Valkyrie

The Valkyrie's Vigil, by the Pre-Raphaelite painter Edward Robert Hughes. Hughes down-plays the warrior aspect of the valkyrie, depicting instead a beautiful young woman in an ethereal dress. Her armor and weapons are present, but set aside and unused.

In Norse mythology, the valkyries are dísir (minor female deities who served Odin). Their primary purpose was to choose the most heroic of those who had died in battle and to carry them off to Valhalla, where they became the deathless einherjar ("lone fighters"). This was necessary because Odin needed warriors to fight at his side during 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.”

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, the valkyries are depicted weaving the web of war (as discussed below). According to the Prose Edda, “Odin sends [the valkyries] to every battle. They allot death to men and govern victory. Gunn and Rota [two valkyries] and the youngest norn, called Skuld, always ride to choose who shall be slain and to govern the killings.”

Valkyries in a Norse Context

As Norse deities, the Valkyries belonged to a complex religious, mythological and cosmological belief system shared by the Scandinavian and Germanic peoples. This mythological tradition, of which the Scandinavian (and particularly Icelandic) sub-groups are best preserved, developed in the period from the first manifestations of religious and material culture in approximately 1000 B.C.E. until the Christianization of the area, a process that occurred primarily from 900-1200 C.E.. The tales recorded within this mythological corpus tend to exemplify a unified cultural focus on physical prowess and military might.

Within this framework, Norse cosmology postulates three separate "clans" of deities: the Aesir, the Vanir, and the Jotun. The distinction between Aesir and Vanir is relative, for the two are said to have made peace, exchanged hostages, intermarried and reigned together after a prolonged war, which the Aesir had finally won. In fact, the most significant divergence between the two groups is in their respective areas of influence, with the Aesir representing war and conquest, and the Vanir representing exploration, fertility and wealth. The Jotun, on the other hand, are seen as a generally malefic (though wise) race of giants who represented the primary adversaries of the Aesir and Vanir.

The primary role of the valkyries was to swell the ranks of Odin's deathless army by spiriting the "best of the slain" from the battlefield, away to Valhalla.

Etymology

The word "valkyrie" comes from the Old Norse valkyrja (plural "valkyrur"), which consists of the words val ("to choose") and kyrja ("slaughter"). Thus, the term literally means choosers of the slain. It is cognate to the Old English wælcyrige. The modern German Walküre, which was coined by Richard Wagner, was derived from the Old Norse.

Origins and Characteristics

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 — gruesome old hags 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

"The conception of the supernatural warrior-maiden was presumably brought to Scandinavia in very early times from the South-Germanic races, and later it was interwoven with the likewise South-Germanic tradition of the swan-maiden. [Another] complication developed when the originally quite human women of the hero-legends were endowed with the qualities of both Valkyries and swan-maidens"

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 Skogul ("Shaker"), Hlok ("Noise", "Battle") and Gol ("Tumult").

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.)

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 Völsunga saga. Her name means "Byrnie of battle."
• Hildr appears in the legend of Hedin and Högni, in Ragnarsdrápa and in the Edda. Her name means "Battle."
• Sigrdrífa appears in Sigrdrífumál. Her name means "She who Drives Victory."
• Sigrún appears in Helgakviða Hundingsbana II. Her name means "Knower of Mysteries (or spells) of Victory."
• Sváva appears in Helgakviða Hjörvarðssonar.
• Ölrún, Svanhvít, and Alvitr appear in Völundarkviða. "Ölrún" means "Knower of the Mysteries (or spells) of Ale."
• Þrúðr is a daughter of Thor.

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.

The inclination towards romantic depictions of valkyries is evident in Valkyries by Peter Nicolai Arbo, 1869.

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 (poetic description) for wolf (as seen in the 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. 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'." However, there is nothing in our sources which supports this claim.

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Davidson, Hilda Roderick Ellis. Gods and Myths of Northern Europe. Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1964. ISBN 0317530267.
• DuBois, Thomas A. Nordic Religions in the Viking Age. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1999. ISBN 0-8122-1714-4.
• Dumézil, Georges. Gods of the Ancient Northmen. Edited by Einar Haugen; Introduction by C. Scott Littleton and Udo Strutynski. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1973. ISBN 0-520-02044-8.
• Lindow, John. Handbook of Norse mythology. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2001. ISBN 1-57607-217-7.
• Munch, P. A. Norse Mythology: Legends of Gods and Heroes. In the revision of Magnus Olsen; translated from the Norwegian by Sigurd Bernhard Hustvedt. New York: The American-Scandinavian foundation; London: H. Milford, Oxford University Press, 1926.
• Orchard, Andy. Cassell's Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend. London: Cassell; New York: Distributed in the United States by Sterling Pub. Co., 2002. ISBN 0-304-36385-5.
• The Poetic Edda. Translated and with notes by Henry Adams Bellows. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1936. 151-173. Accessed online at sacred-texts.com.
• Sturlson, Snorri. The Prose Edda of Snorri Sturluson: Tales from Norse Mythology. Introduced by Sigurdur Nordal; Selected and translated by Jean I. Young. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1954. ISBN 0-520-01231-3.
• Sturluson, Snorri. The Prose Edda. Translated from the Icelandic and with an introduction by Arthur Gilchrist Brodeur. New York: American-Scandinavian foundation, 1916. Available online at http://www.northvegr.org/lore/prose/index.php.
• Turville-Petre, Gabriel. Myth and Religion of the North: The Religion of Ancient Scandinavia. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1964. ISBN 0837174201.

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