Rather than listen to hype and stereotypes, the most historically accurate thing we can do is to look at the tales from the Eddas and Sagas, Folk Lore and the archaeological remains of skeletons. At the lower end you had captives won in battle (not as common as you might think, given that rape was only mentioned once in the Eddas). At the highest end you had women who commanded enough respect and honor to act as a link between man and the Gods (they were called Volvas).
The history of the Ancient Norse people is complex. You’ll never know the complexity of its contours and grooves unless you are in the Canyon itself. Interpreting the past is like trying to sketch a picture of the Grand Canyon from space. Not all men fought battles and not all women had a specific “role.” Fantasies on the other end of the spectrum paint a picture of a male dominated society where all men fought glorious battles and women existed as mere prizes to be won.
Some of these fantasies imagine a place where every woman is a blonde haired vixen with a pointy helmet and a chain-mail bra, smashing through the faces of her enemies with sword in hand. History becomes a guessing game where modern day people impose their fantasies and longings upon the past. There is still much about the Ancient Norse People that we do not know, so much of our current information is an attempt to fill in the gaps (since the Vikings did not write down their history and the Christians destroyed much of their existing culture).
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