VIKING WOMEN
THE UNTOLD SAGA

First transmitted orally, then written down by the authors of the sagas from the 12th century onwards, the history of the Viking people is a male affair. The image of women is erased in favor of men, portrayed by Western authors – often Christian monks – as bloodthirsty barbarians. In the 19th century, the first archaeologists were still men. It’s only in the last fifty years or so that women have joined the ranks of scientists, taking a fresh look at Viking history. The film focuses on the recent discovery of a female burial site on the east coast of Iceland. A team of archaeologists led by Ragneidur Traustadóttir has uncovered the remains of an important site containing several Viking burials, including that of a woman from Norway. But who was she? And what was she doing so far from her homeland? This is the starting point for a vast scientific investigation carried out in seven countries (Iceland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Canada) with some twenty contributors, to reveal the decisive role played by women during the famous Viking expeditions.