Lagertha

Lagertha (Old Norse: Lagerða; also spelled Lathgertha or Ladgerda) was a legendary Viking shieldmaiden and ruler from Norway, renowned for her bravery in battle and her role as the first wife of the semi-legendary Viking hero Ragnar Lodbrok, as described in the early 13th-century Latin chronicle Gesta Danorum by the Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus.^[1] In Saxo's account, Lagertha first appears as a skilled warrior aiding Ragnar during his campaign to avenge the murder of Ragnar's grandfather Siward by the Swedish king Frø (or Fro).^[1] Described as "a skilled Amazon, who, though a maiden, had the courage of a man, and fought in front among the bravest with her hair loose over her shoulders," she leads her forces valiantly, hurling spears and protecting Ragnar with her cloak and shield, ultimately contributing to Frø's defeat.^[1] Impressed by her prowess, Ragnar seeks her hand in marriage, but she initially rejects him; undeterred, he travels to her home in Norway, where he slays her fierce guardian bear and wolfhound—proving his valor to her and her father—before they wed and she bears him two daughters and a son named Fridleif.^[1] Their marriage ends due to Ragnar's infidelity, as he later takes Thora, daughter of the king of Gothland, as a second wife; Lagertha then returns to Norway, where she rules as a chieftain and later aids Ragnar in reclaiming his throne from usurpers, demonstrating her enduring loyalty and martial skill.^[1] Though Gesta Danorum is the sole primary source mentioning Lagertha, scholars regard her as a fictional or composite figure embodying the archetype of the Norse shieldmaiden, with no corroborating archaeological or contemporary historical evidence for her existence.^[2] In modern popular culture, Lagertha has been popularized through depictions in literature, film, and television, most notably as a central character in the History Channel series Vikings (2013–2020), portrayed by Katheryn Winnick, which draws loosely from Saxo's narrative while expanding her role as a fierce warrior and leader. This portrayal has contributed to renewed scholarly and public interest in Viking Age women warriors, aligning with archaeological finds like the Birka grave Bj 581, which contains weapons associated with a high-status female burial potentially indicative of female combatants.

Legendary Account

Description in Saxo Grammaticus

In Saxo Grammaticus's Gesta Danorum, composed in the early 13th century, Lagertha is portrayed as a legendary Norwegian shield-maiden renowned for her martial prowess and unyielding spirit. She first appears amid a tale of vengeance, where the Swedish king Frø invades Norway, slays its ruler Siward, and compels the surviving women, including those of noble birth, into prostitution. Disguised as men and armed with whatever weapons they could seize, these women launch a desperate counterattack against their captors, slaying many Swedes. Among them stands Lagertha, described as a "skilled amazon" who, despite her maiden form, exhibits "a man's temper" and fights with "loose hair" among the boldest warriors, her beauty undiminished by the ferocity of battle.^[3] Ragnar Lodbrok, seeking to avenge the death of his kinsman and grandfather Siward of Norway (distinct from the Swedish aggressor), arrives in Norway and learns of Lagertha's exploits. Impressed by her valor, he dispatches messengers to woo her, discovering her noble barbarian lineage. With Lagertha's aid, Ragnar assembles an army, including a contingent of her female warriors, and marches against the Swedish king Frø. In the ensuing battle, Lagertha leads a daring flank attack on the enemy rear, her bravery turning the tide and securing Ragnar's victory, embodying both feminine allure and masculine courage. Following the triumph, Ragnar visits Lagertha's island abode, where he slays the fierce beasts she keeps as guardians, winning her hand in marriage. The couple settles in Norway, where they have two daughters and a son named Fridleif, enjoying three years of peace before Ragnar departs for new conquests.^[3] After Ragnar divorces Lagertha to marry Thora, she aids him by providing a fleet of 120 ships against Norwegian rebels led by Harald, launching a surprise attack on the enemy rear at the shore of Lakeus and ensuring victory. Upon returning home after the battle, Lagertha murders her husband—a chieftain—with a spear-head hidden in her gown during the night, thereby usurping his sovereignty and ruling in her own right. Saxo depicts her later years as involving withdrawal from public strife. Placed in a legendary 9th-century context, Lagertha's narrative highlights her as a fierce, independent warrior whose beauty, bravery, and strategic acumen make her an archetype of the shield-maiden, ultimately fading from the chronicle after bearing Fridleif, who succeeds Ragnar.^[3]

