What the Heck is a Shield Maiden?

Shield Maidens: Mythical Women Warriors

Scandinavian folklore and mythology describe Shield Maidens or skjaldmær (old Norse) as warriors who fought fearlessly alongside Viking men.  Unlike the "free a man to fight" version of military women made famous by old Marine Corps recruiting posters, Shield Maidens were believed to be fierce warriors who waded into the thick of battle.

Although, there is some debate as to whether or not Shield Maidens actually existed or if they were merely fictional their exploits are chronicled is Germanic stories and Old Norse sagas.  Some suggest that Shield Maidens provided the inspiration for the Valkyries, the mythical women warrior women who fought in service of Odin.  Fictional or not, like Shield Maidens, military women of today are warriors who willing elected to fight alongside their brothers in arms.  Their stories deserve to be told.

What is Shield Maidens Institute ™?

Shield Maiden Institute ™ is a site dedicated to supporting the mental and emotional health of military women who have served on active duty in ANY branch of service by offering resources and information.   Shield Maiden Institute™ also acts as a platform for military women to share stories of resilience with their sisters in arms.

Shield Maiden Institute™ is designed to be a safe space.  We encourage discourse but we will not tolerate abuse or bullying.  If you know a current or prior service active duty woman who could benefit, please invite her to subscribe.  Just a reminder, while we may include posts by non-military professionals, this page is geared towards military women who have served on active duty.  We reserve the right to rescind membership at any time for any reason.

DISCLAIMER

Okay so here are the nuts and bolts of it.  Shield Maiden Institute™ Blog and affiliated sites is solely for the purposes of sharing information, knowledge, and resources.  Although I discuss mental health (a lot), this is not a therapy page.  We do not offer psychotherapy or ANY form of psychological services.  What that means is Shield Maiden Institute™ Blog and affiliated sites don’t offer therapy. They are not intended to replace or substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric, therapeutic, or medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.   The only thing the Shield Maiden Institute™ Blog and affiliated sites provide are resources, information, and occasionally humor.  

If you feel you are struggling emotionally, please find a qualified mental health provider.  No blog, website, or self-help book can replace a qualified mental health professional.  Please don’t put a Band-Aid over a gaping wound.   If you are in crisis, considering hurting yourself or others, or just feel like you are at the end of your rope, please call 911 or go to your local emergency room to get the help you need and deserve. There is no shame is asking for help.   If you feel like you need to talk to someone, please seek out a mental health professional in your area.  You can find one using the American Psychological Association’s psychologist finder at: https://locator.apa.org

Contacting authors, commenting, and posting is not the same as getting professional mental help.  Although some of our authors are psychologists, reaching out to us doesn’t constitute a professional relationship.  Even though we are sharing information and resources that doesn’t mean we are your therapists, or you are our clients.   This is actually a good thing because while there may be some identification with the topics presented, mental health care should be tailored to your particular circumstances and concerns.  It’s possible the topics covered strike a chord but, it’s also possible they don’t quite hit the mark.  To that end, Shield Maiden Institute™ accepts no responsibility for actions or adverse consequences resulting from misinterpretation of information presented on our site. 

Another thing, although some blogs have links to external sites let's face it sites switch owners, pop up, and disappear all the time.  It’s difficult to track and impossible to manage anyone’s content but our own.  Inclusion of external links does not constitute a relationship or endorsement by Shield Maiden Institute™.  Furthermore, Shield Maiden Institute™ assumes no responsibility for content provided by external websites maintained by outside parties.  When visiting an outside site, I suggest using caution.  Consider it like being introduced to someone’s co-worker.  They only know about how they present at work, who knows what they get into after work.  External links are the same way.  I recommend them based on what was presented at the time, but that could be subject to change.

By visiting Shield Maiden Institute™ Blog and affiliated sites you are acknowledging that you've read the disclaimer and agree to the terms.

CONTENT

All materials included on Shield Maiden Institute ™ and affiliated sites to include images, illustrations, and text are proprietary and protected by copyright.  Shield Maiden Institute™ materials, images, and content may not be used, reproduced, copied, published, posted, uploaded, distributed, or transmitted without obtaining prior express written permission from Dr. Tanya S. Crabb.

SUBMISSIONS

If you are a licensed mental health provider with prior military experience or experience working with military populations and want to share resources, please drop me a line at shieldmaidentherapy@outlook.com.   Please include a small bio detailing your qualifications with your request.  All information provided is subject to verification.

Thanks for taking the time to read the Shield Maiden Institute™ blog.  In my next post, Things My Recruiter Never Told Me, I discuss a couple things I wish I found surprising about being a military woman.

Please visit the attached link if you'd like more information about Shield Maidens: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shield-maiden#Historical_existence

DISCLAIMER:  Given the fluid nature of Wikipedia I do not typically list it as a source.  However, the referenced Wikipedia entries also contain a list of outside references.