TIL that a richly furnished warrior grave at Birka, once cited as proof of male Viking military power, has been revealed through DNA analysis to contain a woman, prompting a rethink of who could hold martial authority in Viking society.

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Viking women in a new light

Valkyries, wives… or warriors? Powerful female figures occupy a central role in Old Norse mythology, but until recently historians accorded Viking women only a marginal role.

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