Role in Ragnar Lodbrok's Saga

Lagertha does not appear in the medieval Icelandic Tale of Ragnar Lodbrok (Ragnars saga loðbrókar), which recounts Ragnar's adventures and marriages to Thora and Aslaug but omits Lagertha entirely. Her story is unique to Saxo Grammaticus's Gesta Danorum, where she serves as Ragnar's first wife. In this account, Ragnar marries her after she and her companions, disguised in male attire, assist him in avenging the murder of his grandfather, King Siward of Norway, at the hands of the Swedish king Frø.^[3] Ragnar, impressed by her ferocity in battle—where she fights at the forefront with her hair flowing freely to reveal her gender—woos her at her home in Norway, overcoming a she-bear and a wolf set as guardians by Lagertha herself.^[3] Their union produces a son, Fridleif, and two unnamed daughters, marking Lagertha as a pivotal figure in the early stages of Ragnar's rise to power.^[3] Lagertha's role extends beyond domestic partnership to active military alliance, exemplified by her command of 120 ships to aid Ragnar against a rebellion led by the usurper Harald during Ragnar's reign as king of Denmark and Sweden.^[3] In the decisive battle at the shore of Lakeus, she launches a surprise attack on the enemy rear, shattering their lines and ensuring Ragnar's victory, which solidifies his authority.^[3] This portrayal underscores her as Ragnar's equal in warfare and governance, a shield-maiden whose strategic acumen and leadership complement his ambitions, in contrast to his subsequent wives: Thora, a sheltered princess won through heroic deeds against serpents, who bears him sons including Ivar (later known as Ivar the Boneless) but lacks martial involvement; and Aslaug (also called Sigrid), a wise and prophetic figure who mothers sons such as Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye and Ubbe, emphasizing intellect over combat.^[3]^[3] Their marriage ends in separation when Ragnar divorces Lagertha to wed Thora, citing doubts about her loyalty stemming from the beasts she once set against him, though Saxo notes the couple's three years of harmonious rule prior.^[3] Fridleif thus becomes half-brother to Ragnar's sons from later unions, including the renowned warriors Ivar the Boneless, Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye, and Bjorn Ironside, linking Lagertha's lineage to the broader saga cycle of Ragnar's descendants and their conquests.^[3]

Historical and Cultural Context

Shield-maidens in Viking Society

A shield-maiden, known in Old Norse as skjaldmær, was a female warrior depicted in Norse literature as fighting alongside men in battle, often embodying valor and independence. The term combines skjald (shield) and mær (maiden or virgin), highlighting a woman's role in combat while retaining associations with youth and unmarried status.^[4] Cultural evidence for shield-maidens appears prominently in Norse sagas and eddas, where they serve as archetypes of fierce, autonomous women. For instance, in the Vǫlsunga saga, Brynhildr is portrayed as a skilled warrior and valkyrie who wields weapons and influences heroic fates, challenging passive female roles.^[4] Similarly, Hervor in the Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks disguises herself as a man to raid and fight, reclaiming her family's cursed sword and leading troops before revealing her identity.^[4] Lagertha, as described in medieval accounts, fits this prototype as an independent battle-ready woman who rallies warriors and seeks vengeance, illustrating the shield-maiden's agency in a warrior society. Viking gender norms, while patriarchal, granted women notable legal and social autonomy, allowing shield-maidens to symbolize expanded female roles in warfare. Women held rights to own and inherit property, manage estates during their husbands' absences, and initiate divorce on grounds such as abuse or infidelity, retaining dowry and assets post-separation.^[5] These privileges, codified in laws like Iceland's Grágás, enabled women to exert influence in familial and communal decisions, with figures like Lagertha exemplifying how such agency could extend to martial pursuits in a society valuing martial prowess.^[5] In the 9th- to 11th-century Scandinavian context, literary references suggest occasional female involvement in raids and defensive actions, often tied to protecting homesteads or supporting expeditions. Accounts indicate women might accompany raiding parties for logistical roles or join in defense during invasions, reflecting broader societal expectations of resilience amid frequent conflicts, though such participation remained exceptional rather than normative.^[5]

