The Truth About Shieldmaidens

[@salavat294]

Well, it might seem logical and pragmatic, for women to be trained to be at least competent in warfare. When, the boys go off “Viking”, someone has to guard hearth and home. From that, it’s a logical evolution to female warriors. Even with men it takes a certain personality type to be a warrior, especially in an era where one had carve-up your enemies like a side of beef. Yes, women are generally more lightly built than men. But, as my grandfather (an ex-drill sergeant and sniper) used say : What can not be taken by force, use deceit,subterfuge, and guile; In mortal combat there is no such thing as cheating, there is only alive or dead. That which is called cheating in civilian life, in war is ingenuity and resourcefulness.

[@VndNvwYvvSvv]

No,.that's making assumptions as well, such as that the borders were not secure and that no men stayed behind, which is rather absurd.

[@josephcelestine1945]

This is myth, there were no shield maidens. No evidence of their existence was ever found. The tales are lore, not reality. Women were even forbidden from picking up a sword in Viking society.

[@your_belief_vs_everything]

It's obvious your either a woman or a simp.

[@salavat294]

@@josephcelestine1945 : Actually, on the Russian Steppe, there are Scythian/Sarmatian kurgans containing a female deceased with armoured, weapons, and all the accoutrements of a warrior, including sacrificial horses, indicating a high status respected individual. There are also Byzantine accounts of the pre-Christian Rus having armed female warriors among their ranks.

[@bobettepancakes]

My opinion is that shield maidens did exist. I think that when the men went off fighting, shield maidens were the warriors that stayed behind to protect the other women.

[@michaelhansen2818]

It makes a lot of sence for a woman to know how to fight, there has been many cultures through out time that did this, the Huns, ancient pre Christian Britan and even Scotland had warrior women.

[@jeffreyroot6300]

Michael Hansen Xenophon wrote of Greek women who followed his army having at least some fighting skills. He used it as propaganda when dealing with an Asian city state.

[@daneaxe6465]

What Arith says is so logical. From U.S. history not so long ago, women were active in the defense of their wagons and homes. On the American frontier very often the only people you had available to fend off an attack was your family. This meant your wife and kids had to help in any way they could. Kids grow up fast and can learn lots of adult level skills especially in the age of firearms. Even if the wife wasn't the main shooter defending the homestead, she could help by reloading the rifle(s). This was especially important with muzzleloading firearms that take time to load a single charge. My Norwegian GG-grandparents homesteaded in Dakota Territory and got a taste of what it was like to suddenly have an estimated 400 Lakota/Sioux warriors show up on the hill. According the local paper they got quite a scare to put it mildly, but were not attacked as the warriors moved on. Probably explains why they liked guns so much.

[@galenbjorn443]

to be the last defend yes, but it does not make sense for females to travel the world and fight. No man would have let their wife, sister or daughter to fight and die I battle. Females were too important to the pagan society. But yes most females in that time could probably handle a sword or an axe to the defend their land when the men were out raiding

[@CarlosSanchez-my7zg]

@@galenbjorn443 women arent property. And there is a good story about a woman who got pissed at her husband cheating on her, and she rides him down and cuts him horribly, and he doesnt raise a hand to her. And then she just went home.

[@CarlosSanchez-my7zg]

Japan did too. Cant think of the term But naginatas were also consodered womens weapons. To balance out the male strength by giving them a long reach

[@squirrel435]

This is a fantastic video. Thank you very much for looking at all the arguments in detail. I felt this video was a bit more detailed than another one offered on a different channel for the same topic.

[@mikehusanj1704]

I know low myostine levels . and working out and seen pretty feminine muscle women but . how female athletes can't compete with high school sports teams today

[@kylej741]

Were warrior women real? Have you not met my wife?

[@greywolfwalking6359]

Kyle J Dahl , right!!!!

[@kobi118]

good one haha

[@LymanPhillips]

If you've ever seen a mother when someone threatens her children, this wouldn't even be a question.

[@RipleyInc]

You have such a calm, beautiful manner. I like very much how objective you are. Thank you for a great video.

[@georgiahartley6872]

Thank you for your thorough presentation. Something to consider the region between the Ural and the Black Sea also contains burial mounds with women in armor and all thee accouterments of war. This was written about in the book "Warrior Women" and the archaeologist associated these finds with the Greek mythology Amazons. These people were the precursors of the tribes that moved into Europe as the Aryan tribes that became the Germanic and Scandinavian peoples. So it is possible that this is a very ancient ancestral tradition that was brought into Europe, and as you mention grew out of favor due to the authoritarianism of the church. I appreciate that you mentioned all the recent archaeological finds in Scandinavia and Brittain. And I loved how you tied the duties of the mother into training the sons for war. That connects to the Celtic myth of the Morrigan teaching war to the hero Cuchullain. So I would say that there are hints that this was pervasive and tiny hints of a very different ancient world than what the priests wanted us to believe.

