Masculinidades, discapacidades y cuerpos dispares. Negociar el género en la Época vikinga

Abstract

Social understandings of gender have been variable throughout history and depending on the cultural context in question. The active theorization around this concept that has been developed in recent decades has served to establish the idea of its historicity and its intersectional character, that is, its constitution from the interaction with other categories. In this article we will delve into the intersection between gender and physical disabilities based on evidence from the Viking Age with the aim of understanding how the presence of differential physical traits or functions affected the individual’s gender identity. Specifically, we will focus on analyzing masculinities, which will also make it possible to reconsider the image of a space and time dominated by the collective ideal of the Viking as a hypermasculine and brave man and make it more complex conceiving the existence of alternative identities