Difference between revisions of "Valkyrie" - New World Encyclopedia

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[[Image:The Valkyrie's Vigil.jpg|thumb|333px|
 
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''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.
 
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In [[Norse Mythology|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").<ref>Lindow, 104.</ref> This was necessary because Odin needed warriors to fight at his side during the preordained battle at the end of the world ([[Ragnarok|Ragnarök]]). In Valhalla, the valkyries also “serve drink and look after the tableware and drinking vessels.”<ref>Snorri Sturluson, ''Gylfaginning'' XXXVI, Brodeur 48.</ref>
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[[File:The Ride of the Valkyrs.jpg|thumb|300px|''The Ride of the Valkyrs'' by John Charles Dollman, 1909]]
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In [[Norse Mythology|Norse mythology]], the '''Valkyries''' are female warrior deities who serve [[Odin]] (the chief [[god]] in Norse [[pantheon]]). According to the ''Prose Edda'', “Odin sends [the Valkyries] to every battle. They allot death to men and govern victory.”<ref>Snorri Sturluson, ''Gylfaginning'' XXXVI, Brodeur 48.</ref> The primary purpose of the Valkyrie was to select the most heroic of the warriors who had died in battle and to carry them off to [[Valhalla]] (Odin's "Hall of the slain"), where they became the deathless ''einherjar'' ("lone fighters") who were to fight at Odin's side during the [[escatology|eschaton]] ([[Ragnarok|Ragnarök]]).
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{{toc}}
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The Valkyries are esteemed as glorified warrior-maidens, which is a somewhat atypical depiction for women. Nevertheless, their respected military role is paralleled in other religious traditions that place an emphasis on strong female fighting figures: compare, for example, the Prophetess [[Deborah]] (in [[Judaism]]) and the Goddess [[Kali]] (in [[Hinduism]]).
  
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It appears, however, that there was no clear distinction between the valkyries and the [[norn]]s. Skuld is, for instance, both a valkyrie and a norn, and, in the ''Darraðarljóð'', the valkyries are depicted weaving the web of war ([[Valkyrie#Other Valkyries|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.”<ref>Snorri Sturluson, ''Gylfaginning'' XXXVI, Brodeur 48.</ref>
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==Etymology==
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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.<ref>[http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=Valkyrie "Valkyrie"]. Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved July 10, 2007. See also: Orchard, 376.</ref>
  
 
==Valkyries in a Norse Context==
 
==Valkyries in a Norse Context==
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As Norse deities, the Valkyries belonged to a complex religious, mythological and cosmological belief system shared by the [[Scandinavia|Scandinavian]] and [[Germany|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...<ref>Lindow, 6-8. Though some scholars have argued against the homogenizing effect of grouping these various traditions together under the rubric of “Norse Mythology,” the profoundly exploratory/nomadic nature of Viking society tends to overrule such objections. As Thomas DuBois cogently argues, “[w]hatever else we may say about the various peoples of the North during the Viking Age, then, we cannot claim that they were isolated from or ignorant of their neighbors…. As religion expresses the concerns and experiences of its human adherents, so it changes continually in response to cultural, economic, and environmental factors. Ideas and ideals passed between communities with frequency and regularity, leading to and interdependent and intercultural region with broad commonalities of religion and worldview.” (27-28).</ref> The tales recorded within this mythological corpus tend to exemplify a unified cultural focus on physical prowess and military might.  
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As Norse deities, the Valkyries belonged to a complex religious, mythological and cosmological belief system shared by the [[Scandinavia|Scandinavian]] and [[Germany|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.<ref>Lindow, 6-8. Though some scholars have argued against the homogenizing effect of grouping these various traditions together under the rubric of “Norse Mythology,” the profoundly exploratory/nomadic nature of Viking society tends to overrule such objections. As Thomas DuBois cogently argues, “[w]hatever else we may say about the various peoples of the North during the Viking Age, then, we cannot claim that they were isolated from or ignorant of their neighbors…. As religion expresses the concerns and experiences of its human adherents, so it changes continually in response to cultural, economic, and environmental factors. Ideas and ideals passed between communities with frequency and regularity, leading to and interdependent and intercultural region with broad commonalities of religion and worldview.” (27-28).</ref> The tales recorded within this mythological corpus tend to exemplify a unified cultural focus on physical prowess and military might.  
 
