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But this is my favorite photo of her. Seems an Official Mattel Photographer couldn't figure out which way the wings were supposed to point! Nice look you got goin' there, babe. What really irritates me is that of all the dolls in the historical/global series, this seems like the only instance where they decided to ignore the authentic look completely. Now, I am not a great expert on historical women's dress (that's my wife's job), but I'd say the only other one that looks really suspect is the Irish Princess. I mean really... Goth eye make-up? I do think they came closer to the mark on the Japanese and African dolls. Kudos for that IF people familiar with those cultures agree.

So why do we get stuck with the Wagnerian Barbarella?

If you know me, you know I am far from that sort of Heathen who gets all hot and bothered about the "oppression of our ancestors." Not that I think the Christian missionaries did us any favors, mind you, but I don't see us as an oppressed people in the modern age by any stretch of the imagination. Never the less, it does strike me that some executive decided two things about this doll:

A. While you do not want to screw up too much representing other ethnicities, it is OK (or at least safe) to play with the historical/cultural identity of white Europeans.

B. Norse women's clothing is not attractive and would not sell.

As for A, this is a classic PC scenario in today's Hollywood and corporate America and I don't expect much else considering their record on showing anyone's history or culture has always been so poor. I do hope some of our folk are writing Mattel to complain. I hope some Celts do as well because I am pretty sure the Irish Princess is mostly fantasy, too.

Regarding B, I'd say they didn't bother to do the research. It is easy for a designer to find examples of Edo-era Japanese geisha dress. It is equally easy to find traditional costume of many African tribes still in use today. But delving into history for something more obscure takes work and such work takes time and money.

Beyond that, yeah, I am pretty sure the final analysis was that they wanted somthing flashy that would sell in the midst of the current fad for things like The Lord of the Rings. Ironic considering those films, like Tolkien himself, borrowed so heavily from Norse design for their look.

So, wanna know what Viking Women really looked like?

So glad you asked!

One of the best researchers on this subject I know is Þóra Sharptooth, a Mistress of the Laurel in the Society for Creative Anachronism. As a Laurel, she is a membr of the SCA's arts and sciences "elite" and deservedly so. If you want to research or construct Norse clothing, start with her site.

Another brief description of the dress can be found at the isle-of-man.com site.

Though they admit some of their data may now be out-of-date, the living history group Hurstwic also provides a good article on Norse clothing.

OK. Confession time. I'll admit now that I have purchased one of the Barbie dolls for my daughter. I do think it is nice looking, for a fantasy. I'll give it to her for her birthday someday. But I promise you I will make it clear that the doll represents Freya or a Valkyrie, not a real-life Norse woman.

Or I'll just tell her it's a 19th century opera singer.