Evidence for Female Warriors

Archaeological evidence for female Viking warriors is limited but significant, with the most prominent example being the 2017 DNA analysis of grave Bj 581 at Birka, Sweden, a high-status burial dated to the 9th or 10th century containing a sword, axe, two spears, arrows, shields, a battle knife, gaming pieces suggestive of strategic expertise, and the remains of two horses (a mare and stallion) indicating equestrian mobility.^[6] The genomic study confirmed the interred individual as biologically female through the absence of a Y chromosome and mtDNA haplogroup T2b, with genetic affinities to modern North Europeans, particularly from southern Sweden, supporting her role as a professional warrior rather than a symbolic or familial burial.^[6] Additional findings include approximately 20–30 female graves across Scandinavia equipped with weapons such as swords, axes, and spears, primarily from elite contexts in Norway and Denmark, alongside horse burials that symbolize martial mobility and status.^[7] For instance, the Gerdrup site in Denmark yielded a female inhumation with a spear (later analyzed as a possible ritual object in a double burial with her son), while battle-related injuries on some female skeletons from Viking regions indicate potential combat involvement.^[8] Iconographic evidence appears in Viking Age picture stones and metal figurines, such as the Stora Hammars I stone from Gotland, Sweden, which depicts armed women in martial scenes, and small silver-gilt pendants from Hårby, Denmark, portraying females with swords and shields, possibly representing valkyries or shield-maidens.^[9]^[10] Genetic research from the 2020s reinforces this picture through large-scale ancient DNA studies, revealing extensive female mobility during the Viking Age, with women traveling long distances—such as from the British Isles to Scandinavia or vice versa—often in contexts aligned with raiding and settlement patterns that imply warrior participation. The "Population genomics of the Viking world" study, analyzing 442 individuals, highlights female-biased gene flow and admixture, challenging assumptions of male-dominated expeditions and suggesting women held roles in military and exploratory ventures.^[11] Despite these discoveries, the evidence remains rare and subject to debate, with critics arguing that weapons in female graves may symbolize status, kinship, or ritual rather than personal combat roles, as seen in reassessments of Bj 581 questioning its unambiguous warrior interpretation.^[12] As of 2025, ongoing research continues to debate these interpretations, with no major new female warrior graves discovered, but analyses reinforcing the exceptional nature of such burials.^[7] Such findings likely represent elite exceptions rather than widespread norms in Viking society, positioning legendary figures like Lagertha as cultural amplifications of these atypical high-status women.^[12]

Scholarly Interpretations

Reliability of Saxo's Sources

Saxo Grammaticus, a Danish cleric active in the late 12th and early 13th centuries, authored the Gesta Danorum around 1208 CE as a comprehensive Latin history of the Danes, spanning from mythical origins to contemporary events under King Knut VI. Likely serving as secretary to Archbishop Absalon, Saxo was educated in northern France, possibly at institutions like Orléans or Paris, which influenced his rhetorical style modeled on classical authors such as Virgil and Valerius Maximus. His sources included oral traditions, ancient Danish poetry, runic inscriptions, eyewitness accounts from Absalon, and written chronicles like Adam of Bremen's Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum (c. 1075), as well as possible access to Icelandic materials, including Ari Þorgilsson's Íslendingabók (c. 1122–1133).^[13] Saxo's work reflects a nationalistic agenda to elevate Danish heritage amid the kingdom's integration into European Christendom, blending historical narratives with mythological elements to glorify kings and legitimize the Valdemar dynasty. The first nine books, where Lagertha appears in Book IX, euhemerize pagan gods and folklore—portraying figures like Odin as historical rulers—to create a unified national epic that paralleled Roman histories, inspiring chivalric virtues for a medieval audience. Lagertha's tale, depicting a shield-maiden aiding Ragnar Lodbrok in battle, exemplifies this fusion, transforming folkloric motifs into moral exemplars of bravery and loyalty.^[13] The account contains notable anachronisms, projecting 12th-century Christian and feudal ideals onto a 9th-century Viking setting, such as exaggerated heroic battles and gender roles echoing classical literature rather than Scandinavian norms. For instance, Saxo's portrayal of divine interventions and royal lineages mirrors unreliable legendary elements elsewhere in the Gesta, like the humanization of gods, undermining factual precision for early periods.^[13] Post-19th-century scholarship regards Saxo's sources as unreliable for reconstructing Viking-era events, viewing Lagertha as a likely fictional or composite character derived from euhemerized oral tales and classical inspirations, such as Amazon myths, rather than verifiable historical records. Viking studies expert Judith Jesch emphasizes that Saxo's warrior women, including Lagertha, "owed more to classical myths of the Amazons than to real-life precedents in the Viking Age," highlighting the narrative's literary invention over historical fidelity.^[14]