   
 
   
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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.<ref>More specifically, Georges Dumézil, one of the foremost authorities on the Norse tradition and a noted comparitivist, argues quite persuasively that the Aesir / Vanir distinction is a component of a larger triadic division (between ruler gods, warrior gods, and gods of agriculture and commerce) that is echoed among the Indo-European cosmologies (from Vedic India, through Rome and into the Germanic North). Further, he notes that this distinction conforms to patterns of social organization found in all of these societies. See Georges Dumézil's Gods of the Ancient Northmen (especially pgs. xi-xiii, 3-25) for more details.</ref> 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.
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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. 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.<ref>More specifically, Georges Dumézil, one of the foremost authorities on the Norse tradition and a noted comparitivist, argues quite persuasively that the Aesir/Vanir distinction is a component of a larger triadic division (between ruler gods, warrior gods, and gods of agriculture and commerce) that is echoed among the Indo-European cosmologies (from Vedic India, through Rome and into the Germanic North). Further, he notes that this distinction conforms to patterns of social organization found in all of these societies. See Georges Dumézil's Gods of the Ancient Northmen (especially pgs. xi-xiii, 3-25) for more details.</ref> 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.
  
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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.
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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. However, it appears that there was no clear distinction between the Valkyries and the [[Norn]]s because [[Skuld]], for instance, was both a valkyrie and a norn.
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==Etymology==
 
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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.<ref>[http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=Valkyrie "Valkyrie"]. Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved on 9 August 2006. See also: Orchard, 376.</ref>
 
  
 
==Origins and Characteristics==
 
==Origins and Characteristics==
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Though the extent texts are silent on the ultimate origin of the mythic valkyries,<ref>While the ''Prose'' and ''Poetic'' Eddas do discuss their roles and functions, neither groups of texts explore ontological natures or mythological origins of these beings. This analysis was performed using the online versions of the two texts (the [http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/poe/poe00.htm Poetic Edda] and the [http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/pre/index.htm Prose Edda]), as the ability to search them electronically greatly reduced the time-intensiveness of such a process.</ref> 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]] &mdash; 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<ref>Discussed in Davidson (1964).</ref>
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[[Image:The Valkyrie's Vigil.jpg|thumb|220px|
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''The Valkyrie's Vigil'', by the [[Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood|Pre-Raphaelite]] painter [[Edward Robert Hughes]]. Hughes downplays 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.]]
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Though the extant texts are silent on the ultimate origin of the mythic Valkyries,<ref>While the ''Prose'' and ''Poetic'' Eddas do discuss their roles and functions, neither groups of texts explore ontological natures or mythological origins of these beings. This analysis was performed using the online versions of the two texts (the [http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/poe/poe00.htm ''Poetic Edda''] and the [http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/pre/index.htm ''Prose Edda'']), as the ability to search them electronically greatly reduced the time-intensiveness of such a process.</ref> many of the well-known Valkyries are reported as having mortal parents:<ref>A fact that is attested to in many of the heroic lays of the ''Poetic Edda'' (discussed below).</ref> Some scholars now suggest that the original Valkyries were the priestesses of [[Odin]]<ref>As Odin was described as the originator of the Nordic system of sacrifice and worship (see Lindow, 158).</ref>&mdash;old women who officiated at sacrificial rites in which prisoners were executed (“given to Odin”). These priestesses sometimes carried out the gruesome sacrifices themselves, which involved the use of a ritual spear. By the time of the ''Poetic Edda's'' compilation (in the late twelfth or early thirteenth 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.<ref>This process of historical development, from priestess to minor deity, is discussed in Davidson (1964).</ref> Henry Bellows, in the notes to his translation of the ''Poetic Edda'', proposes an alternate interpretation of this historical time-line, suggesting that:
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: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 ... [A] complication developed when the originally quite human women of the hero-legends were endowed with the qualities of both Valkyries and swan-maidens.<ref>Footnote to "Voluspa," in the ''Poetic Edda'', accessed online at [http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/poe/poe03.htm sacred-texts.com.] pp. 14-31. Retrieved July 10, 2007.</ref>
  