[@spartiate567]

Dear Georgia Hartley: Now I have to have a look at the book "Warrior Women." I am a fairy alpha male myself, a martial artist and a good shot with guns, and I believe in the duty of men to die to protect women and children. But I have always loved the idea of women being able to defend themselves, and occasionally go to war. I had already known of many unequivocal historical or archeological cases of women warriors. In Japan, if a Samurai woman wanted to fight beside her husband's side in war, it did happen. Not often, but it was hardly unknnown. And there were Samurai women who were full fledged fighters, though I believe they could not stay that way if they god married, for then, in Japan of that time, their husband became their absolute ruler. In the American revolution, over 800 women fought in the Continental army against the Crown. That we know of! Surely there were more. I understand that all Samurai women were trained to fight, though their common role was to be the defense of the home if the men were defeated or otherwise not available. But a traditional woman's weapon in Japan is the Naginata, transslated as "long sword", though in the West it is sometimes called a "halberd". It has a shaft 5 to 7 feet long, and a blade more like a short saber blade than the traditional Japanese sword. There were in fact all-women Samurai units who went into combat carrying these. Many Japanese girls still train with it today, since like other martial arts it develops character, and also it develops great grace in movement and also it sculpts beautiful figures. In Africa, there is the Dahomey tribe, whose ceremonial bodyguard is all female to this day. In earlier days, the Dahomey nation was warlike, and while most of the soldiers were men, they had a large all woman unit--called by Europeans the Amazons--who were considered not equal but superior to the men. They were an elite and they regularly opened combat for the men. Sincerely, Jay Maupin

[@Tipi_Dan]

@@spartiate567 Freudian slip much?

[@xyreniaofcthrayn1195]

@@spartiate567 could you tell me what a fairy alpha male is?

[@tlcmc6451]

Aryan tribes did not move into Europe. That's been debunked on every front and it's not okay to continue to spread white supremacist pseudoscience and pseudohistory. What nearly all Europeans and people with actual Indo-Aryan ancestry have in common are common ancestors, the Yamnaya people, from the Pontic Steppe area. I think you're confusing steppe peoples (there were and are so many!) and your historical timelines are way off and out of order. In a nutshell , some Yamnaya went into Europe. Some went East and mixed and developed into other cultures, and eventually migrating out of the Steppe and into Iran and Northern India. Those people, the ACTUAL Indo-Aryans, stayed where they migrated to and never went to Europe to become anything, never mind Germans and Scandinavians. It's long past time to stop telling white supremacist fairy tales. The truth is actually pretty cool - that we are connected to Indo-Aryans quite anciently, 5000 years ago, via these Steppe peoples, the Yamnaya.

[@aidanhearn4210]

@KT Bold claim. But you're definitely wrong. There were definitely warrior women who fought both at home and with their husbands. Not in large numbers in the latter case but as Fianna of Ireland show, women who had a Martial Nature and passion WOULD go off and fight and die with men when given even half a chance. And to discard them broadly is stupid and reductionist to the point of disregarding any opinion that drivels out of your soupy brain

[@Helmholtzwatson1984]

I am open for the one off possibility of some women who were warriors but I tend to believe that the vast majority of historic references to women in battles were referring to camp followers, or "shield" maidens, ie those who replace broken shields, bring water, tend to wounds and killed wounded enemies etc, but also noblewomen who actually did lead their warriors in some battles, though when I say "lead", I mean to say she told them what to do but not necessarily always did fighting. We forget in our modern era that historically, most women were completely preoccupied with motherhood for most of their lives. And thats not a bad thing, we would not be here without them.

[@celticamacleod2911]

Thankyou so much for answering this with both sides of truth and archaeological evidence. I have heard of some of it before. To me yes it just makes sense being that they had to be the teachers, protectors & keepers of hearth ,home & land while their husbands were away. It's also a naturally fierce reaction in some of us mama bears to be extremely protective of our children,along with the older parents that we wind up caring for if they survive that long both then & hopefully now but it is more rare. I have had women cousins & niece both in the military & they did do their parts in war time. Came close to full enlistment myself but physically they wouldn't have accepted me back then. So these day I just always appreciate my target practice time when able,as I always have. Yes there are at times more women that have more of a male mindset,its the trick of balancing both the feminine aspects we enjoy while also using the more male dominated aspects of war in times of need,like training with weapons,etc but not letting the emotional female parts factor in at those particular times, there by feeling the importance of wanting to protect the others around you in your family and or team. I'm greatful that recent DNA evidence has proven there were more women out there even though it was more rare to find. Especially since the Catholic's would always paint heathen women as horrible when in truth they just never Understood nor gave them a fair shake because of patriarchal belief back then. It's good to see more truth come to light in recent archaeological dig sites these days.

[@mileswilliams9737]

Very nicely presented. Its not easy to be that fair, let alone when we are presenting someone with new information. I also liked the pacing. I havent heard some of the arguments against sheildmaidens. Having grown up with a sister close to my age I never had to wonder if a women could have a warlike nature XD

[@ryanhentges4956]

Hail and praises for you great videos and your mighty beard!

[@christophmahler]

A comprehensive and balanced introduction into the historiography and archeology on the matter! One approach to interprete the facts could be a 'structuralist' 'induction' from the trajectory of modern societies. To counter arguments for such an approach as anachronistic: warfare is a human behaviour so _primal_ that _ideology_ or any normative idealization has only limited impact on it - in the 21st century we still go _ruthlessly_ to war, despite all _enlightened_ rhetorics of progress (we rather break international law in the name of 'progress'). The _realistic_ _nature_ _of_ _man_ remains unchanged by the degree of civilization. If one looks into the increasing recruitment of females into modern militaries, from Maoist militias to the US Army, the universal factor is always _demographic_ _shortage_ _of_ _males_ . So it would be plausible to assume that i.e. nomadic tribes, that is the 'Amazons' of hellenistic writing, with their very thin population, but very martial environments, experienced the same _natural_ _pressure_ to train and arm their females as it would have been felt by ancient Scandinavian 'Vikings', that is individuals that choose the unsettled life of piracy, raiding and colonization in times of land deprivation or famine. (shortage of recruits in Great Britain, calling for the military service of non-citizens) kzbin.info/www/bejne/l5uqh4mFabFjgJI (British Army recruitment video) kzbin.info/www/bejne/m6uXapR3p5KBd6c

[@revarios2588]

Omg! Another epic video. Sweetheart thanks so much for requesting this topic. To do the homework reminds me of the advice Einstein gave a professors daughter in Bologna. Arith thanks again for sharing such great knowledge with us.

