207k views
5 votes
Which is something Viking women could do?

A) Get divorced
B) Command ships
C) Get married when they wanted
D) Participate in battles

1 Answer

1 vote

Final answer:

A Viking woman could initiate divorce, own dowries at marriage, and control inheritances. Evidence for commanding ships, marrying at will, or participating in battles is not well-documented for Viking women. The correct option is A.

Step-by-step explanation:

Viking women had some autonomy and rights within their society. One of the things that a Viking woman could do was initiate divorce. LiberTexts states that women could initiate divorce, retain ownership of their dowries at marriage, and control their own inheritances. Widows, who were common due to the young marriage age of women and the deaths of soldier husbands, were legally autonomous and continued to run households after the death of their husbands.

In contrast, the evidence for Viking women commanding ships, marrying whenever they wanted, or participating in battles is much less clear and is not well-documented in historical sources. Regarding marriage, daughters were often married at a young age and finding an ideal husband was a key concern, suggesting marriages might not have been solely at their discretion.

The patriarchal nature of Germanic society, of which the Vikings were a part, likely also limited the direct participation of Viking women in battles, as traditional roles were more domestic. Thus, the correct answer to which is something Viking women could do is 'Get divorced'.

User SonalKhodiyar
by
7.5k points