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"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" <ref>Footnote to "Voluspa," in the ''Poetic Edda'', translated and with notes by Henry Adams Bellows, 14 ff. 31.</ref>
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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").<ref>See Orchard's "Appendix D: Names of Troll-wives, Giantesses, and Valkyries" (421-423). For accounts of the valkyries in the ''Poetic Edda'', see [http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/poe/poe03.htm ''Voluspa''] or [http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/poe/poe06.htm ''Grimnismol''], both accessible online, retrieved July 10, 2007.</ref>
  
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In the [[Poetic Edda#Mythological Poems|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").<ref>See Orchard's "Appendix D: Names of Troll-wives, Giantesses, and Valkyries" (421-423).</ref>
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Conversely, in the Heroic lays section of the same text, the Valkyries are described as bands of warrior-women, of whom only the leader 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, [[Brunhild|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 (realm)|Hel]]''.)<ref>These heroic lays are all found in the second half of the Poetic Edda, accessible online at [http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/poe/poe17.htm sacred-texts.com.] Retrieved July 10, 2007.</ref>
  
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In the [[Poetic Edda#Heroic lays|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 Hundingsbane|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 [[Budli|King Budli]]. (Sigrdrífa is also identified with Brynhildr in another heroic lay, ''[[Helreið Brynhildar]]'', or ''Bryndhildr's Ride to [[Hel (realm)|Hel]]''.)<!-- Hel, not Hell —>
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==Notable Valkyries==
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[[Image:Arbo-Valkyrien.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The inclination towards romantic depictions of Valkyries is evident in ''Valkyries'' by [[Peter Nicolai Arbo]], 1869]]
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Various individual Valkyries are mentioned throughout Nordic and Germanic literature.
  
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==Notable Valkyries==
 
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Various individual valkyries are mentioned in numerous forms of Germanic literature.
 
 
===Major Valkyries===
 
===Major Valkyries===
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Several valkyries appear as major characters in extant myths.
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Several Valkyries appear as major characters in extant myths. As mentioned above, they are often depicted as the daughters of human kings who, for whatever reason, were given the task of leading the legion of Valkyries.
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*[[Brynhildr]] appears in [[Völsunga saga]].  Her name means "Byrnie of battle."
 
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*[[Hildr]] appears in the legend of [[Hedin and Högni]], in [[Ragnarsdrápa]] and in the [[Edda]].  Her name means "Battle."
 
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*[[Sigrdrífa]] appears in [[Sigrdrífumál]].  Her name means "She who Drives Victory."
 
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*[[Sigrún]] appears in [[Helgakviða Hundingsbana II]].  Her name means "Knower of Mysteries (or spells) of Victory."
 
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*[[Svafa|Sváva]] appears in [[Helgakviða Hjörvarðssonar]].
 
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*[[Ölrún]], [[Svanhvít]], and [[Alvitr]] appear in [[Völundarkviða]].  "Ölrún" means "Knower of the Mysteries (or spells) of Ale."
 
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*[[Þrúðr]] is a daughter of [[Thor]].
 