[@bigsarge05]

That beard tho... very epic! SKÅL!

[@gorhakobyan8310]

I just wanted to comment on that. The mustache, the long beard. This man is simply the embodiment of sex

[@flash453]

I remember in school we were told that woman was warriors but most of the time they were set to protect the town from other towns when the men were out looking fir new land and plundering etc

[@wildrabbit1314]

flash453 that would make sense. I mean, if many of the men were gone, mama bears would rise up to protect.

[@peterv1318]

flash453 - yes most of the women protected the home front. Some went off to battle.

[@jarnvirskratti3608]

@@nagihangot6133 Shut up

[@peterv1318]

@KT - that’s very diverse some scientists think women fault with men and others think what you said.

[@peterv1318]

@KT - this is true. I was just telling you what some of these feminists scientists have been saying.

[@elainemblakely282]

Well presented material as always. Thank you.

[@ArithHärger]

Thank you very much :)

[@logancaine9616]

I'm not sure on the grave mound evidence. I love my guitar, and I want it to be with me in my grave. But being buried with my guitar doesn't mean I was a professional musician.

[@toritime2time900]

I'm so happy I found your channel 😊 very informative 👍

[@celticeyesmorriganrising929]

There will always be women with the spirit of the warrior. We cannot help it, I knew when I was a child I was born to fight. Not just to bully and fight for the sake of hurting. But for protecting the weak and bringing justice to the lawless.

[@itskarl7575]

"It is clear [Saxo Grammaticus] does not approve of warrior women, because he always gives them the same fate over and over again" But how do we know it's S. G. who gives them this fate? What if he simply recorded the stories as they were recounted to him? After all, getting married or killed are pretty much the main options for warrior men and women alike, and should hardly be surprising from either a societal or a biological perspective.

[@jamesnave1249]

Really interesting video. Would love you and Survive The Jive to do a joint video about this topic. Both really well informed individuals that have come to different conclusions based on a variety of sources. Thank you for such great regular content.

[@lallyoisin]

Dubhlinn Dublin viking settlement. two vikings in Ireland: 1. Dubh / dark / black 2. Fionn / bright / light / blonde Fionn mac Cumhaill was Deibhne as a boy and Fionn as a man. Dark to light. normally a boy changes from blonde to darker hair with age till returning to grey. He is known to kill all the serpents(st Patrick's job later). Fionn's wife sheds her deer skin and transforms to a woman after giving birth to his son. Have our stories been written or filtered by ecclesiastical scholars? Have yours? symbolism of snake shedding skin: rebirth, renewal. symbolism of animal to human: enlightenment- rising above animal nature. German warriors refrained from sexual activity to save this energy for battle. are you aware of two separate religions in viking culture prior to christian influence or is christianity the second religion?

[@abrahameijgenraam491]

Hei Arith, Another very good video. Thank you. In terms of content, I have no questions. But to be honest, I find the music there somewhat disturbing. It provides distraction while the subject is fascinating. Good luck with everything and happy holidays. Med vennlig hilsen, Bram

[@mikehusanj1704]

They didn't have steroids or electrical stimulation . how come women today can't defeat a high school soccer team

[@coleparker]

I read the Vinland Sagas 40 some years ago. I was informed by my professor of Nordic history at the time that the saga was not based on reality.

[@Ackalan]

Kind of strange to get hung up on the supposed "limited" fate of the women mentioned. Everyone got married, unless they died first, men or women. And if women got married they also started having children which is kind of a hamper on the lust for adventure and battle.

[@paulmilligan2657]

Love this...it would appear to me the further back we delve into ancient times the Goddess is prevalent...maybe this was the Zep Tepi/Golden Age our Khem ancestors spoke of... 🔥Y.N.W.A🔥

[@eduardoarcemusica9758]

Amazing video, please continue with your work, i love it. Greetings from México

[@mikehusanj1704]

Did they have steroids or electrical stimulation back then I know low myostatine levels but how come the top female Soccer team can't defeat a high school soccer team

[@fibromyalgia09]

I HAVE MISSED MY FAVORITE Viking ...

[@KelliePixieAshton]

I adore this video. I love the way you talk about women as equals… a video I watched before this, the guy was sneering and straight up denying they exist and making out like it was a ridiculous notion that women could be warriors - just the vibe I was getting from him so this video was a complete breath of fresh air (as always), thanks gorgeous human!

[@mithos789]

it is a ridiculous idea. modern females cant even meet the minimum male standards for the military. theyd be nothing but a liability.

[@shopsixsixsixnineninenine9552]

Hellooooo Arith !!!! The beard !!!! So good!!!

[@pureblood_straight_pride1853]

I’ve always had the fighting spirit and a love for blades and always will. I’m not a woman that will hide in the corner and have had plenty of practice when it come to fighting. I have a high tolerance for pain and even when I was hit with a 2x4 during a fight with 3 black guys, I didn’t even know it till afterwards. No broken bones either. I know I’ll be able to do my part in protecting my family and friends with no problem.. This shield maiden is ready. Great video btw as usual..

[@delen4386]

fun fact: women have more pain resistance and endure more phisical effort, as it makes sense because who are the ones to bare a human being out of theire vaginas

[@volvaheidrbores663]

[@guerrillavanilla]

The condition of bodies (dead by natural causes vs dead by battle wounds) matters a lot

[@tmikesecrist3]

does it hast to be yes or no? can it not be Rare? I mean we also find them in The Celts as well, Queen Barbasiea for the Ican comes to mind. So maybe what we should be asking is not if they existed or not, but rather how rare it was.

