Feminae: Medieval Women and Gender Index


  • Record Number: 46129
  • Author(s)/Creator(s): Moen , Marianne and Matthew J. Walsh,
  • Contributor(s):
  • Title: Agents of Death: Reassessing Social Agency and Gendered Narratives of Human Sacrifice in the Viking Age
  • Source: Cambridge Archaeological Journal 31, 4 ( 2021): Pages 597 - 611. Available open access from Cambridge Core: http://doi.org/10.1017/S0959774321000111
  • Description:
  • Article Type: Journal Article
  • Subject (See Also): Arabic Literature Burials Enslaved Women Human Sacrifice Ibn Battuta, Travel Writer Vikings, Image of
  • Award Note:
  • Geographic Area: Russia ; Scandinavia
  • Century: 10
  • Primary Evidence:
  • Illustrations:
  • Table:
  • Abstract: This article seeks to approach the famous tenth-century account of the burial of a chieftain of the Rus, narrated by the Arab traveller Ibn Fadlan, in a new light. Placing focus on how gendered expectations have coloured the interpretation and subsequent archaeological use of this source, we argue that a new focus on the social agency of some of the central actors can open up alternative interpretations. Viewing the source in light of theories of human sacrifice in the Viking Age, we examine the promotion of culturally appropriate gendered roles, where women are often depicted as victims of male violence. In light of recent trends in theoretical approaches where gender is foregrounded, we perceive that a new focus on agency in such narratives can renew and rejuvenate important debates. [Reproduced from the Cambridge Core website: http://doi.org/10.1017/S0959774321000111]
  • Related Resources:
  • Author's Affiliation: University of Oslo
  • Conference Info: - , -
  • Year of Publication: 2021.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN/ISBN: 09597743 (print); 14740540 (online)