The Viking Shield Maiden. 3D Illustration Royalty-Free Stock Photography

A shield maiden Icelandic skjaldmær, Swedish sköldmö, Danish skjoldmø is called a woman in Norse mythology who has chosen a life as a warrior.In Scandinavian sagas, among others, Brynhild in the Völsunga Saga, featured in the Hervarar Saga, the Brynhild of the Bósa Saga-OKS Herrauds and the Swedish Princess Thornbjörg in the Hrólf`s saga Gautrekssonar are mentioned by name as armed, fighting women, as well as in the Gautrekssonar of Saxo Grammaticus Weghbiorg, Rusla and Lathgertha, the first wife of Ragnar Lodbrok. According to Saxo Grammaticus, under the leadership of the three battle maids Webiorga, Wisna Visna and Hertha Hetha, Hed, three armies from countries outside Denmark fought on the Danish side in the Battle of Bråvalla. Saxo describes in his seventh book how women seized the life as warriors in order to avoid marriage. In Ragnars saga loðbrókar it is Aslaug who accompanies her sons on military expeditions several times and is therefore given the new nickname Randalin `Shield Maiden`.