[@gabrieldettmannb4509]

It's the same case for Celts and Norse. Women may have been tough, but that was limited to the home. Males were warriors, they were both male dominated societies.

[@tmikesecrist3]

@@gabrieldettmannb4509 Which is in part why it was Rare and the fact it was so Rare is what makes people take notice of the few that choose or have a life of war forced on them, Historically it has been men in most societies if not all who become hunters and warriors, not that all of them had any hard bares against women in those occupations, but the fact is men tend to be more aggressive. So yeah I could see a moderately successful female worrar becoming the stuff of myth and legend because its so Rare most people would have never even seen it. Queen Barbasia for example was not really that successful she struck at a time when the Roman army was away so the sacking of London and clamendunam were not really that surprising as they were barely defended, and when the Romans responded in force they where defeated in one battle

[@mariajosea.batres8444]

Thank you for this video! Although I have to say that it is very clear that history has been "edited" to serve a political purpose on the terms of Christianity. Anyways, this has been very helpful. Out of scientific curiosity, and personal entertaiment, I am starting a small research on gender roles in these societies. In simple terms, I want to find out if there is any link between weather and enviromental conditions and gender equality. I would love to know if the need for better lands motivating wars, and the need to survive harsh weathers, implicated the active involvement of both men and women as something essential for the tribe's survival, and therefore, finding them in common grounds on terms on goverment, household, individual rights, and even sexuality. And this is pointing towards a bigger question: having a broad view on the elements that stimulate the improvement of the quality of life in a country. And northerm european countries are famous for their high quality of life and high human standars. I just wanted to share. I love to learn about new ideas for my research! Thank you for this material!

[@leenpels7646]

The dude is wrong n every aspect..... There aren't any wars or battles in the viking age with females participating on the frontline. I'm from Denmark..... and I hope dipzhits like this doesn't spread their bullss'

[@LordOfSweden]

There were no equal rights for women. Our scandinavian society, as Europe in whole has always been patraiarchal and women's role is to be housewives and tend to the family. As it should be. We will get back there again, it's nature. Right now we are subverted by liberalism and tyranny in Scandinavia.

[@eruditootidure2611]

Great video as always, Arith!

[@jddj6486]

We have been using your videos tk teach our kids here in the US about our heritage. Unfortunately, elders have all passed away. Saxo religion never has ever allowed women to be anything other than Evil or a Saint. I never felt comfortable being part of it. Luckily, Paganism and Green Witchery feels like home.

[@Kinthesky]

I should have asked my questions only after viewing this video to the end. My apologies.

[@lisa.user-xm7kz2tb6x]

This is the best music. Please continue to use it.

[@heathen-greaser]

Personally I believe "shield maidens" did exist in the viking period, but I don't think they would have been known as shield maidens. I have nothing really to back my belief in this lol but I feel they would be less concerned about labeling people then we are in this day and age. Maybe I'm wrong but if I try to put myself back in that time, I think I'd have bigger things on my mind like making shore my family have what they need to survive. Just my view though :) Great video as always

[@DarkMoonDroid]

They seemed to be very concerned with status, also. And rank. And this is usually tied to titles.

[@DarkMoonDroid]

@Evocati Do you mean "valuable"? Because taking on something expensive that has little value is a good reason to throw it out.

[@58Kym]

Evocati I agree that women were considered too ‘valuable’ to society to be wasted in battle but also men would find that female fighters very confronting. The value of a reproductive female is basically enough that losing many would severely impact the future of that society where as the loss of many men counts not so much simply because men produce many many sperm and women produce many less ovum.

[@caracortage3270]

Brilliant! I am indepted to you!

[@aprilk141]

This video got a damn like, my friend.

[@your_belief_vs_everything]

The truth about shield maidens is that they didn't exist in the way media portrays them. Why the hell would these groups send women into battle? It's idiotic.

[@mithos789]

people cant understand the vast difference in strength. especially if you wanted to wield a bow or sword. they should put their theories to the test and just have a stick vs stick battle. in no time at all any man would win.

[@CalebAyrania]

I see the key problem being that so many have called and still call viking/norse society hyper-masculine, when you in this short video very perfectly show it would be more correct to call it hyper-warrior culture. This hints at how easy it would be for women to make a choice of homemaking defending role or the adventurous warrior role. If you add the assumption that something like sexuality was fairly similar distributed in the past eras, you end up with 5% women opting for masculine life and 5% men opting for more female roles. This really fits a lot better in the actual world reality portrayed in the sagas, especially if we assume to correct for the Christian attitudes of the late writers. I personally hope we can get way more DNA testing done and compare to battle injuries and weapon wear and tear in graves proven to genetically be female, so we can get passed the hyper-patriarchal opinions of our Christianized society.

[@psychedianic]

Many thanks to Victor and his daughter Cerys for asking about this, and to you Arith, for speaking about it. As a woman, it's obvious to me that in patriarchal societies throughout history we have had numerous reasons to kill, whether we are on or off the battlefield. I'm not surprised that the burial mound in Birka Sweden contained the remains of a woman. I appreciate your thoughtful, informative videos!

[@DarkMoonDroid]

I'm gonna add her grave to my Bucket List.

[@Freyja_M4106]

Hej Arith, thanks for another awesome vid, an nice beard. :) Bí well hon.

[@goblondie]

thanks for great upload..

[@headbangrdrawer3149]

As aways... A great video and kinowledge incredible! Thanks a lot!!

[@bbonkers]

"She is up to no good" haha, I love your way to tell the stories. Amazing research work behind all of this. My respect!

