Many of the characteristics that became associated with the Scandinavians imagined by national romanticism already predated the 19th century. The (fictional) image of the horned helmet, for example, originates from this time. In Scandinavia, these narratives often focused on the Viking Age: a period lacking a written record, allowing it to be more easily used as a setting for a heroic past. A revival of interest in folklore and the common people ran alongside the creation of formal national histories. Nations themselves were reimagined as female figures, in need of protection from external threats.
National romantic ideas were employed to give nations an emotional core, legitimising them as nation-states through the creation of an historical people, with one language, one culture, and one heritage. Therefore, people, cultures or religions perceived to not embody gender equality can be excluded from being Nordicĭuring the 19th century, the idea of nationhood bloomed across the European continent. What is important in this context is the significance of gender equality to the Nordic “folk soul” – the idea that gender equality is essential to Nordicness. The reality is, of course, far more complex, and much more work remains to be done for gender equality in all of the Nordic countries. In Stockholm or Copenhagen, it is common to see fathers pushing prams, and Finns will tell you that they were the first country in Europe to give women the right to vote in 1906. Progressive values such as gender equality are a fundamental, ideological part of the Nordic brand, and Nordic countries tend to score highly on international gender equality indexes.
Additionally, Viking imagery has become ubiquitous, communicating traits and ideals associated with the Vikings – and by extension the Nordics – such as strength, adventurousness, wilderness and nature. Partly as a result of the historic success of Sweden in marketing the idea of Nordicness abroad, Viking symbolism has gained at least surface-level relevance in all of the Nordic countries – even if it is perceived as somewhat of a caricature. Finding expression in political and consumer advertising targeting both Nordic and external consumers, Vikings provide perhaps the most widely recognised symbolic shorthand for the Nordics. 750–1050 CE) has provided a rich palette of cultural symbolism adopted into Nordic branding. Through engaging writing and thought-provoking illustrations of both reconstructions and archaeological finds, the book provides a fascinating insight into the lives of Viking women.The Viking Age (ca. Women in the Viking Age offers a journey of discovery through a history that has been overlooked. How can we consider the role of women and the opportunities available to them in the Viking period? In this book, we follow Aud the Deep-Minded, a rural Norwegian woman, on a 4,000 kilometre journey throughout her life, from her childhood in Norway to her adulthood in Ireland, Scotland and the Hebrides and her old age in Iceland. It was women who were responsible for textile manufacture and the preparation and storage of food, in addition to their important duties as healers. Women traded, led expeditions and played a crucial role in sharing knowledge, educating and protecting societal values. They were poets, skilled artisans and entrepreneurs who had their own ships.
It was a common name for women in the Viking age, emphasising their importance in society.
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