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:''For other uses see Valkyrie (disambiguation)''.

In Norse mythology the 'valkyries' are ''dísir'', minor female deities, who served Odin. The valkyries' purpose was to choose the most heroic of those who had died in battle and to carry them off to Valhalla where they became einherjar. This was necessary because Odin needed warriors to fight at his side at the preordained battle at the end of the world, Ragnarök. In Valhalla the valkyries also “serve drink and look after the tableware and drinking vessels” (Prose Edda ''Gylfaginning'' 36).
In Gylfaginning of the Prose Edda and the poem Grimnismál of the Poetic Edda, it is said that Freyja receives half of the slain heroes in her hall Fólkvangr, however there are no descriptions about life at Fólkvangr. Freyja is also called Vanadís, which suggests that she is related to the dísir.
It appears, however, that there was no clear distinction between the valkyries and the norns. Skuld is for instance both a valkyrie and a norn, and in the ''Darraðarljóð'' (lines 1-52), the valkyries weave the web of war (see below). According to the Prose Edda (''Gylfaginning'' 36), “Odin sends [the valkyries] to every battle. They allot death to men and govern victory. Gunnr and Róta [two valkyries] and the youngest norn, called Skuld, always ride to choose who shall be slain and to govern the killings”.
Moreover, artistic licence permitted the name Valkyrie to be used for mortal women in Old Norse poetry, or to quote Snorri Sturluson's ''Skáldskaparmál'' on the various names used for women:
:Woman is also metaphorically called by the names of the Asynjur or the Valkyrs or Norns or women of supernatural kind.^[1]

Contents

Depictions

Origins

Etymology

Notable valkyries

Major valkyries

Other valkyries

Recent cultural reference

See also

Notes

References

Depictions

In modern art, the valkyries are sometimes depicted as beautiful shieldmaidens on winged horses, armed with helmets and spears. However, ''valkyrie horse'' was a kenning for wolf (see Rök Stone), so contrary to the stereotype, they did not ride winged horses. Their mounts were rather the packs of wolves that frequented the corpses of dead warriors. They were gruesome and war-like.
Whereas the wolf was the valkyrie's mount, the valkyrie herself appears to be akin to the raven, flying over the battlefield and "choosing" corpses^[2]. Thus, the packs of wolves and ravens that scavenged the aftermath of battles may have been seen as serving a higher purpose.
According to Thomas Bulfinch's highly influential work ''Bulfinch's Mythology'' (1855), the armour of the valkyries "sheds a strange flickering light, which flashes up over the northern skies, making what men call the 'Aurora Borealis', or 'Northern Lights'.^[3]" However, there is nothing in our sources which supports this claim^[4], except for the arrival of the the Valkyries in ''Helgakviða Hundingsbana I'':

:15. Þá brá ljóma :af Logafjöllum, :en af þeim ljómum :leiftrir kómu, :-- -- -- :-- -- --:hávar und hjalmum :á Himinvanga, :brynjur váru þeira :blóði stokknar, :en af geirum :geislar stóðu.[5]

:15. Then glittered light:from Logafjoll,:And from the light:the flashes leaped;:-:-:High under helms:on heaven's field;:Their byrnies all:with blood were red,:And from their spears:the sparks flew forth.[6]

:15. Then gleamed a ray:from Logafiöll,:and from that ray:lightnings issued;:then appeared,:in the field of air,:a helmed band:of Valkyriur::their corslets were:with blood besprinkled,:and from their spears:shone beams of light.[7]

Origins

The origin of the valkyries as a whole is not reported in extant texts, but many of the well known valkyries are reported as having mortal parents. It is now believed that the original valkyries were the priestesses of Odin who officiated at sacrificial rites in which prisoners were executed (“given to Odin”). These priestesses sometimes carried out the sacrifices themselves, which involved the use of a ritual spear. By the time the Poetic Edda came to be compiled in the late 12th or early 13th century, these rituals had given rise to legends of supernatural battle-maidens who took an active part in human conflict, deciding who should live and who should die (Davidson 1964).
In the mythological poems of the Poetic Edda the valkyries are supernatural deities of unknown parentage; they are described as battle-maidens who ride in the ranks of the gods or serve the drinks in Valhalla; they are invariably given unworldly names like ''Skgul'' (“Raging”), ''Hlkk'' (“Shrieking”) and ''Gjll'' (“Screaming”).
In the Heroic lays, however, the valkyries are described as bands of warrior-women only the leader of whom is ever named. She is invariably a ''human'' woman, the beautiful daughter of a great king, though she shares some of the supernatural abilities of her anonymous companions. In the first of the three Helgi Lays, Helgi Hjörvarðsson is accosted by a band of nine valkyries the leader of whom, Svava, is the daughter of a king called Eylimi. In the second and third lays, the valkyries are led by Sigrun, who is the daughter of King Hogni; she marries the hero Helgi Hundingsbani and bears him sons. The most famous of the valkyries, Brynhildr, is also a human princess. In the ''Sigrdrífumál'' (''The Ballad of the Victory-Bringer'') she is never named, being called simply ''Sigrdrífa'' (“Victory-Bringer”), and there are only hints that she is not a deity; what's more, we are told nothing of her parentage. In the corresponding passage in the Volsunga saga, however, she is identified as Brynhildr, the daughter of King Budli. (Sigrdrífa is also identified with Brynhildr in another heroic lay, ''Helreið Brynhildar'', or ''Bryndhildr's Ride to Hel''.)
Conjecturally speaking, it's possible that Valkyries are the Germanic equivalent of the Greek Amazons, as both concepts concern a group or race of skilled warrior women. The two may share a distant origin dating back to the pre-migratory past (i.e., they appear to have a similar mytheme), or it may be simply a case of coincidental similarity.

