shield-maiden

A shield-maiden (Old Norse: skjaldmær [ˈskjɑldˌmæːr]) was a female warrior from Nordic folklore and Norse mythology. The term skjaldmær most often shows up in legendary sagas such as Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks. However, female warriors are also mentioned in the Latin work Gesta Danorum. Both the legendary sagas and Gesta Danorum were written after the Viking Age and are considered fictional. Earlier reports of fighting women occur in some Roman sources from late antiquity. They are often associated with the mythical Valkyries, which may have inspired the shield-maidens. They may have also been inspired by accounts of Amazons.