The Valkyries' Loom

The Archaeology of Cloth Production and Female Power in the North Atlantic

By: Michèle Hayeur Smith

Narrated by: Ann Richardson

Using textiles to understand gender and economy in Norse societies

This groundbreaking study is based on the author's systematic comparative analysis of the vast textile collections in Iceland, Greenland, Denmark, Scotland, and the Faroe Islands, materials that are largely unknown even to archaeologists and span 1,000 years. Through these garments and fragments, Hayeur Smith provides new insights into how the women of these island nations influenced international trade by producing cloth (vaðmál); how they shaped the development of national identities by creating clothing; and how they helped their communities survive climate change by reengineering clothes during the Little Ice Age. She supplements her analysis by revealing societal attitudes about weaving through the poem "Darraðarljoð" from Njál's Saga, in which the Valkyries—Óðin's female warrior spirits—produce the cloth of history and decide the fates of men and nations.

Bringing Norse women and their labor to the forefront of research, Hayeur Smith establishes the foundation for a gendered archaeology of the North Atlantic that has never been attempted before. This monumental and innovative work contributes to global discussions about the hidden roles of women in past societies in preserving tradition and guiding change.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2020 Michèle Hayeur Smith (P)2023 Tantor

enligjtening

so very informative of women's textile production in the North Atlantic...I learned so much about the Norse political, social, and gendered structures of the 9th to 14th centuries im particular. beautifully read.