Women in Old Norse Society

by Jenny Jochens

Jenny Jochens captures in fascinating detail the lives of women in pagan and early Christian Iceland and Norway―their work, sexual behavior, marriage customs, reproductive practices, familial relations, leisure activities, religious practices, and legal constraints and protections. Women in Old Norse Society places particular emphasis on changing sexual mores and the impact of Christianity as imposed by the clergy and Norwegian kings. It also demonstrates the vital role women played in economic production.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Medieval, Gender Studies, Historical, Scandinavian Literature

288 pages, Perfect Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Historian of medieval women.

Reviews

[Annemarie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This started off really strong, really interesting, but I found myself having to force myself to pay attention in the latter half. I kept finding other things to do instead of reading, which is not a good sign.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jochens' book is an extremely informative treatment of Old Norse culture, specifically women's role in it both before and after Christianity. She explores the ways in which society exhibited both continuum and decisive change in reaction to the new religion, drawing heavily from contemporary sagas, the sagas of the Icelanders, and the old Norse laws. Jochens extrapolates from these sources — despite, or perhaps because of, a critical stance toward their accuracy — information about the cultures of Norway and Iceland, beginning in the ancient Germanic past and going forward to the mid-late 1300s. Among the subjects treated are marriage, infidelity, illegitimacy, reproduction, leisure and work, and the homespun standard which was introduced to Iceland as the result of the work of women. Though the prose is at some points dry, Jochens' subject is always interesting and revealing enough to make up for this. Definitely recommended for those interested in Scandinavian history, especially on a cultural or social level.

[Hayley Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

It cannot be overstated how excellent of a book this is, and how seminal to the growing body of work on women in Norse society. Jochens research is extensive and well-documented, while her analysis helps clarify some of the muddier aspects of Scandinavian culture and the roles of women within it. If you only get one book on this subject, you can do no better than this one.

[Sarah Schanze · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much more informative than I expected, though the last chapter lost me a bit with the focus on the economics of homespun (though an important item and indicative of the invisible labor of women). Books like these definitely drive home the idea that women of the past weren't freer than we thought they were. If anything this book, with plenty of literary evidence from the sagas to contemporary medieval accounts to law records, really reinforce the idea that, whether pagan or Christian, being a woman back then sucked.

[Margie Dorn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title says exactly what the book is about. It is well-researched tho not a page-turner like some history and non-fiction can be. I read it for a book group.

[Ginny Kaczmarek · Rating 3 out of 5]

A thorough, scholarly review of women in old Norse society. Dense with details, this is a good reference book though not exactly an easy read.

[Lynda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had some issues with this book. The tie back to the sagas was excellent. There was very little on child rearing, and what happened to dyeing? It wasn't mentioned at all.