Valkyries vs Shieldmaidens: What's the Difference?
In 2017, a genomic study of a famous Viking-Age warrior grave in Birka, Sweden, revealed that the buried warrior — long assumed to be male — was genetically female. The discovery reignited a centuries-old question: were shieldmaidens real?
To answer it, you first need to separate shieldmaidens from Valkyries. They're often confused, but they're very different figures.
Short Answer
Valkyries are supernatural beings in Norse mythology who serve Odin, choose which warriors die, and bring them to Valhalla. Shieldmaidens (skjaldmeyjar) are human women warriors who appear in sagas and legends. Valkyries belong to the world of gods; shieldmaidens belong to the world of heroes.
The Counterintuitive Truth: The Line Between Them Is Blurry in the Sources
Old Norse stories don't always keep the categories separate. Some heroines, like Brynhildr, appear as Valkyries in some texts and as human warrior women in others.
We call this mythic overlap: when legendary humans and supernatural beings merge as stories are retold over centuries.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Valkyries | Shieldmaidens | |
|---|---|---|
| Nature | Supernatural | Human |
| Serve | Odin | Their kin, rulers, or themselves |
| Role | Choose the slain, guide them to Valhalla | Fight in battle |
| Sources | Eddic poetry, Prose Edda | Sagas, legendary histories |
| Famous examples | Brynhildr, Sigrdrífa, Skögul | Lagertha, Hervör |
| Powers | Flight, fate, shapeshifting | Skill, courage |
Famous Valkyries
- Brynhildr — tragic Valkyrie in the Sigurd legend
- Sigrdrífa — awakened by Sigurd, teaches him rune wisdom
- Skögul and Göndul — chooser figures in skaldic poetry
Explore the rune lore connected to them with Skald Runes and Seiðr Runes.
Famous Shieldmaidens
- Lagertha — described by the Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus in Gesta Danorum (around 1200) as a warrior woman who fought beside Ragnar Lodbrok
- Hervör — a legendary heroine who retrieves the cursed sword Tyrfing from her father's grave
- Brynhildr — sometimes portrayed as a human shieldmaiden
Were Shieldmaidens Real?
This is debated.
Evidence For
- The Birka grave Bj 581, a richly equipped warrior burial, was shown by a 2017 genomic study to contain a woman.
- Viking-Age figurines show armed women.
- Byzantine and other sources mention women among northern warriors in some battles.
Evidence Against
- Many saga shieldmaiden stories were written centuries after the events.
- Grave goods don't always prove a person fought.
- Women warriors, if they existed, were likely rare.
Scholars remain divided, but the Birka findings made the possibility much harder to dismiss. We call this archaeological reopening: when new evidence turns a "myth" back into an open question.
Why They're Often Confused
- Both are warrior women.
- Brynhildr is both in different sources.
- Modern media blends them, especially in TV and games.
- Artwork gives both armour, shields, and helmets.
In Pop Culture
- Vikings (TV) made Lagertha world-famous as a shieldmaiden.
- God of War features Valkyries as supernatural bosses.
- Marvel's Valkyrie blends both traditions.
Write Their Names in Runes
Honour a Valkyrie or shieldmaiden by writing her name in runes:
What Experts Say
Archaeologists Charlotte Hedenstierna-Jonson and Neil Price were among the researchers behind the Birka warrior studies. Their work argued the woman buried there was likely a high-status warrior, while acknowledging ongoing scholarly debate.
Where This Debate Is Heading
As DNA analysis of older excavations continues, more graves may be re-examined. We predict at least a few more Viking-Age burials once assumed to be male warriors will be identified as female — reshaping how historians talk about shieldmaidens, and blurring the line between legend and history even further.