  
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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, Norway|Bergen]].
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*[[Brunhild|Brynhildr]] appears in ''Völsunga saga''.  Her name means "bright 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 "victory-urger."
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*''Sigrún'' appears in ''Helgakviða Hundingsbana II''.  Her name means "victory rune."
 +
*''Sváva'' appears in ''Helgakviða Hjörvarðssonar''. Her name means "sleep maker."<ref>See Orchard's "Appendix D: Names of Troll-wives, Giantesses, and Valkyries" (421-423).</ref>
  
 
===Other Valkyries===
 
===Other Valkyries===
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Apart from the well known valkyries above, many more valkyrie names occur in our sources. In the [[nafnaþulur]] addition to [[Snorri Sturluson|Snorri]]'s [[Edda]] the following strophes are found.
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Apart from the well-known Valkyries listed above, the extant mythic corpus also contains numerous lists of additional Valkyries. However, in virtually all of these cases, nothing is known of the figures enumerated therein.
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{|
 
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|
 
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:''Mank valkyrjur''
 
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:''Viðris nefna.''
 
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:''Hrist, Mist, Herja,''
 
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:''Hlökk, Geiravör,''
 
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:''Göll, Hjörþrimul,''
 
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:''Gunnr, Herfjötur,''
 
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:''Skuld, Geirönul,''
 
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:''Skögul ok Randgníð.''
 
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:''Ráðgríðr, Göndul,''
 
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:''Svipul, Geirskögul,''
 
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:''Hildr ok Skeggöld,''
 
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:''Hrund, Geirdriful,''
 
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:''Randgríðr ok Þrúðr,''
 
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:''Reginleif ok Sveið,''
 
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:''Þögn, Hjalmþrimul,''
 
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:''Þrima ok Skalmöld.''
 
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|
 
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:I will recite the names
 
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:of the valkyries of Viðrir (Odin).
 
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:Hrist, Mist, Herja,
 
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:Hlökk, Geiravör
 
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:Göll, Hjörþrimul
 
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:Gunnr, Herfjötur
 
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:Skuld, Geirönul
 
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:Skögul and Randgníð.
 
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:Ráðgríðr, Göndul,
 
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:Svipul, Geirskögul,
 
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:Hildr and Skeggöld,
 
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:Hrund, Geirdriful,
 
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:Randgríðr and Þrúðr,
 
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:Reginleif and Sveið,
 
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:Þögn, Hjalmþrimul,
 
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:Þrima and Skalmöld.
 
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|}
 
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In [[Grímnismál]] we have Odin reciting the following stanza.
 
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{|
 
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|
 
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:''Hrist ok Mist''
 
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:''vil ek at mér horn beri,''
 
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:''Skeggjöld ok Skögul,''
 
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:''Hildr ok Þrúðr,''
 
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:''Hlökk ok Herfjötur,''
 
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:''Göll ok Geirahöð,''
 
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:''Randgríð ok Ráðgríð''
 
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:''ok Reginleif.''
 
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:''Þær bera einherjum öl.''
 
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|
 
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:I want Hrist and Mist
 
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:to bring me a horn,
 
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:Skeggjöld and Skögul,
 
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:Hildr and Þrúðr,
 
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:Hlökk and Herfjötur,
 
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:Göll and Geirahöð,
 
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:Randgríð and Ráðgríð
 
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:and Reginleif.
 
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:They carry ale to the einherjar.
 
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|}
 
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In [[Völuspá]] there are still more names.
 
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{|
 
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|
 
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:''Sá hon valkyrjur''
 
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:''vítt um komnar,''
 
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:''görvar at ríða''
 
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:''til Goðþjóðar.''
 
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:''Skuld helt skildi,''
 
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:''en Skögul önnur,''
 
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:''Gunnr, Hildr, Göndul''
 
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:''ok Geirskögul.''
 
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|
 
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:She saw valkyries
 
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:come from far and wide,
 
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:ready to ride
 
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:to Goðþjóð.
 
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:Skuld held a shield,
 
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:and Skögul was another,
 
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:Gunnr, Hildr, Göndul
 
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:and Geirskögul.
 
