Shield-maiden

A shield-maiden (Old Norse: skjaldmær [ˈskjɑldˌmæːr]) was a female warrior from Scandinavian folklore and mythology.

The term Old Norse: skjaldmær most often shows up in fornaldarsögur such as Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks. However, female warriors are also mentioned in the Latin work Gesta Danorum. Both the fornaldarsögur 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 shieldmaidens. They may have also been inspired by accounts of Amazons.