Gunnhildr, Mother of Kings, in Scandinavian Cultural Memory

Gunnhildr konungamóðir (mother of kings) is among the most infamous women of saga literature and the most famous women of the Scandinavian Middle Ages. For the first time, this book brings the medieval stories associated with Gunnhildr together in a biographical study of her legacy.Gunnhildr’s life is shrouded in myth and legend: details of her time as queen consort of Norway and Northumbria, and role as queen mother, remain obscured. The intermingling of history and folklore is characteristic of the literature that preserves stories about Gunnhildr’s life and is embraced by this book.This is not a definitive history of Gunnhildr’s life: that would be anachronistic. It is a chronological biography compiled from medieval Scandinavian cultural memory that offers insight into how the sagas construct a meaningful narrative of past events. Moreover, it is an opportunity to retell fascinating stories about a fascinating woman.