Women of Fate in the Viking Age: Völur, Valkyries, and the Angel of Death

Old Norse religion is a subject of great curiosity and fantasy, and images such as the scene described in Ahmed Ibn Fadlan’s account of the Rús burial lend to humanity’s almost obsessive fascination with what comes after life. It is a subject of ongoing debate not only regarding the people of the Viking Age, but anyone in space and time. Its intangible existence makes it all the more difficult to process, and it is an occurrence surrounded by a high level of action which cannot always be detected. While we can discover some of the material remnants of an action or series of actions, we inevitably miss out on the entire picture, such as who carried out the action. We only have the results of the action that was taken. This is the case regarding the so-called “Angel of Death” in Ibn Fadlan’s account that took place in the 10th century along the Volga River. Such a figure is only described in this single account. Sagas and Eddas are very vague on ritual proceedings for funerals, weddings, and other potentially significant events that required ritual practices to be carried out. These tales also largely consist of mythologies and oral stories that were designed for a particular audience and a particular purpose, which was not to teach Scandinavian culture to outsiders. These anecdotes were to entertain people within the society, and to promote ideal behaviors and concepts. Religious practitioners are mentioned in the sagas, although mostly in brief accounts, and consist of both men and women. However, it is evident that these actors were regarded differently as individuals based on their social credentials, or gender as will be addressed in this thesis. In this paper, I seek to examine the religious roles of the Viking Age, most specifically within the 10th century, and what it entailed regarding gender roles, and what possible roles women could have filled within the religion and why, including Ibn Fadlan’s “Angel of Death.” Using primary sources and secondary literature comparison, as well as archaeological examples, I will argue that her role could have been more than a unique case, and that she fits in with possible Old Norse religious themes and guidelines. While I fully acknowledge that it is impossible to prove, I think that there is enough evidence to suggest that it is a possibility, perhaps even a likelihood. To do this requires a survey of Old Norse religious beliefs and practices, and the female figures involved