[@rubiatinctoria8171]

Tack för idag! :)

[@alienopurdeus]

Merry Yule Arith

[@waynebussey5521]

The problem with most historical works we read or rely on for our window into our distant yesterdays is " Who " wrote them, and " Why " they did so. Furthermore how much of " Their " own opinion or bias they wrote into their works...in some cases thease opinions may be presented within works for many reasons, from the desire to be published without their works ( or themselves ) being branded as outlaw by the established society enforcers of their age. To just wishing to upset the order of their day. And history books in general from most periods of history always lacked full truith..Harkening the old phrase history is normally written by the victor again into question...thease works survive because the victor's let them...Some times the whole point of some historical works is just to keep the subject matter alive so it remains around " To " be debated or researched by a newer age and mindset...Than we add the other problem of older historical written works...we cannot prove " If " or " How much " honest or truithful research the author did before presenting their works to the world of the day. As we were not there to be present to bare witness to the book's writing, and as the many authors too were also not there to observe the events they write..plus the older historians who wrote about things far older than their age lacked many tools to scientificly prove or disprove the events..( again falling back to the research end and the lacking of it ). Plus some who write their books have proven they knew little about the culture for which they used in their subject matter..so they added to their works " fillers " based on their knowledge or understanding or again their own opinion..or the knowledge and understanding of their intended readers of their age to make the work more digestable and understandable...Now as for Shield maidens and Warrior women...from a non academic standpoint but a human one...There would have been many daughters who were taught the craft of the sword and to fight by a father or mother...just as today many teach their daughters to shoot...an understanding if you will...Just because one wields no weapon does not mean one can not die because of one...so learning to defend one's self can reduce that threat..And as for old grave sites with women who were buried with the tools of war..well generally the ancients buried one with what was theirs in life...so if a woman was buried with a sword, bow, axe, or shield...well conventional wisdom says it was probibly their posessions...

[@annalisalundberg4561]

Fascinating video,as always 😊 even if I don't have your culture, couldn't be the fact that Frejya welcomed in her Hall half of the warriors a sign that she had something to do with war, and thus she be a war goddess too? Maybe in a more ancient time warrior women were common, then this custom became less frequent and they were mainly trained to use weapons to defend themselves and their properties and to teach the children how to fight, and just those who were willing to fight moved to battle...

[@derekstynes9631]

I also feel that the taking of half the Fallen as a Sign of Her Martial prowess as a Fighter ?

[@stevechappelle2453]

Great presentation, Arith, but I have NO doubt you will get "blow-back" from New Age-y, social agenda driven individuals invested in making an ancient basis for their contemporary beliefs!

[@idkman2633]

Steve Chappelle No I don’t think so... I’ve seen women who were big enough to fight, & clearly there were at least a handful. But like Arith said, they were subdued to something fantastical. If no females partook in war, then why would the Christians discourage it so vehemently? Ofc, estrogen dampens the growth of muscle, so most females wouldn’t be capable of battle. However, there are always outliers in biology.

[@idkman2633]

I mean, I think his account was very charitable. I don’t think he’ll get clap-back.

[@delen4386]

AS A SJW- i actually enjoy this video, its not only informative but he manages to make a thesis out of little information, i for one have never seen unjustified historical revisionsm from the left, quite the opossite, but i do admit mixing history with politics is out of touch and distasteful to say the least

[@wolvencreator8585]

@@idkman2633 Wait... and my intent isn't to attack you... but, a biological disadvantage in the production of muscle equates to not being capable of war? That doesn't seem like strong reasoning. The fact that women were not an extremely common sight on the battlefield was far more likely due to social/cultural expectations in the role on women. Though breaking those expectations wasn't common, it wasn't impossible. If a woman were to prove herself and/or made it clear she would never have a partner and children (or if she is infertile/barren) she could very likely participate in war alongside the men. I mean, if a woman killed a man in a duel to prove her grit, I'm pretty sure the others would be like, "Okay yeah she's in" rather than standing over her kill and whining, "BuT YoU'rE A WoMaNnNn ThOoOooOo" 😂 Again, there weren't a massive abundance of women fighting in comparison to the number of men, but it definitely happened. We do have a small number of archaeological evidence to support this truth. It just takes a quick search through Google Scholar to find the reports. 😊

[@nicolebutler708]

This is a great video!!

[@celticcc3658]

I watched a video about vikings encountering native Americans in USA (pre columbus) and it had shield maidens as part of the story. From what I could tell, it was the shieldmaiden that put off the natives from uniting with them, so the expedition didn't turn fruitful. Guess the natives didn't want their women going so warrior crazy or something lol. That was my interpretation anyway

[@blaircolquhoun7780]

The most famous shieldmaiden in literature is Eiwyb in The Lord of the Rings,

[@OrIoN1989]

All pick up the pointy stick if their life and their loved ones are at risk.

[@quezcatol]

We know for ex there was "knights" buried with sword and shields, who never saw combat. just noblemen who was wealthy in medieval time. we even have infants in scandinavia buried with axes- clearly they couldnt use those. So was it a status gift? did the weapons have spiritual protection? or meant for the after life in defense? I dont know. nobody does. Here is another issue with "women burials" like the one in Birka, they have no injuries on themself- 0.

[@bavariancarenthusiast2722]

Knights buried with sword and shield without combat? Didn't read it yet, not from that respective century. That's a modern sign of status. Yeah the axe for babies is an argument, that's a tool for the afterlife. - but - trained women can be very good with sword and shield, I know by experience. Nothing would hold them back joining a battle if they are attacked. So I see the argument, cultural context. But I don't see no doubt that there were fighting women, but we're the common? Would they only defend their settlement? Would they go on raids too?

[@AmanitaDreamer]

The Birka woman had battle scars and a large axe wound in her head.

