The Deterioration of Warrior Women in Celtic and Germanic Literature

Abstract

Throughout the duration of the Middle Ages, mentions and descriptions of warrior women in literature gradually seem to become more rare and less positive in nature. Sometimes the same female warrior is depicted in a positive or neutral light in an early manuscript, and takes on the role of villain in a later manuscript. This thesis studies the case of the Irish tale of Medb of Connacht, and the Icelandic tale of Hervor Angantyrdottir. Then the thesis searches for the causes of this phenomenon within the cultural contexts of both tales.