Thread: Gudrid and Freydis

Viking women, relatives of Leif Ericson.
Gudrid gave birth to the first European child in the New World. She traveled on the Hudson, visited Greenland, Norway and Italy and was valued for her ability to interact with the strange people the vikings came across in their many travels.

Freydis was a business woman who had her business partners massacred and offed their wives and servants personally. When her Viking camp was attacked by Indians, the males began to flee, while the then pregnant Freydis bared her breasts, grabbed a sword and advanced upon the Indians, beating her bare breasts with the weapon and unnerving the war party to the degree that they ran away.


How bout that?

Source: "America's Women" by Gail Collins.

Very interesting. As someone who is a part-time student of Norse history, I must have missed both of those stories in the sagas. Though I admit to not having read the entirety of the Vinland Saga. Mostly because its authenticity is more than somewhat suspect. I may have to take a look and see if I can determine where the author came up with those stories.

Very interesting, though. Gudrid's story isn't all that unusual for a Norse woman. Freydis' story is quite unusual. Especially since even picking up a weaon was a crime punishable by a DEATH SENTENCE for Norse women in Scandanavia.

It IS interesting, isn't it? Especially considering how I came to be in possesion of this paricular book about women in America. I have more...

Originally Posted by FeelnSmurfy

It IS interesting, isn't it? Especially considering how I came to be in possesion of this paricular book about women in America. I have more...

From what I understand you came into possession of that particular book by pilfering it from a cute, demure, defenseless child who had been given it as a gift.

However, it is very interesting. I am going to have to guess that the author came about these tales from the Vinland Sagas, which have a very questionable historical background.

Thorfin Karsefne's chronicled account Saga 117. This incident refers to Skraelings and tells that Freydis was highly praised for her courage.

Regardless of what you deem to be historical accuracy, you cannot see in your mind's eye a woman playing this scene out?

Originally Posted by FeelnSmurfy

Thorfin Karsefne's chronicled account Saga 117. This incident refers to Skraelings and tells that Freydis was highly praised for her courage.

Regardless of what you deem to be historical accuracy, you cannot see in your mind's eye a woman playing this scene out?

I will have to do some research into that particular saga when I have a little free time.

I can see the scene playing out in my mind. I can also see why it is exactly the sort of story that a history of American women would grasp onto. Especially since it fits so well with the historical accounts of early American women (700 years later, and from very different areas of Europe) doing similar things in terms of picking up weapons. ie... Molly Pitcher. What I have a harder time with is seeing a Norse woman actually doing it in the historical context of that society. I also have a difficult time seeing her stand there and hold Skraelings off for long. The native americans didn't see nudity as a big thing and whatever hand weapon she picked up would have been no assistance against the natives BOWS. It's definitely an interesting STORY, and I can see why it would be included in the book, but I have significant skepticism about its connection to reality.

I also see that you chose to ignore my comment about you pilfering the book from a poor, defenseless child.

This "poor, defenseless child" lives under my care and criticism. It is up to me to determine whether gifts of literature meet my bawdy standards.

The anecdote about the Viking women was used only in the introduction. The actual historical accounts of women in the Americas are MUCH more interesting and valid in my estimation. I will get to them... After I finish making the soap.

Originally Posted by FeelnSmurfy

This "poor, defenseless child" lives under my care and criticism. It is up to me to determine whether gifts of literature meet my bawdy standards.

Somehow I get the feeling you don't actually WANT that child reading some of the things that meet your "bawdy" standards for literature.

Originally Posted by FeelnSmurfy

The anecdote about the Viking women was used only in the introduction. The actual historical accounts of women in the Americas are MUCH more interesting and valid in my estimation. I will get to them... After I finish making the soap.

Ok. THAT makes a difference. The introduction of such a work is held to a much lower standard than the actual body of the work. In that case I would suggest it's completely fine to have been included in the text. I was under the understanding that it had been included in the historical context of the work, which would require it to be held to a much higher historical standard. Since historians cannot yet completely agree that the Norse ever made it to North America (though the resistance to the idea is lessening greatly) it would be pretty bad form to have included it in the historical context of the document.

Originally Posted by The_Grinch

Very interesting. As someone who is a part-time student of Norse history, I must have missed both of those stories in the sagas. Though I admit to not having read the entirety of the Vinland Saga. Mostly because its authenticity is more than somewhat suspect. I may have to take a look and see if I can determine where the author came up with those stories.

Very interesting, though. Gudrid's story isn't all that unusual for a Norse woman. Freydis' story is quite unusual. Especially since even picking up a weaon was a crime punishable by a DEATH SENTENCE for Norse women in Scandanavia.

I've never read anything about death.
it wasn't permitted in most cases, but thats becuase women were never to be attacked.
(even playfully. in one story men were socrned for throwing snow balls at women)

if a women did use a weapon it was normally because they were attacked by cowards or their husbands failed to protect them.

in one case the wife fought off an attacker and divorced her husband after the attack for not jumping into action. she took back all of her stuff after the divorce (I doubt he found anyone to remarry him)

its easy with vikings to generalize, but the culture was really complex and tribes were simialir but unique.


now in ireland women were banned from using weapons after a civil war because they were deemed 'too vicious'.
the men killed and moved on. women intentionally made sallow cuts and aimed for the face as to hurt their invaders and make it a slow death.
any one who has seen an angry women will tell you how true this can be....

Originally Posted by wolf_22

now in ireland women were banned from using weapons after a civil war because they were deemed 'too vicious'.
the men killed and moved on. women intentionally made sallow cuts and aimed for the face as to hurt their invaders and make it a slow death.
any one who has seen an angry women will tell you how true this can be....

Interesting tidbit Wolf. It doesn't surprise me in the least bit.