Possible Identification with Thorgerd

Þorgerðr Hölgabrúðr was a tutelary goddess or semi-divine figure in 10th-century Norway, closely associated with the region of Hålogaland (modern northern Norway), where she served as a protector of local chieftains and the Háleygjar dynasty.^[15] Depicted in medieval Icelandic sagas as a beautiful, well-adorned woman often shown with a veil and golden ring, she possessed martial attributes, including the ability to shoot arrows from her fingers and summon storms to aid her worshippers in battle.^[16] Frequently appearing alongside her sister Irpa, another warrior-like figure sometimes interpreted as a darker counterpart, Þorgerðr was invoked through rituals involving offerings of gold, silver, and occasionally human sacrifice, reflecting her role as a powerful intermediary between humans and the divine.^[15] Scholars have drawn parallels between Þorgerðr and the legendary Lagertha, noting shared traits such as exceptional martial prowess and the provision of aid to heroic figures in conflict. In Saxo's account, Lagertha leads a band of women warriors to assist Ragnar Lodbrok against the Swedish king Siward, mirroring descriptions of Þorgerðr supporting chieftains like Hákon Sigurdsson against invaders. Both figures exhibit strong regional ties to Norway, with Lagertha portrayed as a ruler from the Gaular valley near Hålogaland. Additionally, the etymology of Lagertha's name—likely a Latinized form of the Old Norse Hlaðgerðr—has been linked to Þorgerðr; the element gerðr means "protection" or "enclosure," suggesting a protective deity, while hlað- likely derives from the place name Hlaðir (modern Lade), a power center in Trøndelag associated with northern Norwegian rulers and Þorgerðr's cult, evoking a maritime warrior aspect consistent with northern Norwegian lore.^[17] Key theories proposing Lagertha's identification with Þorgerðr emerged in 19th- and 20th-century scholarship, positing that the shield-maiden represents an euhemerized form of the goddess, where divine beings are recast as historical human ancestors to fit Christian-era narratives. Nora K. Chadwick argued this connection was very probable, viewing Lagertha as a folkloric adaptation of Þorgerðr's myth, while Hilda Ellis Davidson deemed it possible, highlighting how Saxo's Latin chronicle may have transformed pagan deities into secular heroes.^[17] Supporting evidence appears in sagas such as the 14th-century Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar en mesta (part of the Flateyjarbók), where Þorgerðr manifests to aid Hákon against Danish foes, paralleling Lagertha's battle assistance and suggesting a shared mythological template of divine female intervention in Norwegian conflicts.^[15] Counterarguments emphasize significant differences, such as Þorgerðr's explicitly divine status and cultic worship versus Lagertha's portrayal as a mortal ruler, along with the absence of direct textual links between the two in primary sources like Saxo's Gesta Danorum. Davidson and others regard the identification as intriguing but speculative, potentially arising from later folklore adaptations rather than intentional euhemerization, with no conclusive evidence tying the figures beyond thematic similarities.

