In this cutting-edge, revisionist portrait, renowned science journalist Heather Pringle, turns long-held assumptions regarding the role of Viking women on their head. Using the latest archaeological research and historical findings, she sheds fascinating new light on the powerful women of North. Until Scandinavia converted to Christianity and came under the rule of powerful kings, the Vikings were a dominant force in the medieval world. Outfitted with sleek, wind-powered ships, they left their mark, spreading terror across Europe, sacking cities, deposing kings, and ransacking entire economies. After the Vikings, the world was never the same. But as much as we know about this celebrated culture, there is a large missing piece: its women. All but ignored by contemporary European writers, these shadowy figures were thought to have played little part in the famous feats of the Vikings, instead remaining at home as wives, mothers, and homemakers. Members of a complex society rich in culture, courage, and a surprisingly modern gender ideology, the women of the Viking age were in fact forces to be reckoned with: Sorceresses, Warriors, Traders, Artisans, Explorers, Settlers, Landowners, Power brokers and Queens.