Both Jelling runestones also named a royal figure: Queen Thyra, mother of then-reigning King Harald Bluetooth. In recent years, archaeologists have revised prior interpretations of Viking warrior burials as exclusively male, finding that Viking women were fighters, too. The new findings add to the picture of influential Viking women holding prominent roles in statecraft as well as on the battlefield. Fewer than 10 runestones in Denmark from the pre-Christian era mention women at all — and four of those are of Queen Thyra. “Runestones in Denmark were mostly erected in honour of men, but Thyra is commemorated on more runestones than any other person in Viking Age Denmark,” Imer said.

---

Persons: CNN —, —, Thyra, “, ”, Katherine Cross, ” Cross, King Harald Bluetooth, King Gorm, Harald, Lisbeth, Imer, ” Imer, Queen Thyra, ” Mindy Weisberger Organizations: CNN, telltale, John University, National Museum of Denmark, Museum of, National Museum of, Scientific Locations: Denmark, Sweden, York, Europe, Jelling, Copenhagen, Museum of Denmark, National Museum of Denmark, dak, DAK, statecraft, Viking