Rusla

Rusla

Rusla, also known as "Ingean Ruadh" and the "Red Maiden," was a legendary Norwegian skjaldmö warrior who is mentioned in Gesta Danorum of Saxo Grammaticus and Irish annals. According to Saxo, Rusla was the daughter of a 5th or 6th century king of Telemark 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.[1][2]

Life and Death

Rusla indiscriminately attacked ships and coastal towns in Iceland, Denmark and the British 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.[3]

Legacy

Her nickname comes from the Irish Gaelic "Ingean Ruagh",[4] and she had a reputation as bloodthirsty and 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, and Rusla lost her sons on the battlefield. Rusla went down in history as the most cruel of all warrior Norse women.[5]

According to Irish Cogad Gaedel re Gallaib, the sons of a woman by this name died at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014. Although it has been suggested that these two Rusla are the same woman, Alexander Bugge argued that the Irish author of Cogad Gaedal re Gallaib misinterpreted the Old English name Rodla, which refers to the Viking man Rollo of Normandy. The two sons who die at Clontarf are called John the Baron and Richard, which fit a Norman milieu.[6]

According to Irish annals, Rusla and Stickla participated in the Battle of Clontarf. Other sources cite that the sons of a woman named "Rusla" died at this battle.

Stikla

In the 13th century Gesta Danorum, or "The History of the Danes," Saxo Grammaticus recorded that the town was named after Stikla, a shield-maiden who was most famous for raiding with the Viking captain Rusla (Rusla was known as "The Red Maiden" for her brutal raids on Irish ships.) Stikla would have settled in the area at some point after her participation in the Battle of Clontarf in 1014.

References
  1. Saxo Grammaticus, Gesta Danorum (1931), Olryk y Raeder, Copenhagen, Denmark, p. 222–223
  2. Saxo Grammaticus, Gesta Danorum, Forgotten Books, ISBN 978-1-60506-788-9 p. 307–308
  3. Ulrike Klausmann & Marion Meinzerin (1997) Women Pirates, Black Rose Books, Montreal, New York, London p. 114
  4. Velasco, Manuel (2012) Breve Historia de los Vikingos (versión extendida), Ed. Nowtilus, ISBN 978-84-9967-345-5 p. 351 (Spanish)
  5. Barbara Sjoholm, Barbara (2004) The Pirate Queen: In Search of Grace O'Malley and Other Legendary Women of the Sea, Seal Press, ISBN 978-1-58005-109-5 p. 306–307
  6. Bugge, Alexander (1966). On the Fomorians and the Norsemen. https://archive.org/stream/onfomoriansnorse00macfuoft/onfomoriansnorse00macfuoft_djvu.txt. pp. 21–22.CS1 maint: location (link)
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