Etymology

The word "valkyrie" comes from the Old Norse ''valkyrja'' (plural "valkyrur"), from the words "val" (slain) and "kyrja" (choose). Literally the term means ''choosers of the slain''. It is cognate to the Old English "wælcyrige". The German form "Walküre" was coined by Richard Wagner from Old Norse.^[8]

Notable valkyries

Various individual valkyries are mentioned in numerous forms of Germanic literature.

Major valkyries

Several valkyries appear as major characters in extant myths.

★ Brynhildr appears in the ''Völsunga saga''. Her name means "Byrnie of battle."

★ Hildr appears in the legend of the Hjaðningavíg, which has survived in several sources. Her name means "Battle."

★ Sigrdrífa appears in ''Sigrdrífumál''. Her name means "She who Drives Victory."

★ Sigrún appears in ''Helgakviða Hundingsbana I'' and ''Helgakviða Hundingsbana II''. Her name means "Knower of Mysteries (or spells) of Victory."

★ Sváva appears in ''Helgakviða Hjörvarðssonar''. Her name means "Suebian".

★ Ölrún, Svanhvít, and Alvitr appear in ''Völundarkviða''. "Ölrún" means "Knower of the Mysteries (or spells) of Ale."

★ Þrúðr is a daughter of Thor. Her name means "strength".
Other sources indicate that some other valkyries were notable characters in Norse mythology, such as Gunnr who appears on the Rök Runestone, and Skögul who still appeared on a runic inscription in 13th century Bergen.

Other valkyries

Apart from the well known valkyries above, many more valkyrie names occur in our sources. In the nafnaþulur addition to Snorri's Edda the following strophes are found.

:''Mank valkyrjur'':''Viðris nefna.'':''Hrist, Mist, Herja,'':''Hlökk, Geiravör,'':''Göll, Hjörþrimul,'':''Gunnr, Herfjötur,'':''Skuld, Geirönul,'':''Skögul ok Randgníð.'':''Ráðgríðr, Göndul,'':''Svipul, Geirskögul,'':''Hildr ok Skeggöld,'':''Hrund, Geirdriful,'':''Randgríðr ok Þrúðr,'':''Reginleif ok Sveið,'':''Þögn, Hjalmþrimul,'':''Þrima ok Skalmöld.''

:I will recite the names:of the valkyries of Viðrir (Odin).:Hrist, Mist, Herja,:Hlökk, Geiravör:Göll, Hjörþrimul:Gunnr, Herfjötur:Skuld, Geirönul:Skögul and Randgníð.:Ráðgríðr, Göndul,:Svipul, Geirskögul,:Hildr and Skeggöld,:Hrund, Geirdriful,:Randgríðr and Þrúðr,:Reginleif and Sveið,:Þögn, Hjalmþrimul,:Þrima and Skalmöld.

In Grímnismál we have Odin reciting the following stanza.

:''Hrist ok Mist'':''vil ek at mér horn beri,'':''Skeggjöld ok Skögul,'':''Hildr ok Þrúðr,'':''Hlökk ok Herfjötur,'':''Göll ok Geirahöð,'':''Randgríð ok Ráðgríð'':''ok Reginleif.'':''Þær bera einherjum öl.''

:I want Hrist and Mist:to bring me a horn,:Skeggjöld and Skögul,:Hildr and Þrúðr,:Hlökk and Herfjötur,:Göll and Geirahöð,:Randgríð and Ráðgríð:and Reginleif.:They carry ale to the einherjar.

In Völuspá there are still more names.

:''Sá hon valkyrjur'':''vítt um komnar,'':''görvar at ríða'':''til Goðþjóðar.'':''Skuld helt skildi,'':''en Skögul önnur,'':''Gunnr, Hildr, Göndul'':''ok Geirskögul.''

:She saw valkyries:come from far and wide,:ready to ride:to Goðþjóð.:Skuld held a shield,:and Skögul was another,:Gunnr, Hildr, Göndul:and Geirskögul.

