The Norse shieldmaidens are widely represented in Norse myths and legends as well as in later stories. However, we don’t have much archeological evidence on whether or not they existed. There are women’s bodies found on the sites of large-scale battles but it seems difficult to discern whether they were “shieldmaidens”, whether they fought out of necessity and desperation, or whether they were just innocent victims. Unlike other ancient societies such as the Scythians (the likely basis of the Greek Amazonian myths) where we know women fought in battles alongside men thanks to historical and archeological evidence, with the Norse shieldmaidens this is still mostly just speculation. It seems highly unlikely that many women actively accompanied the Vikings on their raids of Britain and the rest of Europe. However, it’s also quite likely that women took an active part in defending their cities, towns, and villages in the absence of those same Viking men.