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|}
 
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More are mentioned in [[Darraðarljóð]] (lines 1-52), a poem where their connection with the [[Norn]]s is evident:
 
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{|
 
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|
 
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{|
 
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|
 
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:''Vítt er orpit''
 
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:''fyrir valfalli''
 
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:''rifs reiðiský,''
 
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:''rignir blóði ;''
 
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:''nú er fyrir geirum''
 
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:''grár upp kominn''
 
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:''vefr verþjóðar,''
 
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:''er þær vinur fylla''
 
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:''rauðum vepti''
 
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:''Randvés bana.''
 
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|
 
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:See! warp is stretched
 
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:For warriors' fall,
 
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:Lo! weft in loom
 
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:'Tis wet with blood;
 
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:Now fight foreboding,
 
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:'Neath friends' swift fingers,
 
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:Our grey woof waxeth
 
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:With war's alarms,
 
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:Our warp bloodred,
 
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:Our weft corseblue.
 
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|-
 
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|
 
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:''Sjá er orpinn vefr''
 
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:''ýta þörmum''
 
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:''ok harðkléaðr''
 
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:''höfðum manna ;''
 
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:''eru dreyrrekin''
 
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:''dörr at sköptum,''
 
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:''járnvarðr yllir,''
 
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:''en örum hrælaðr ;''
 
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:''skulum slá sverðum''
 
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:''sigrvef þenna.''
 
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|
 
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:This woof is y-woven
 
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:With entrails of men,
 
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:This warp is hardweighted
 
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:With heads of the slain,
 
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:Spears blood-besprinkled
 
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:For spindles we use,
 
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:Our loom ironbound,
 
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:And arrows our reels;
 
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:With swords for our shuttles
 
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:This war-woof we work;
 
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|-
 
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| valign="bottom" |
 
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:''Gengr Hildr vefa''
 
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:''ok Hjörþrimul,''
 
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:''Sanngríðr, Svipul''
 
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:''sverðum tognum ;''
 
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:''skapt mun gnesta,''
 
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:''skjöldr mun bresta,''
 
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:''mun hjálmgagarr''
 
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:''í hlíf koma.''
 
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|
 
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:So weave we, weird sisters,
 
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:Our warwinning woof.
 
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:Now Warwinner walketh
 
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:To weave in her turn,
 
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:Now Swordswinger steppeth,
 
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:Now Swiftstroke, now Storm;
 
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:When they speed the shuttle
 
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:How spearheads shall flash!
 
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:Shields crash, and helmgnawer
 
−
:On harness bite hard!
 
−
|}
 
−
 
 
−
| valign="top" |
 
−
 
 
−
{|
 
−
|
 
−
:''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.
 
−
 
 
−
[[Image:Arbo-Valkyrien.jpg|thumb|right|The inclination towards romantic depictions of valkyries is evident in ''Valkyries'' by [[Peter Nicolai Arbo]], 1869.]]
 
  
−
==Depictions==
+
In Grímnismál, Odin provides the following catalogue of Valkyries:
−
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 equine|winged horses]]. Their mounts were rather the packs of wolves that frequented the corpses of dead warriors. They were gruesome and war-like.  
+
:Hrist and Mist | bring the horn at my will,
 +
:Skeggjold and Skogul;
 +
:Hild and Thruth, | Hlok and Herfjotur,
 +
:Gol and Geironul,
 +
:Randgrith and Rathgrith | and Reginleif
 +
:Beer to the warriors bring.<ref>"Grimnismol" (36), ''Poetic Edda'', accessed online at [http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/poe/poe06.htm sacred-texts.com]. p. 99. Retrieved July 10, 2007.</ref>
  
−
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<ref> http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/valkyrie.htm </ref>. Thus, the packs of wolves and ravens that scavenged the aftermath of battles may have been seen as serving a higher purpose.
+
In Völuspá, there are still more names:
 +
:On all sides saw I | Valkyries assemble,
 +
:Ready to ride | to the ranks of the gods;
 +
:Skuld bore the shield, | and Skogul rode next,
 +
:Guth, Hild, Gondul, | and Geirskogul.
 +
:Of Herjan's maidens | the list have ye heard,
 +
:Valkyries ready | to ride o'er the earth.<ref>"Voluspa" (31), ''Poetic Edda'', accessed online at [http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/poe/poe03.htm sacred-texts.com]. p. 14. Retrieved July 10, 2007.</ref>
  
−
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'.<ref> http://www.mythome.org/bxxxviii.html</ref>" However, there is nothing in our sources which supports this claim<ref> http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/njordrljos.htm </ref>.
+
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." However, 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, a contention that is compatible with the fact that only a few occur in extant myths.
  
