Was there a Viking queen?

Gunnhild, the infamous Viking queen that ruled over three nations, had many names: queen, sorceress, mother to a generation. While her origins are shrouded in mystery, we do know that she was the 10th-century wife of Erik Bloodaxe, King of Norway, Orkney and Northumbria, with Gunnhild serving as his fierce queen.

What do Viking men call their wives?

Eiginmaður/eiginkona = Husband/wife. Often shortened to maður and kona, and in these short forms even couples that are only dating may sometimes use them.

What is a Viking king called?

Viking Kings The kings, sometimes called chieftains, were primarily itinerant political leaders, who never had any permanent role over the whole realm.

What is Lady in Norse?

Freyja, (Old Norse: “Lady”), most renowned of the Norse goddesses, who was the sister and female counterpart of Freyr and was in charge of love, fertility, battle, and death. Her father was Njörd, the sea god. Pigs were sacred to her, and she rode a boar with golden bristles.

What is the wife of a Viking chief called?

A shield-maiden (Old Norse: skjaldmær [ˈskjɑldˌmɛːz̠]) was a female warrior from Scandinavian folklore and mythology. Shield-maidens are often mentioned in sagas such as Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks and in Gesta Danorum. They also appear in stories of other Germanic peoples: Goths, Cimbri, and Marcomanni.

What is the female of an earl?

The female equivalent of an earl is a countess. One is Prince Edward’s wife, Sophie, who was given the title Countess of Wessex when they were married.

What is a Viking family called?

Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. The Scandinavian clan or ætt/ätt (pronounced [ˈæːtː] in Old Norse) was a social group based on common descent, equivalent to a clan.

What do Vikings call other Vikings?

They became known as the “Norsemen” (literally, north-men) and laterally as the “Vikings”. They called themselves “Ostmen”.

What were Viking berserkers called?

In Grette’s Saga it is said of the warriors in that same battle: “… such berserkers as were called wolf-heathens; they had wolf-coverings as mail… and iron didn’t bite them; one of them… started roaring and bit the edge of his shield… and growled viciously”.