[@jeanette2820]

@KT that's the stupidest I heard for a long time! I'm Swedish and The Birka woman is believed to bee a great shield maiden, a grat woman in her society. And if you think that you know better than our arkeologs than you are crazy. It spreads so much lies about our culture and religion

[@pokeyerface]

They were massive banana gobblers...

[@shio7344]

Great video. Really good video.

[@flaviodelucena1974]

Many thanks for this excelent explanation.

[@coleparker]

Roman authors also had written that a portion of Celtic women (pre-Boudicca) following the large migrations would also be on the battlefield.

[@DarkMoonDroid]

How confusing and amazing. Thank you so much for this. My mind always goes to the meta-analysis... The fact that you just proved that Warrior Women actually existed along side of the fact that there are comments under your video denying that they existed tells me something important: The very idea is - even in this day of modern military organizations with women who fight - unthinkable to many. And clearly it was unthinkable then. So, even tho modern military personnel are trained to kill women combatants, there is still an element of shock and horror that can be exploited in battle. I suspect that it had a stronger effect back then as many of the people they fought were not necessarily highly trained military forces - and prolly weren't trained to kill combatants that were female - and would likely be stunned by seeing them just long enuf to lose their advantage. I suspect that the psychology of "Battle Fury" also comes into play. While I can only guess, it still seems to me that it can have a strengthening effect on a woman just like a man. We all know the stories about "Momma Bears". And while that is primarily protective, it can be leveraged or, if necessary, dissociated such that she may not have a way to compartmentalize the killing function the way many men seem to have. This may be why that one woman had what you describe as a "bad temper". LOL But I cannot know this experience. _And men cannot know it either._ Only women who have fought in the military can. It is they who should ultimately be answering these questions.

[@DarkMoonDroid]

@Arith Härger Have you done a video on the "Wanderlust"?

[@TheRedHaze3]

What do you mean he proved warrior women existed? He himself states that he contradicted himself multiple times and made arguments for why warrior women didn't exist. How insanely biased do you have to be to say that this video is conclusively proving warrior women exist? "So, even tho modern military personnel are trained to kill women combatants, there is still an element of shock and horror that can be exploited in battle. I suspect that it had a stronger effect back then as many of the people they fought were not necessarily highly trained military forces - and prolly weren't trained to kill combatants that were female - and would likely be stunned by seeing them just long enuf to lose their advantage." Any warrior in battle would be wearing a helmet, so its unlikely that you would be able to recognise and distinguish a woman from a man. Also, a battle is incredibly chaotic and there's not really any time for thinking. See an enemy, stab them. That's all that's going through your mind. I suggest Bernard Cornwell's Saxon Stories series for a good (fictional) portrayal of what it would be like to be an a medieval battle.

[@lynnamasshardy5224]

Thankyou for this interesting utube I have been a martial artist for over 20 years and I have practiced boxing kendo aikido and iaido but I have now discovered win tsun designed by women for women . The art comes from china and it’s the most brutal martial art that I have practiced even though the movements are feminine. This shows me that in the past there were warrior women who passed on their knowledge.

[@TheRealTerrellBrownB]

I love your videos

[@tessjess1]

Love the small Christmas tree behind you ....and the image is definitely from Conan!!?

[@ArithHärger]

The thumbnail? I've made it in Photoshop hehe.

[@stevens1-o7s]

music is distracting when trying to listen while tabbed out, makes my mind sleepy lol

[@johngaltman]

I severed 21 years in the military, warrior women do exist, they are not common, but I had a couple of women I followed into battle. They are not common, but they definitely are real and do exist. It's not 50 / 50 it's more like 98 / 2 of men to women. But that is why they achieve near god status, because they are real.

[@gabrieldettmannb4509]

Just think for one minute. In our society which is very equal and quite feminist, still only very few women join the army. Imagine over 1000 years ago, when society was utterly male dominated, and gender roles were on steroids (literally to the point of execution). There weren't any female warriors that were known as females. If there were some in extraordinary cases, they would have been dressed up as pretending to be men.

[@GmThangor]

Saga of the Volsungs. Nuff said.

[@sagehawk12]

I think the small details like "oh I'm a warrior woman." And them finding that casual explanation acceptable is more telling than a full fledged tale of a warrior woman. You can pass off an extravagant tale as just that... but when it's a common casual thing... that's very suggestive of it being at least normal enough that it is plausible. Good video.

[@delen4386]

sir i can explain i just went to war next year oh, makes sense, take care young lady

[@andrewp.5079]

If they existed it was most likely a one off here and their. People watch a TV show and think that there's thousands of them or even an army of women. The science says that they probably did not exist. I believe that these women were able to protect their homes while the men went raiding. So perhaps they died or lived from that...ill also assume that a man who was left behind from raiding was weak or unable so it would not be hard for a women to kill him. All my opinions for sure.

[@LordCaric]

Great video with lots of details supporting both arguments. Personally, I think they were real. The grave findings are pretty good evidence of that and as you said, a lot of the information we have may have been written with a Christian agenda.

[@mikehusanj1704]

How come 95 of female athletes today can't can't complete with high school sports teams

[@TheRedHaze3]

The grave findings prove nothing. In Norse society, a weapon was a status symbol. If they were warriors, and fought in battle, why did they have no injuries from weapons?

[@nickdial8528]

There is no evidence that they were real, and logically speaking it wouldn't make any sense anyway. A modern day example, there's a reason why all records are being broken by trans women, and not transmen. Take that reality, put it on a battlefield hundreds of years ago with hundreds of pounds of armor and weaponry fighting to the death, and you'll quickly realize how foolish and fantastical this this claim is.