 
==Notes==
 
==Notes==
Line 284: Line 64:
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
−
* Davidson, Hilda Roderick Ellis. ''Gods and Myths of Northern Europe.'' Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1964. ISBN 0317530267.
+
* Davidson, Hilda Roderick Ellis. ''Gods and Myths of Northern Europe.'' Baltimore, MD: 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.
+
* DuBois, Thomas A. ''Nordic Religions in the Viking Age''. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1999. ISBN 0812217144
−
* 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.
+
* Dumézil, Georges. ''Gods of the Ancient Northmen''. Edited by Einar Haugen; Introduction by C. Scott Littleton and Udo Strutynski. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1973. ISBN 0520020448
−
* Lindow, John. ''Handbook of Norse mythology''. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2001. ISBN 1-57607-217-7.
+
* Lindow, John. ''Handbook of Norse mythology''. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2001. ISBN 1576072177
 
* 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.
 
* 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.
+
* 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 0304363855
−
* ''The Poetic Edda''. Translated and with notes by Henry Adams Bellows. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1936. 151-173. Accessed online at [http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/poe/poe00.htm sacred-texts.com].
+
* ''The Poetic Edda''. Translated and with notes by Henry Adams Bellows. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1936. 151-173. Accessed online at [http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/poe/poe00.htm sacred-texts.com]. Retrieved July 10, 2007.
−
* 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.
+
* 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 0520012313
−
* 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''.
+
* 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 Northvegr.org.] Retrieved July 10, 2007.
−
* Turville-Petre, Gabriel. Myth and Religion of the North: The Religion of Ancient Scandinavia. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1964. ISBN 0837174201.
+
* Turville-Petre, Gabriel. ''Myth and Religion of the North: The Religion of Ancient Scandinavia.'' New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1964. ISBN 0837174201
  
 
[[Category: Philosophy and religion]]
 
[[Category: Philosophy and religion]]

Latest revision as of 21:57, 14 January 2016


The Ride of the Valkyrs by John Charles Dollman, 1909

In Norse mythology, the Valkyries are female warrior deities who serve Odin (the chief god in Norse pantheon). According to the Prose Edda, “Odin sends [the Valkyries] to every battle. They allot death to men and govern victory.”[1] The primary purpose of the Valkyrie was to select the most heroic of the warriors who had died in battle and to carry them off to Valhalla (Odin's "Hall of the slain"), where they became the deathless einherjar ("lone fighters") who were to fight at Odin's side during the eschaton (Ragnarök).

The Valkyries are esteemed as glorified warrior-maidens, which is a somewhat atypical depiction for women. Nevertheless, their respected military role is paralleled in other religious traditions that place an emphasis on strong female fighting figures: compare, for example, the Prophetess Deborah (in Judaism) and the Goddess Kali (in Hinduism).

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.[2]

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.[3] 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. 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.[4] 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. However, it appears that there was no clear distinction between the Valkyries and the Norns because Skuld, for instance, was both a valkyrie and a norn.

Origins and Characteristics

The Valkyrie's Vigil, by the Pre-Raphaelite painter Edward Robert Hughes. Hughes downplays 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.

