We based the reconstruction in this blog on the female Viking warrior found in grave Bj 581 in Birka. The prominent position of grave Bj 581 in the cemetery in Birka, along with the stones marking the grave, already indicates that the person in this Viking grave held a significant social status. She was a leader and military commander whose existence may have been known in Birka for generations to come.
What makes Birka grave Bj 581 'special'?
The warrior from Birka grave Bj 581 is a woman. This is particularly remarkable because, for decades, the scientific community overlooked the fact that women could also participate in combat. When a Viking grave was found with objects associated with household activities, such as pots or jewelry, it was assumed to be a woman. If a Viking was found with weapons, they were automatically labeled as a man. This was because it was challenging in practice to determine gender based on only (parts of) a skeleton.
Similar to the Germanic and Celtic cultures, Viking women were involved in military activities. This was already mentioned by the Roman writer Tacitus. There are also several other Viking graves, such as the 10th-century grave of Bogøvej in Denmark and the grave of Åsnes in Norway, where women were buried with weapons. Another example is the 9th-century Oseberg Viking Ship Burial, where no weapons were found, but an enormous number of other items, including a ship, 4 sledges, and a tapestry, representing absolute status. It is likely that weapons were originally placed in the grave but later removed. The removal or addition of weapons in a grave was customary among the Vikings. It is also possible that the grave was raided. (Graves were regularly opened by later generations, and items were removed or placed inside. This ritual symbolized a connection with the ancestors).
There are various written sources that confirm the existence of female Viking warriors:
-The chronicles of the Byzantine historian John Skylitzes about the Battle with Sviatoslav I of Kiev, which includes mentions of female warriors.
-The Greenland saga about the pregnant half-sister of Leif Erikson, Freydís Eiríksdóttir, who confronted the Skrælings (Inuit) in Vinland (Canada).
-The chronicles of Saxo Grammaticus, mentioning that Danish women also fought in the Battle of Brávellir.
-The saga of the Ynglings, describing Åsa Haraldsdottir as a skilled seafarer who led expeditions at sea and likely was a warrior.
Aristocratic Warrior Women
According to the hypothesis of Janina Ramirez, the fact that women could engage in warfare was not unusual in pre-Christian Northern Europe. In the early Middle Ages, there was not so much a distinction between man and woman as there was between social origin. An aristocrat was expected to be able to protect the power and wealth of the family, whether male or female. Therefore, women were also educated in warfare and trained for battle.
All known female Viking warriors, at present, are associated with aristocratic origins. The Viking chieftain played a crucial role in safeguarding the power of the tribe, both diplomatically and militarily.
One could suggest that it was not the individual but one's role within the tribe that was central. Each tribe member had a role to fulfill. Perhaps, this was more socially central than the gender and individual desires of a person.
The woman found in Birka grave Bj 581 is a 10th-century Viking. Although her clothing has not withstood the test of time, remnants with details associated with the clothing of the Eurasian steppe have been found. Based on the materials discovered in the grave, a reconstruction has been made. This reconstruction depicts her attire, which we currently categorize under the Rusvik style. Her power could have been concentrated in or around Birka, or perhaps elsewhere in the Baltic Sea region. What we do know is that, like some other Viking aristocrats, she was buried with a significant amount of weaponry and two horses. Additionally, a game board with pieces was found in the grave, likely indicating that the woman in this grave was a skilled strategist. It was also noteworthy that there was a complete absence of domestic items.
Rusvik Warrior Gudrun
Her name is unknown, but in this reconstruction, we refer to her as Gudrun.
Gudrun was a powerful aristocrat in the region of Birka. Not only was she skilled with her sword, axes, and bow, but she was also an excellent strategist and a highly adept rider. She enjoyed horseback riding until later in life (in her 30s) when she began experiencing spinal issues. Gudrun was dressed for winter and wore men's clothing. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, Æthelflæd wore men's clothing during the war against the Vikings. Men's clothing is more suitable for warfare than a long dress.
Viking tunic
In our composition, Gudrun wears an unbleached undertunic https://www.celticwebmerchant.com/en/tunic-leif-natural.html.
