What question did this study set out to answer?

The aim is to explore the complexity of sex and gender during the Viking Age through textual and archaeological evidence.

June 3, 2026Open Access

"Hail, Ye Givers," Sex and Gender in the Viking Age A discussion of Sex and Gender in Birka 581 and The Oseberg Burial

ZBZoe A. BlairUniversity of Oklahoma

Key Points

The aim is to explore the complexity of sex and gender during the Viking Age through textual and archaeological evidence.
Utilized historical texts from the Poetic Edda and various sagas.
Employed an osteobiographic approach to analyze burial contexts at Birka 581 and the Oseberg burial.
Integrated mythology-based religious perspectives with archaeological findings.
Identification of a non-strict gender system allowing movement between male and female roles.
Evidence from burials indicates that gender was likely a spectrum rather than a simple binary.
Integration of textual and archaeological evidence enhances understanding of gender expressions in Viking culture.

Abstract

Though much work has been done regarding sex and gender in history and prehistory, there lacks an interdisciplinary perspective regarding the use of textual sources of mythology-based religions combined with archaeological evidence. Utilizing the historical texts of the Poetic Edda and the sagas recorded in tandem with an osteobiographic approach, we can see evidence for a non-strict gender system that allows for mobility between traditionally male and female roles. Using the Birka 581 and Oseberg burials in combination with the religious mythology, it is clear that gender in the Viking age likely was not a simple binary but a spectrum that allowed for multiple expressions of gender.

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