Summary: Long ago, in the far north of Lapland, a young woman learned the secrets of sorcery from two warlocks. At least that’s what the Icelandic sagas say. The woman would become Gunnhild, infamous Viking sorcerer whose dark magic served her lifelong pursuit of vengeance and power. Viking burials have been found that contain all the trappings of magic, so we know that the Vikings believed her immense power was real. But she never got her own saga: she only appears in supporting roles, in sagas about men. What can we extract from the sagas about Gunnhild’s life, and was she really evil?
