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For more than a thousand years, the Rohirrim and their ancestors have made a habit of training young women in arms. The main purpose of this was so that, in times of great need, the women could defend themselves, their homes, and their children should the warriors be away or too weak to do so alone. This tradition remains very common, especially among the eastern clans that have held to more traditional herding life rather than sedentary farming. However, shieldmaidens are more than simply women who have some skill in fighting.
Shieldmaidens are, one and all, women who have set aside the life of womanhood to move at the borders of the world of men. It's a great step, as they abandon many of the things they were taught to do and desire -- household skills such as weaving and brewing, and even the desire to wed and have children. The causes for women to forsake female life are many, but usually at their heart is some great tragedy. Therefore, shieldmaidens are very rare indeed, and there are rarely more than half a dozen at any one time.
Because of the grey area that shieldmaidens reside in, varying beliefs have been brought about because of them. Most warriors actually see shieldmaidens as figures who carry luck with them, and there have been eoreds that have welcomed shieldmaidens to ride in their company upon patrols and even into battle. There are some, however, who see them as unnatural, and even unlucky, and avoid them with great vigor.
Typically, shieldmaidens are fairly well-armed, and this is generally due to the fact that the majority of them come from noble families who take pride in the choices of their daughters. Others have, by their courage and their deeds, won patrons who could outfit them for war. So armed, the shieldmaidens are often drawn into helping nobles and clans into organizing the defenses of their lands, and this is by far their most usual task. Not all shieldmaidens see battle, and even fewer actually ride into it.
As you can see, our take on shieldmaidens is a pretty conservative one. It's not a means to becoming a warrior who goes seeking adventure or throws themselves into the teeth of danger. By becoming a shieldmaiden, a character takes on a nearly monastic sort of life, celibate and lacking any desire in marriage. Women who claim to be shieldmaidens, but do otherwise, are considered "loose" women who are simply looking for the company of men and are shunned. It's a difficult life to choose.
For a player to be allowed to play a shieldmaiden, they have to show great familiarity and understanding of the culture's theme, skill and initiative in roleplay, and a commitment to making a contribution to the culture. Also, the character must have some exceptional skill in a weapon (training of Veteran or higher). Typically, a player will not be able to reach shieldmaiden status in less than 6 months, and it's expected that it can take rather more.
If there are any questions, please direct them to the LAs.
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