[@LordCaric]

@@nickdial8528 There is evidence of it, proven by science and DNA analysis of bones. No one is saying they were prominent, or common, but there are plenty of accounts in history of female warriors and commanders. Do some research, please. Hundreds of pounds of armor? No man could fight, let alone move, with hundreds of pounds of armor. A full suit of plate armor (knights) weighs 45-55 lbs. The average sword weighs between 2-3 lbs, easily wielded by a woman. Your "reality" is skewed.

[@nickdial8528]

@@LordCaric No it wasn't "proven" whatsoever, they made a bunch of assumptions with zero evidence to back them up, in fact some of the most predominant leading experts in the field came out and criticized the articles and those making these absurd claims based off of that 1 burial site. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rmq3ZKmCratnmsU

[@SuperAmaton]

So my take and understanding from this Information is that there were Warrior-Women - both out of necessity and logic, and out of desire for battle. While it isn't know how many there were, it was enough to inspire the legends about the Valkyries. I think that sounds about right?

[@colinp2238]

In England we can go back further than the Viking age to see preChristian warrior womwn. By Westminster Bridge, London there is a statue of Queen Boudicca and her daughters who, after the death of her husband,Prasutagus, became the queen or female chieftain of the Icenii tribe. After a huge insult by the occupying Roman forces she led to a rebellion, leading the tribes of the Icenii and the Trinivantes that destroyed the capital of Roman Britain, Camulodnium (Colchester) and the new Roman port of Londinium (London) destrying the 9th Legion bevore going north to Verlamium (St Albans). They continued north on Watling St (A5) where they met the legions returning from Anglesey, Wales led by Gaius Suetonius Paulinus, the Roman Governor of Britain, where they were defeated in a battle at an unknown location. Boudicca escaped and is believed to have commited suicide. This was in 60 or 60 BC, less than a decade before the death of Nero. We now wait for the sister video to this one titled "The Truth about Arith Harger by the Shieldmaidens." ;p

[@ArithHärger]

Thank you my friend. I was going to mention Boudicca, Joan of Arc and even Penthesilea, but I thought that would be extending too much. Those are very good cases of History undermining their existence and turning into them into legends, folklore or political satire of the time. I wanted to focus on Scandinavia only and keep imparcial as you noticed. Concerning shieldmaidens, it's still premature to assume anything concrete. There is a Swedish legend of a woman called Blenda, a woman from Småland who leads the women of Värend in an attack on a pillaging Danish army and completely destroys it. But see? "Legend". This is what happens to historical women in the western society acculturated in definite gende-roles stipulated by the Church. Isn't it a bit strange that many neo-pagans still follow the same line of thought of the Church even when evidences against such way of thinking is right in front of them? I should have mentioned Veleda and Aurinia, which had a clear influence on the Germanic tribes. Men following what women dictated. There were a couple of Germanic tribes whose main goddess was Frîa, the wife of Godan, tribes of warrior-men in matriarchal societies.

[@colinp2238]

@@ArithHärger Neo-pagans tend to cherry pick and ignore things that do not fit in their pattern of belief. You have to take the rough with the smooth to appreciate the true depth of any belief. Cherry picking is often the way of followers of orthodox religions.

[@LeeRaldar]

Boadicea raided several undefended towns including London and a lot of civilians were slaughtered however once her army encountered a 40,000 strong Roman army who were tired from a two day forced march on the battlefield her 128,000 strong army were decimated down to the women and children in the baggage train.

[@colinp2238]

@@LeeRaldar And the 9th Legion that were defending Londinium? I suppose that they just let them in and went down the pub?

[@LeeRaldar]

@@colinp2238 @ The 9th legion consisted of young heavily armoured Roman women armed with 5 metre pilum constructed from purest gold, they could march at double time 150 miles in a morning in full battle kit, which, in some cases weighed over a quarter of a ton including their curved shields which were constructed from laminated lead and painted with the face of the Roman earth godess. The 9ths archer cohorts were reported to cut off both breast prior to every battle so as to make firing of their 1000lb draw strength laminate bows easier. A single arrow could easily strike down a Carthaginian war elephant. There were few Roman legions consisting entirely of males however the 9th were said to have several units of male light auxiliaries who had little actual function on the battlefield but after a fight were handy for foot rubs and filling baths with asses milk. The engineer squadron of the 9th are said to have built Hadrian's wall in a single afternoon through sheer girl power. Boudicca however was simply the Queen bee and after a lot of scratching, biting and hair pulling the 9th decided enough was enough and went into retreat and then disappeared from history leaving little behind but their standard which consisted of a figure that closely resembles the modern Oscar award statuette.

[@ryutsureit7651]

I'd just like to know what ending any man has in legend that doesn't end in marriage or death, not just women.

[@davidhunt8685]

THX

[@petergoettler1385]

OK,Thxs.

[@crystalleannamarie7165]

Someone drew a picture who told me me I was a past shield Maiden

[@mahias...mclaughlin4900]

Hence the Amazon's.. Xena Callisto

[@iman7j887]

I came to see shield maidens but I see a long bearded man 🤣🤣🤣 bad luck lol, but it was a great videos. Tnx

[@ChandaMijaAuthentic]

This is why my sleeping disorder is always an issue.

[@l.a.chancey]

Yes, we live, we walk we breathe, we fight.

[@nagihangot6133]

*Covers your mouth and nose*

[@delen4386]

@@nagihangot6133 kicks your balls

[@IrishGravy]

I’m curious...I’m half Irish and half German, so, can I follow the old Gods? I know this has nothing to do with the video.

[@neonsuntan]

Anyone can follow the old gods. Your ancestry is irrelevant compared to your beliefs and deeds.

[@Mariemarie-uw7id]

Of course you can, you are white and only the extremist pagans hate non whites following the pagan religion that said follow what you believe in other people aren’t important

[@thsseessht7984]

Yes, brother. All Europeans are welcome. Hail Odin.