More are mentioned in Darraðarljóð (lines 1-52), a poem where their connection with the Norns is evident:

:''Vítt er orpit'':''fyrir valfalli'':''rifs reiðiský,'':''rignir blóði ;'':''nú er fyrir geirum'':''grár upp kominn'':''vefr verþjóðar,'':''er þær vinur fylla'':''rauðum vepti'':''Randvés bana.'' :See! warp is stretched:For warriors' fall,:Lo! weft in loom:'Tis wet with blood;:Now fight foreboding,:'Neath friends' swift fingers,:Our grey woof waxeth:With war's alarms,:Our warp bloodred,:Our weft corseblue. :''Sjá er orpinn vefr'':''ýta þörmum'':''ok harðkléaðr'':''höfðum manna ;'':''eru dreyrrekin'':''dörr at sköptum,'':''járnvarðr yllir,'':''en örum hrælaðr ;'':''skulum slá sverðum'':''sigrvef þenna.'' :This woof is y-woven:With entrails of men,:This warp is hardweighted:With heads of the slain,:Spears blood-besprinkled:For spindles we use,:Our loom ironbound,:And arrows our reels;:With swords for our shuttles:This war-woof we work; :''Gengr Hildr vefa'':''ok Hjörþrimul,'':''Sanngríðr, Svipul'':''sverðum tognum ;'':''skapt mun gnesta,'':''skjöldr mun bresta,'':''mun hjálmgagarr'':''í hlíf koma.'' :So weave we, weird sisters,:Our warwinning woof. :Now Warwinner walketh:To weave in her turn,:Now Swordswinger steppeth,:Now Swiftstroke, now Storm;:When they speed the shuttle:How spearheads shall flash!:Shields crash, and helmgnawer:On harness bite hard!

:''Vindum, vindum'':''vef darraðar,'':''þann er ungr konungr'':''átti fyrri!'':''Fram skulum ganga'':''ok í fólk vaða,'':''þar er vinir várir'':''vápnum skipta.'' :Wind we, wind swiftly:Our warwinning woof:Woof erst for king youthful:Foredoomed as his own,:Forth now we will ride,:Then through the ranks rushing:Be busy where friends:Blows blithe give and take. :''Vindum, vindum'':''vef darraðar'':''ok siklingi'':''síðan fylgjum!'':''Þar sjá bragna'':''blóðgar randir'':''Guðr ok Göndul,'':''er grami hlífðu.'' :Wind we, wind swiftly:Our warwinning woof,:After that let us steadfastly:Stand by the brave king;:Then men shall mark mournful:Their shields red with gore,:How Swordstroke and Spearthrust:Stood stout by the prince. :''Vindum, vindum'':''vef darraðar,'':''þars er vé vaða'':''vígra manna!'':''Látum eigi'':''líf hans farask ;'':''eigu valkyrjur'':''vals of kosti.'' :Wind we, wind swiftly:Our warwinning woof.:When sword-bearing rovers:To banners rush on,:Mind, maidens, we spare not:One life in the fray!:We corse-choosing sisters:Have charge of the slain.

As can be seen from the above, several of the names exist in different versions. Many of them have a readily apparent warlike meaning - ''Hjörþrimul'', for example, means "battle of swords" while ''Geirahöð'' means "battle of spears".
To what an extent this multitude of names ever represented individual mythological beings with separate characteristics is debatable. It is likely that many of them were never more than names and in any case only a few occur in extant myths.

Recent cultural reference

Richard Wagner incorporated Norse tales that included the valkyrie Brünnhilde (Brynhildr) and her punishment and subsequent love for the warrior Siegfried (Sigurðr). These works included his opera ''Die Walküre'', which contains the well known ''Ride of the Valkyries'', as well as others of his oeuvre, ''Siegfried'' and ''Götterdämmerung''. These depictions and others have subsequently led to modern representations of valkyries less as figures of death and warfare and more commonly as romanticized, pristine white and gold clad figures riding winged horses.

See also

★ Dísir

★ Fylgja

★ Grendel's mother

★ Morrigan

★ Norns

★ Shieldmaiden

★ Swan maiden

★ Women Warriors Art, Stories, Links. Lots of Valkyrie material.

Notes

1. ''Skáldskaparmál'' in translation by Arthur Gilchrist Brodeur (1916), at Northvegr.
2. http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/valkyrie.htm
3. http://www.mythome.org/bxxxviii.html
4. http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/njordrljos.htm
5. Helgakviða Hundingsbana I at «Norrøne Tekster og Kvad», Norway.
6. Bellow's translation.
7. Thorpe's translation.
8. "Valkyrie". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved on 9 August 2006.

References

★ Damico, Helen. ''Beowulf's Wealhtheow and the Valkyrie Tradition.'' Madison, Wis.: University of Wisconsin Press, 1984.

★ ---. "The Valkyrie Reflex in Old English Literature." ''New Readings on Women in Old English Literature''. Eds. Helen Damico and Alexandra Hennessey Olsen. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1990. 176-89.

★ Gods and Myths of Northern Europe, , H. R. Ellis, Davidson, Penguin Books, , ISBN 0-14-013627-4