Shield-Maidens: Fact or Fiction?

In the HTTYD franchise, female characters Astrid Hofferson, Ruffnut Thorston, and Heather from the TV series are all very reminiscent of the Viking shield-maidens of legend. Each character is a formidable warrior within her own right and is able to demonstrate more military prowess than much of the male cast. Astrid’s combat skills in particular surpass that of almost all the other characters in the movies/TV series. Compared to the inventive yet physically weak Hiccup, nerdy gamer Fishlegs, dimwitted Snotlout, and exasperating Tuffnut, the girls are presented as the backbone of the group and as some of their best riders. The use of the shield-maiden in fiction is common and the legend is well-known. However, the question of whether or not these warrior women did, in fact, live and fight in the Middle Ages is still contested by historians.

Astrid threatening Hiccup with her axe after he screws up during dragon training.

While some Viking sagas tell tales of women who could wield a weapon, such as Brynhildr Buðladóttir, Freydís Eiríksdóttir (Leif Erikson’s sister), and Lagertha (the first wife of the legendary Ragnar Lodbrok), the reality of the existence of shield-maidens is much harder to ascertain. The majority of the sources that describe these warrior women are questionable as to their accuracy, as oftentimes they are written very long after the supposed events of the narrative and do not concern themselves with documenting accurate history as opposed to a fantastical account of events that elevates a person or family’s societal standing. The shield-maidens’ further connection with folkloric literature can be gathered from their likeness to the Valkyries, or the handmaidens of Odin who choose which fallen warriors to bring to Valhalla. Because of the difficulties in determining which parts of the sagas are historically accurate and which are falsified, it is hard to make a definite case for the existence or nonexistence of the shield-maiden.

A painting by Peter Nicolai Arbo depicting the death of shield-maiden Hervor in the Hervarar saga

While the usage of shield-maidens in modern literature and media may not be the most historically accurate in terms of events that occurred in the past, it does do justice to the concept of shield-maiden that appears in the literature of the Middle Ages. Astrid of HTTYD may not have been a woman of the Viking age in reality, but she bears a striking resemblance to Saxo Grammaticus’s Viking shield-maiden Lagertha and her courage and valor in battle. In this sense, the shield-maiden is an easily well-utilized aspect of medieval literature that is taken advantage of by the creators of today’s media.

Reimagined Legends, New Beginnings

During the film King Arthur we were presented with a modern day version and what the producers say is a historically accurate look at the legend of King Arthur. But how true does the movie actually hold itself to the legend of Arthur? For our class on Monday we were told to read Geoffrey of Monmouth’s version of the King Arthur, and for myself personally I felt it was as historically accurate as it could be because at the end of the day it is still a legend, and a legend is usually a story told to entertain people. So is it wrong for the movie to claim that it represents a legend in a modern context, while not necessarily referencing the legend or holding true to the version of the legend that we read? Is it bad that this movie creates an almost new chapter to add to the legend of King Arthur? That it simply relies on the legend in name and some of the big overall details about the legend?

I don’t think so. Instead I believe that by creating this movie, the story of Arthur spreads to a wider and more diverse public. By making a movie about King Arthur, interest is created in the legend that the movie comes from. You also have a chance of spreading the legend to a wider audience. By creating a movie you create a more accessible way to learn about King Arthur because its easier to watch a movie than to read about a legend and since it is a movie, it is advertised to get people to go and watch it and this usually works out very well. So why create this movie that is loosely based on the legend of King Arthur that we read from Geoffrey of Monmouth view? The same can be asked of basically all other movies based on King Arthur throughout history, and any other movies based on legends. I believe the answer to this is to simply keep the legend alive and to keep spreading it. I believe by creating a newish movie we put the legend in a new modern day light and allow a new audience to learn about it in a way that feels so dated.