Viking queen — not king — may have been ‘the key figure’ in Danish society, study says

Hundreds of Viking monuments dot Denmark’s coastal countryside. These carved stones, known as runes, are inscribed with the names of powerful Vikings who ruled the region over 1,000 years ago.

Among the names etched into the runes — most of which belonged to men — one stands out among all the others. It appears on an unprecedented four granite stones, making it the most commemorated Viking name in all of Denmark.

The name, Thyra, refers to a Viking queen, indicating she may have surpassed her male counterparts in becoming the most influential leader of her era, according to a study published on Oct. 11 in the journal Antiquity.

“Thyra was one of the key figures—or even the key figure—for the assembling of the Danish realm, in which she herself may have played an active part,” the authors of the study, who are affiliated with the National Museum of Denmark, the Swedish National Heritage Board and the County Administrative Board of West Sweden, a suggest.

Queen Thyra is described in historical texts as a wise ruler who defended Denmark from southern invaders, though details about her reign are sparse. She was also the mother of King Harald Bluetooth, who unified Denmark and converted its citizens to Christianity in the 10th century A.D., according to the museum.

Researchers used 3D scanning techniques to analyze the inscriptions on two groups of rune stones.

The first cluster of stones, the Jelling stones, were installed by Bluetooth, while the second group was raised by an individual known as Ravnunge-Tue. Both collections make mention of a woman named Thyra.

“We wanted to see if we could find the same rune carver on some of these stones, so that we could connect the Ravnunge-Tue stones with the Jelling stones,” Lisbeth Imer, one of the study authors, told industry publication Phys.org. “If there was a connection, it would be highly likely that all the stones referred to the same woman, Thyra, mother of Harald Bluetooth.”

Using digital models of the stones, researchers examined the inscriptions, hoping to identify subtle details in carving techniques.

“The method is based on the premise that carvers practicing their craft, like any craftworkers, develop their own individual motor performance,” the authors said. “This means that, with time and experience, they develop their own distinctive ways of working, which in turn creates a personal signature in the rune grooves.”

Similarities in the engravings on both groups of stones indicated that they were all indeed produced by the same person, suggesting that the four etchings of the name Thyra all referred to the same individual.

“This means that Queen Thyra was far more important than we previously assumed,” Imer said in a museum news release. “This is extremely interesting when it comes to understanding the power structure and the genesis of Denmark as a nation.”

The discovery led to the creation of a Danish television series called “The Thyra Enigma,” which premiered on Sept. 27.

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