Valkyrie

This article is about the Valkyries, figures of Norse mythology. There is another article on the North American XB-70 Valkyrie aircraft.

The Valkyries ("choosers of the slain", alternative spelling: Walkyries, Old Norse valkyrja, pl. valkyrjur) are figures of Norse mythology. Lesser goddesses (dís, pl. dísir) and generally held to be daughters of Odin, they are usually depicted as beautiful warrior-maidens on winged horses, armed with helmets and spears.

However, valkyrie horse was a kenning for wolf (see e.g. Rök Stone), so contrary to the stereotype they did not ride mounts of the pegasus kind. Their horses were rather the packs of wolves that frequented the corpses of dead warriors.

Their purpose is to visit battlefields and chose the most heroic of those who have died in battle (called Einherjar), to carry them off to Valhalla. This was necessary because Odin needed warriors to fight at his side at the preordained battle at the end of the world, Ragnarok. Any maiden who became a Valkyrie would, generally held belief states, remain immortal and invulnerable—as long as she remained a virgin.

In the field they are always in complete armor; led on by Skulda, the youngest of the Fates, they are foremost in battle, with helmets on their heads, armed with flaming swords, and surrounded by lightning and meteors. Sometimes they are seen riding through the air and over the sea on shadowy horses, from whose manes fall hail on the mountains and dew on the valleys; and at other times their fiery lances gleam in the spectral lights of the aurora borealis; and again, they are represented clothed in white, with flowing hair, as cupbearers to the heroes at the feasts of Valhalla.

The Valkyries also acted as Odin's messengers. Their armor, while doing his bidding, was thought to have caused Aurora Borealis.

List of the Valkyries:

1. Brunhilde (appears in the Völsunga saga)
2. Göll
3. Göndul
4. Gudr
5. Gunn (choser of the slain, mentioned in several sources)
6. Herfjoturr (caused the paralysis of defeat)
7. Hildr
8. Hladgunnr
9. Hlokk
10. Hrist (served the einherjar in Valhalla)
11. Mist(served the einherjar in Valhalla)
12. Rota (choser of the slain)
13. Sigrdrifa
14. Sigrún (mentioned in Helge Hundingsbane)
15. Skagull (filled Odin's horn with mead)
16. Skeggjald
17. Skuld (Norn and choser of the slain)
18. Svafa
19. Trud (a daughter of Thor's who served the einherjar in Valhalla).

Richard Wagner adapted one of the Valkyrie myths, dealing with the Valkyrie Brunhilde and her love for the warrior Siegfried, into his opera Die Walküre.

See also: Alaisiagae