Rusla, also known as the "Red Woman" from

Middle Irish Middle Irish, sometimes called Middle Gaelic ( ga, An Mheán-Ghaeilge, gd, Meadhan-Ghàidhlig), is the Goidelic language which was spoken in Ireland, most of Scotland and the Isle of Man from AD; it is therefore a contemporary of late Old Engli ...

''Ingean Ruagh'', was a legendary Norwegian

shield-maiden A shield-maiden ( non, skjaldmær ) was a female warrior from Scandinavian folklore and mythology. Shield-maidens are often mentioned in sagas such as '' Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks'' and in ''Gesta Danorum''. They also appear in stories of othe ...

mentioned in the ''

Gesta Danorum ''Gesta Danorum'' ("Deeds of the Danes") is a patriotic work of Danish history, by the 12th-century author Saxo Grammaticus ("Saxo the Literate", literally "the Grammarian"). It is the most ambitious literary undertaking of medieval Denmark an ...

'' or "History of the Danes" of

Saxo Grammaticus Saxo Grammaticus (c. 1150 – c. 1220), also known as Saxo cognomine Longus, was a Danish historian, theologian and author. He is thought to have been a clerk or secretary to Absalon, Archbishop of Lund, the main advisor to Valdemar I of Denmark. ...

and in the

Irish annals A number of Irish annals, of which the earliest was the Chronicle of Ireland, were compiled up to and shortly after the end of the 17th century. Annals were originally a means by which monks determined the yearly chronology of feast days. Over t ...

. According to Saxo, Rusla was the daughter of a 5th or 6th century king of

Telemark Telemark is a traditional region, a former county, and a current electoral district in southern Norway. In 2020, Telemark merged with the former county of Vestfold to form the county of Vestfold og Telemark. Telemark borders the traditional ...

called Rieg, and sister of Tesandus (Thrond), who was dispossessed of his throne by a Danish king named Omund. Rusla formed a pirate fleet to attack all Danish ships as revenge for the affront to her brother. Rusla was always accompanied by another woman (some sources cite her as sister) Stikla, who was her deputy in all raids. Stikla turned to piracy to avoid marriage, and her name is the origin of the Norwegian city

Stiklestad Stiklestad is a village and parish in the municipality of Verdal in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located east of the town of Verdalsøra and about southeast of the village of Forbregd/Lein. The village is mainly known as the site of the ...

Life and Death

Rusla indiscriminately attacked ships and coastal towns in

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

and the

British Isles The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, ...

. However, a Danish King named Omund was a trickster king and persuaded Tesandus to side with the Danes, taking him as a foster son. This plot caused Tesandus to lose his crown. Rusla waged war on the Danes in an attempt to avenge Tesandus' loss. During this conflict, she sank Tesandus' ship. Due to the mercy of Rusla, Tesandus was able to escape with his life, but this loss caused Tesandus to desire revenge on his sister. Tesandus pursued her fleet on ships of his own and eventually captured his sister Rusla, grabbing her by the braids while his crew killed her with blows from rowing oars.

Legacy

Her nickname "Red Woman" comes from her bloodthirsty reputation and her custom of taking no prisoners. The Irish annals also cite Rusla and Stickla's participation in the Battle of Clontarf. They were part of the body of mercenaries hired by the Vikings who fought against

Brian Boru Brian Boru ( mga, Brian Bóruma mac Cennétig; modern ga, Brian Bóramha; 23 April 1014) was an Irish king who ended the domination of the High King of Ireland, High Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill and probably ended Viking invasion/domi ...

, and Rusla lost her sons on the battlefield. Rusla went down in history as the most cruel of all warrior Norse women. According to the medieval Irish ''

Cogad Gáedel re Gallaib ''Cogad Gáedel re Gallaib'' ("The War of the Irish with the Foreigners") is a medieval Irish text that tells of the depredations of the Vikings and Uí Ímair dynasty in Ireland and the Irish king Brian Boru's great war against them, beginning ...

'', the sons of a woman by this name died at the

Battle of Clontarf The Battle of Clontarf ( ga, Cath Chluain Tarbh) took place on 23 April 1014 at Clontarf, near Dublin, on the east coast of Ireland. It pitted an army led by Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, against a Norse-Irish alliance comprising the forc ...

in 1014. Although it has been suggested that these two Rusla are the same woman,

Alexander Bugge Alexander Bugge (30 December 1870, Christiania – 24 December 1929, Copenhagen) was a Norwegian historian.

argued that the Irish author of ''Cogad Gáedel re Gallaib'' misinterpreted the Old English name ''Rodla'', which refers to the Viking

Rollo of Normandy Rollo ( nrf, Rou, ''Rolloun''; non, Hrólfr; french: Rollon; died between 928 and 933) was a Viking who became the first ruler of Normandy, today a region in northern France. He emerged as the outstanding warrior among the Norsemen who had se ...

. The two sons who die at Clontarf are called John the Baron and Richard, which fit a Norman milieu.

Stikla

In the 13th century ''Gesta Danorum'' recorded that the town of

was named after Stikla, a shield-maiden who was most famous for raiding with Rusla. Stikla would have settled in the area at some point after her participation in the Battle of Clontarf in 1014.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rusla Female sailors Sea captains Women in medieval European warfare Norwegian pirates Norwegian female pirates