Gunnhild

Poul Anderson, Mother Of Kings (New York, 2003).

In Book One, Poul Anderson shows us a girl becoming the woman who will be the title character of the novel.

The northern lights are caused by ghosts, gods or trolls. After watching them:

"Gunnhild lingered...She wanted to show the Beings who raved abroad that she was not afraid. She would not let herself be afraid." (p. 5)

Having seen that her father is inferior in power and status to the King's son, she thinks:

"No...she would not become anyone's underling, nor would she forever be a nobody." (p. 12)

Unlike her father and brothers, she takes the trouble to learn Finnish because it might be useful. She also learns some witchcraft:

"What further witchcraft she could learn ought to give strength - strength of her own, which she might or might not choose to add to the strength of some good man. Over and above that, though, she would seek strength wherever it was to be had..." (p. 24)

(A Dianic friend told me that "witch" means "woman in total control of herself.")

"She, Gunnhild, had today been among the weak. She would never again let that come about.
'I will never yield,' said Gunnhild into the wind. 'Through me, Mother, if none else, our blood shall flow greatly.'" (p. 28)

Her father says:

"'You are a girl yet, but a she-wolf's heart is in you.'" (p. 38)

"'...we'll see whether we can kill them,' said Gunnhild." (p. 76)