She Was A Powerful Viking Queen During The Tenth Century, And Researchers Learned More About Her Through Rune Stones

boykovi1991 - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purposes only, not the actual person
boykovi1991 - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purposes only, not the actual person

Whenever I think of Vikings, I must admit, I picture big, burly men with long beards and cool battle armor.

But did you know that there are stories of a powerful Viking queen that stood out from the rest?

That Viking queen was Queen Thrya, and her story, which was written on engraved stones, shows that she was a very impressive and honorable woman.

Historians know a lot about Viking-age Denmark through their use of special rune stones, stones with inscriptions that memorialize or tell stories of Vikings from many years ago.

In recent years, scholars have analyzed rune stones that mention Queen Thrya by name and describe her as the “strength” of Denmark. 

To be mentioned on a rune stone during the Viking ages was a pretty big deal, as only important people were mentioned on them.

This is why Queen Thrya, who was alive during the 10th century, was presumed to be very important. Her husband, King Gorm, is the one who commissioned one of her rune stones. Later, her son, King Harald, also commissioned one for her.

Unfortunately, due to a lack of reliable primary sources, there isn’t a whole lot known about exactly what Queen Thrya did throughout her life to make her such an honorable queen.  

It is believed that Queen Thrya had a very maternal and guiding presence among her people. While Viking culture is known for being primarily male-dominated, this proves that there were certain women who “ranked” and made their mark.

boykovi1991 – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual person

Because of her rune stones, some historians believe that Queen Thrya was imperative to the formation of Denmark and was likely a wise and resourceful woman for complicated political situations. 

Interestingly, no other known man or woman is mentioned as often in rune stone inscriptions as Queen Thrya, not even her husband, who was a king.

So the next time you peruse some Viking history and see pages all about the notable male Viking leaders, don’t forget about Queen Thyra, and remember that an extraordinary woman like herself played a powerful role in that part of ancient history.

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