know is the name of the 11th rune of the Elder Futhark, also known as Is in the Anglo-Saxon Futhork, Iss in the Scandinavian Futharks and Is in the Armanen Futhork.

There is a theory that this Goddess lends her name to Iceland or Island. "Rassmann identifies Island as derived from Isa, a goddess of the under-world, probably the same as Holda, and not as Iceland." (Legends of the Wagner Drama by Jessie L. Weston) As a female personal name it is Teutonic and of ancient origin, signifying aristocratic, strong willed, a ruler. The element of strength is brought out in the hard, icy and cold nature of the Isa rune.

It is generally considered that due to the Celtic location and time frame of the Tristan and Isolde legend that Isolde was an Irish Celtic princess. However this is a mistake albeit an understandable one. During the 9th century CE it was a Viking and not an Irish king that held court in Dublin and we should not forget the significant Scandinavian and thus Germanic heritage of Ireland from the 9th and 10th centuries.

German scholars, according to Jessie L. Watson derive Isolde's name from Iswalt or Iswalda (Eis-walterin=ruler of the ice). The earliest form of the Isolde name is Isalde (Wolfram von Eschenbach). Legends always represent her as fair haired-'die lichte' as opposed to the rival dark-haired Isolde. She concludes that the Germanic forms of the name have more in common than the Kymric Essylt.

It is also interesting to consider that in the German Nibelungenlied Brunhild is represented as the queen of Iceland and her very nature is hard, icy and strong-willed. She dwelt in her fortress Isenstein ('Ice rock') and was a beautiful woman of formidable strength and fortitude. Could it be that the two distinct legendary figures of Isolde and Brunhild originally derive from a common Germanic source?