The Family Strategies of Gunnhildr konungamóðir

Description

Little can be said with any certainty about the life of the some-time Norwegian and Northumbrian queen consort, Gunnhildr konungamóðir (mother of kings). Hers is a much-mythologised biography. Married to the Norwegian heir presumptive, Eiríkr blóðøx (blood-axe), some time in the early tenth-century, Gunnhildr enjoyed a brief period as queen of Norway in the 930s before the couple were exiled from the kingdom, with Eiríkr’s half-brother claiming the throne. Relocating first to Orkney and then Northumbria, the couple enjoyed regnal authority in both places prior to Eiríkr’s death in the 950s. This is the moment at which Gunnhildr is said to have become a political player in her own right, and when she gained her sobriquet: the mother of kings. Leaving Northumbria after Eiríkr’s death, Gunnhildr sought first the protection of her brother, the king of Denmark, before heading with her sons – as many as six – to lay claim to the throne of Norway. In this, they proved successful, with Gunnhildr the power behind both the campaign and the throne, her prominence attested by the fact that her sons, rather than being referred to by a patronymic, were known as the Gunnhildarsynir (Gunnhild’s sons). This paper will examine Gunnhildr’s dowagerhood and the ways she used her sons to navigate her new political circumstances and so obtain and maintain authority in the Norwegian court.

Period	4 Jun 2025
Event title	Kings & Queens Conference 14: Beyond the King
Event type	Conference
Location	Lisbon, PortugalShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International