Dan Snow, a historian and host of a popular history podcast, has a daughter who turned heads when she participated in her school's "medieval feast."
The festivities included the usual suspects attending the lively affair – knights and princesses -- however, Snow's daughter took on the role of neither.
She went as a warrior.
Instead of defaulting to the usual princess role, Snow's daughter defied gender norms by playing the part of a viking fleet commander known as The Red Girl.
Snow explained on Twitter:
Snow went on, providing some historical context:
In the late 10th century there were 30 yrs with 16 viking fleets. The chronicle says there were 'countless sea vomitings of ships, and boats and fleets, so that there was not a harbour.... in all Munster, without fleets of Dane ships and pirates.'
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— Dan Snow (@thehistoryguy) April 24, 2018
"Lastly the fleet of of the Red Girl. And assuredly the evil which Erinn [Ireland] had hitherto suffered was nothing compared to the evil inflicted by these parties."
— Dan Snow (@thehistoryguy) April 24, 2018
The existence of strong female vikings is often overlooked in history due to modern-day sexism. According to Becky Gowland, a lecturer on archeology at Durham University, one of the biggest mistakes archaeologists make when uncovering the remains of vikings buried with their weapons is assuming they were all male.
"I think that's a mistake the archeologists make quite often. When we do that, we're just reproducing the past," Gowland told The Guardian.
"The Red Girl," known as Inghen Ruaidh, was one of many "shield maidens" who fought alongside men in battle and is mentioned as part of a tenth-century Irish text, according to
National Geographic.
People went along for the fascinating history lesson and loved the fact that Snow's daughter attended the feast as the fearless leader.
More heroic women should be taught in schools, not just from a history-buff parent, to empower young and impressionable girls.
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