[@peterv1318]

Yes! You can follow the old gods and goddesses.

[@chasedean4032]

@@Mariemarie-uw7id anybody can follow the old gods

[@bradday392]

Thank you

[@CheyMax]

Could anyone Possably give me suggestions on good books about the Norse and pagan religions that I could read. I am 17 and come from a very Christian home but if I said I beleived in anything it would be the Celtic gods. What is the smartest way to find out more about the culture?

[@CarlosSanchez-my7zg]

Try out the poetic and prose eddas to start. But approach them knowing they were a affected being written down by a christian with christian ideals. But still a great beginning on your journey

[@osricleondegrance9244]

As with today, they are exceedingly rare, and as with today, even then they're generally outclassed and wouldn't last long on the front line in a melee.

[@andrewwinchel4659]

@@woodypigeon Oh, I missed the part about sniper viking women.

[@LeohTheArcher]

@Blood Eagle 88 you don't need to know how to fight or have done any of it to hold your banner and scream something about God.

[@osricleondegrance9244]

@@woodypigeon Did you intentionally ignore the term "melee"?

[@waynedhouse4103]

Osric Leondegrance ever heard of Boudicca? Think your argument falls flat there

[@LeohTheArcher]

@@waynedhouse4103 What about her? She was a leader and figurehead, not a fighter.

[@davidschlageter5962]

Still trying to meet a shield maiden

[@jeffreyroot6300]

David Schlageter Stop trying ! Let it happen instead!

[@miatolliver3517]

Try the SCA!

[@LordOfSweden]

S1mp

[@burningbelow4424]

Weather the involvement of warrior women (shield maidens) is sporanic or frequent it is known they existed so it's ridiculous to dispute that they didn't exist. Because it's obviously that it's fact that they did exist.

[@PerfectAlibi1]

I do believe shield maidens were real, but maybe not in the context you expect. I believe they were women in a support role, where they assisted the male soldiers in battle. Like bringing a fresh shield to the soldiers that lost theirs, hence they were called SHIELDmaidens... Sometimes they may have also slain the odd enemy troops but overall kept to a supportive role.

[@AA-bn7tf]

Germanic tribes that fought the Romans also had women in this role. They fought if they had to but typically cheered from the rear.

[@ruthlessgaming3869]

@@AA-bn7tf the Maori of New Zealand did this two they had the women and children loading the muskets for the men so they could have continuous fire raining down on colonial troops

[@xavierdoesntmatter]

All the women get married or were killed, which reinforced sexist ideals? Interestingly, it seems all warrior men also end up either married and living happily ever after or killed. So as far as I can tell, that's normal and not stereotyping.

[@adamferguson3999]

Interesting, I got the impression that the tales told of womens military careers ending with marriage, while married men would still have military responsibilities, did I follow that wrong?

[@dsala2614]

EQUALITY IS NOT WHAT PEOPLE PERCIEVE...BOUND BY DUTY

[@williamnicholson8133]

A successful shieldmaiden would not look like the hollywood presentation of shieldmaiden . They would look more like a dude if they expected to succeed in the close up methods of the time .

[@signespencer6887]

Likely the case. Surely they would dress for battle in practical ways similar to men, and not in ways to cater to men’s lurid sexual fantasies

[@fibromyalgia09]

i am now making a wish//////that this man gets a channel on tv to create knowledge for our youngsters...I am a white witch...SO THIS NOW WILL SOON HAPPEN IN THE AGE OF AQUARIUS ...YOU HAVE BEEN CHOSEN TO EDUCATE THE FUTURE ...MARI HAS CHOSEN YOU

[@dragonkight64dragonslayer62]

Here because the new Assassin's creed

[@Angelusloco15]

In the Tollensee Valley Battlefield however, there were very little woman corpses found (only 2 actually). This shows women were not fighters in the older times, or if they were, this was probably only an exception,

[@Angelusloco15]

But I totally agree, that women must have known how to defend themselves and their children and home when their men were not present.

[@rotten350]

Dude wigs me out.

[@ebonknight630]

We shouldn't disregard the fact that these were rites preformed when burrying these women, when buried with the possessions of men (probably of the husband). In fact, viking men were burried with female possessions. Therefore this is not evidence for warrior women, it is probably just a burial rite preformed.

[@thamieklybodonmi]

Birka woman warrior grave is a massive fuck up in Swedish archeology. The bones of several graves were mixed and many Swedish archeologists non ideologically driven are contesting the proposed woman warrior DNA finding. The Swedish feminist politics have perverted science a while ago.

[@monkey_the_chimp6483]

Hello Arith, Nice video wich got me thinking, On facebook the numerous archeolical/medieval combat meme pages aoccasionally post this Zombie article that occasionally appears get's debunked then dies a grizzly death in the comments section. it's always the same with the same title I think it goes like this..."Turns out all those viking warrior burial mound were not for men but for wommen!" Or some click bait like that. I can't remember all of the details like what site it came from but I remember the article being very condecending and boasting it's main point, that being the pelvic bones of those burried since a wommen's pelvic bone is shaped diffirently to a man's. This article keeps reappearing like a zombie getting debunked due to it's narrow focus and outright dissmissed whenever it decides to emerge again. So I was wondering maybe such Irritating articles may be contributing to make people dismiss the Posibility of shield maidens. Because to be honest that article made me do for a while. Food for thought.

[@xw7239]

People of tribal European descent tend to be much larger than everyone else as a general rule of thumb. Massive women who were strong and trained in battle could conceivably have many victories in battle against men if the men were from other tribes who were smaller in stature.

[@stianharestad6601]

Iin norway we dug out viking ships that contained remains of a woman,