Over that, she wears a dark tunic. Black was rarely worn in Viking culture. The reason for this was that a pure black color was very difficult to produce. Pure black was therefore affordable only for the very wealthiest. The tunic we have chosen is also richly embroidered, further emphasizing the wealth.
https://www.celticwebmerchant.com/en/viking-tunic-snorri-black-red.html
Viking trousers
Gudrun is wearing a typical Viking baggy trousers, as depicted on the 9th-century Oseberg tapestry, on the Rune Stone of Lillbjärs, on the stone of Broa (Halla, Gotland), and on the 10th-century Viking Cross of Weston in England.
https://www.celticwebmerchant.com/en/viking-trousers-ketill-brown.html
Viking caftan
Over her tunics, Gudrun wears a caftan for additional warmth. Although we haven't found complete caftans, several sources refer to the use of woolen jackets that we consider caftans today. On the Rune Stones of Etelhem and Lärbro in Gotland, caftans are likely depicted, as well as on the 9th-century tapestry found in the Oseberg ship burial.
https://www.celticwebmerchant.com/en/viking-caftan-loki-red.html
Viking belt
Gudrun wears a belt with fittings based on finds from other Birka graves. In Birka grave Bj 581, a buckle was present, but we currently do not have a replica of it. Therefore, in this composition, we used a luxuriously decorated belt based on other graves at the same location.
https://www.celticwebmerchant.com/en/birka-belt.html
Viking cloak
Gudrun is wearing a cloak here, trimmed with fur. The fur may come from beaver pelts purchased in the area of the Volga in Russia or Ukraine. Imported fur was an absolute status symbol.
https://www.celticwebmerchant.com/en/viking-cloak-fjell-brown.html
Viking headgear
Gudrun is wearing a relatively simple woolen cap. This cap was practical in nature. Caps, like headscarves, helped women keep their long hair out of the way. Viking women predominantly had long hair.
https://www.celticwebmerchant.com/en/wool-viking-hat-ulf-yellow.html
Viking shoes
Gudrun wears shoes based on 10th-century originals found in the Viking city of York.
https://www.celticwebmerchant.com/en/viking-shoes-knut.html
Viking sword
In her grave, Gudrun was buried with a luxurious sword. This sword was likely a Petersen type L. In our reconstruction, we have chosen to use a Petersen type E2 because we did not have a matching Petersen type L available.
https://www.celticwebmerchant.com/en/viking-sword-gnezdovo-petersen-e2.html
or alternatively
https://www.celticwebmerchant.com/en/viking-sword-petersen-l-battle-ready-long.html
Viking shield
Gudrun was buried with two shields. Viking shields consisted of multiple planks attached to each other. The replica we chose was made in the same way.
https://www.celticwebmerchant.com/en/viking-shield-ragnar-120292998.html
Viking spears
In her grave, Gudrun was certainly given two spears. These spears likely had a spearhead of Petersen type M. In our reconstruction, we have omitted the spears. Gudrun had only two hands, and they were already full of weapons.
For a spearhead, you can choose:
https://www.celticwebmerchant.com/en/medieval-spearhead-approx-455-cm.html
https://www.celticwebmerchant.com/en/large-medieval-spearhead-approx-52-cm.html
Viking axe
The axe that Gudrun received in her grave was a Petersen type M. In our reconstruction, we have chosen this axe.
https://www.celticwebmerchant.com/en/viking-axe-hand-forged-steel-type-m.html
Viking seax
The parts of the seax sheath found in Birka grave Bj 581 were richly decorated. This once again indicates that Gudrun must have been a very wealthy woman. The seax was long and clearly intended for use in battles.
https://www.celticwebmerchant.com/en/viking-scramaseax-hugin-and-munin.html
Viking bows & arrows
Gudrun had various arrowheads in her grave. They were likely part of a complete set, including a bow, quiver, and arrows. In our reconstruction, we equipped Gudrun with a quiver and a recurve bow. Based on the large number of arrows and the adorned horse in the grave, one could suggest that Gudrun could shoot arrows from her horse.
https://www.celticwebmerchant.com/en/quiver-hunter-brown.html
https://www.celticwebmerchant.com/en/epic-armoury-recurve-bow-medium-grey.html