Exploring the Influence of Women in the Sagas One of the most fascinating aspects of researching women in pre-Christian Scandinavian culture is realizing that influence often appeared in unexpected places. When we think about power in medieval societies, we usually picture kings, assemblies, warriors, and legal disputes. These were arenas where women rarely held formal authority. However, the literary record tells a much more intricate story. While diving into Kirsten Wolf’s

One of the most interesting parts of studying women in pre-Christian Scandinavia is learning to sit with evidence that does not always give us simple answers. Archaeology rarely confirms the stories exactly as they appear in myth or saga. Instead, it gives us fragments that must be interpreted carefully. An article by Pieterjan Deckers, Sarah Croix, and Søren Sindbæk examines a collection of fragmented metal moulds discovered at Ribe. These moulds were used to cast small orna