Modern Depictions

In Literature and Art

Lagertha's portrayal in post-medieval literature and art began to emerge in the late 18th century, as Scandinavian writers and artists drew on Saxo Grammaticus's account to romanticize her as a symbol of fierce independence and heroic valor amid the rise of nationalist sentiments. Christen Pram's historical drama Lagertha (1789), a verse play in five acts, presents her as a tragic yet empowered figure who aids Ragnar in battle before their eventual separation, emphasizing themes of loyalty and martial prowess to evoke a glorified Viking past.^[18] This work influenced subsequent adaptations, marking an early shift from medieval chronicle to dramatic narrative that highlighted her agency as a shield-maiden.^[19] In the 19th century, Lagertha appeared in retellings of Norse legends that served nationalist purposes in Scandinavia. Such retellings, part of the broader Romantic revival of Nordic folklore, positioned her within a framework of cultural pride, influencing illustrations in contemporary editions of Gesta Danorum, such as those featuring her in dynamic battle scenes to capture the era's fascination with Viking heroism. These depictions often symbolized broader cultural motifs of strength and heritage, with her name invoked in folklore collections as a metaphor for resilient womanhood and appearing in heraldic designs inspired by Viking motifs during 19th- and early 20th-century revivals.^[20] The early 20th century saw Lagertha integrated into fantasy literature and operatic forms, further evolving her into a mythic icon of female empowerment. Operas and ballets continued this tradition; Vincenzo Galeotti's Lagertha (1801), a pantomime ballet with music by Claus Nielsen Schall and verses by Pram, staged her as a central heroic figure in a spectacle of combat and romance, performed at the Royal Danish Theatre and emblematic of Romantic interest in Nordic themes.

In Film, Television, and Popular Culture

Lagertha's portrayal in television has been most prominently featured in the History Channel series Vikings (2013–2020), where Canadian actress Katheryn Winnick depicted her as a central character—a skilled shield-maiden, devoted mother to Björn and Gyda, and ambitious ruler who rises to become Earl of Hedeby and Queen of Kattegat. Winnick's interpretation expands on the legendary figure by emphasizing her independence, combat prowess, and political acumen, portraying her as Ragnar Lothbrok's equal partner in raids and governance before their separation. The actress collaborated closely with series creator Michael Hirst to develop Lagertha as "the most exciting feminist character on TV," ensuring her arc highlighted themes of female agency and resilience amid betrayal and loss. In the Netflix spin-off Vikings: Valhalla (2022–2024), set a century after the original series, Lagertha does not appear but is referenced as a mythic ancestor and inspirational warrior whose legacy influences the new generation of Viking protagonists. In film and documentaries, Lagertha serves as a symbolic touchstone for explorations of Viking gender roles rather than a direct protagonist. The 2016 documentary Viking Women: The Real Valkyries examines archaeological evidence for female warriors in Norse society, invoking Lagertha as an archetypal shield-maiden to bridge legendary narratives with historical debates on women's martial involvement. Feature films like Robert Eggers' The Northman (2022), while focused on the Amleth legend, contribute to the resurgence of Viking-era stories that echo Lagertha's warrior ethos through depictions of fierce women in brutal, ritualistic settings, though she has no explicit role. Beyond screen media, Lagertha permeates video games, comics, and merchandise, reinforcing her status as a pop culture emblem of defiance. In Assassin's Creed Valhalla (2020), players can acquire "Lagertha's Axe," a mythical Dane axe weapon hidden in a Roman ruin, symbolizing her legendary ferocity and integrating her into the game's Norse mythology-inspired world. Comics such as Titan Comics' Vikings: Uprising miniseries (2016) feature her as a key ally to Ragnar in battles against Roman forces, blending historical fiction with action-oriented storytelling. Merchandise abounds, including Funko Pop vinyl figures of Winnick's Lagertha and replica costumes, which have popularized her braided hairstyle and leather armor as accessible icons of strength. Lagertha's modern depictions often position her as a feminist icon, embodying female empowerment in 2020s narratives that challenge patriarchal tropes. Winnick's portrayal in Vikings amplified this, with Lagertha's quotes and actions—such as leading shield walls and rejecting subservience—resonating in discussions of gender equality in historical fiction. Culturally, she inspires Halloween costumes replicating her warrior attire and tattoos of her axe or runes, worn as badges of personal resilience and Norse heritage revival. In 2025, the Womanica podcast featured an episode on Lagertha as part of its "Maritime Madams" series, highlighting her legendary role as a Viking shield-maiden.^[21]