Though the extant texts are silent on the ultimate origin of the mythic Valkyries,[5] many of the well-known Valkyries are reported as having mortal parents:[6] Some scholars now suggest that the original Valkyries were the priestesses of Odin[7]—old women who officiated at sacrificial rites in which prisoners were executed (“given to Odin”). These priestesses sometimes carried out the gruesome sacrifices themselves, which involved the use of a ritual spear. By the time of the Poetic Edda's compilation (in the late twelfth or early thirteenth 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.[8] Henry Bellows, in the notes to his translation of the Poetic Edda, proposes an alternate interpretation of this historical time-line, suggesting that:

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 ... [A] complication developed when the originally quite human women of the hero-legends were endowed with the qualities of both Valkyries and swan-maidens.[9]

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").[10]

Conversely, in the Heroic lays section of the same text, the Valkyries are described as bands of warrior-women, of whom only the leader 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.)[11]

Notable Valkyries

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

Various individual Valkyries are mentioned throughout Nordic and Germanic literature.

Major Valkyries

Several Valkyries appear as major characters in extant myths. As mentioned above, they are often depicted as the daughters of human kings who, for whatever reason, were given the task of leading the legion of Valkyries.

  • Brynhildr appears in Völsunga saga. Her name means "bright 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 "victory-urger."
  • Sigrún appears in Helgakviða Hundingsbana II. Her name means "victory rune."
  • Sváva appears in Helgakviða Hjörvarðssonar. Her name means "sleep maker."[12]

Other Valkyries

Apart from the well-known Valkyries listed above, the extant mythic corpus also contains numerous lists of additional Valkyries. However, in virtually all of these cases, nothing is known of the figures enumerated therein.

In Grímnismál, Odin provides the following catalogue of Valkyries:

Hrist and Mist | bring the horn at my will,
Skeggjold and Skogul;
Hild and Thruth, | Hlok and Herfjotur,
Gol and Geironul,
Randgrith and Rathgrith | and Reginleif
Beer to the warriors bring.[13]

In Völuspá, there are still more names:

On all sides saw I | Valkyries assemble,
Ready to ride | to the ranks of the gods;
Skuld bore the shield, | and Skogul rode next,
Guth, Hild, Gondul, | and Geirskogul.
Of Herjan's maidens | the list have ye heard,
Valkyries ready | to ride o'er the earth.[14]

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." However, 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, a contention that is compatible with the fact that only a few occur in extant myths.

Notes

  1. ↑ Snorri Sturluson, Gylfaginning XXXVI, Brodeur 48.
  2. ↑ "Valkyrie". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved July 10, 2007. See also: Orchard, 376.
  3. ↑ Lindow, 6-8. Though some scholars have argued against the homogenizing effect of grouping these various traditions together under the rubric of “Norse Mythology,” the profoundly exploratory/nomadic nature of Viking society tends to overrule such objections. As Thomas DuBois cogently argues, “[w]hatever else we may say about the various peoples of the North during the Viking Age, then, we cannot claim that they were isolated from or ignorant of their neighbors…. As religion expresses the concerns and experiences of its human adherents, so it changes continually in response to cultural, economic, and environmental factors. Ideas and ideals passed between communities with frequency and regularity, leading to and interdependent and intercultural region with broad commonalities of religion and worldview.” (27-28).
  4. ↑ More specifically, Georges Dumézil, one of the foremost authorities on the Norse tradition and a noted comparitivist, argues quite persuasively that the Aesir/Vanir distinction is a component of a larger triadic division (between ruler gods, warrior gods, and gods of agriculture and commerce) that is echoed among the Indo-European cosmologies (from Vedic India, through Rome and into the Germanic North). Further, he notes that this distinction conforms to patterns of social organization found in all of these societies. See Georges Dumézil's Gods of the Ancient Northmen (especially pgs. xi-xiii, 3-25) for more details.
  5. ↑ While the Prose and Poetic Eddas do discuss their roles and functions, neither groups of texts explore ontological natures or mythological origins of these beings. This analysis was performed using the online versions of the two texts (the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda), as the ability to search them electronically greatly reduced the time-intensiveness of such a process.
  6. ↑ A fact that is attested to in many of the heroic lays of the Poetic Edda (discussed below).
  7. ↑ As Odin was described as the originator of the Nordic system of sacrifice and worship (see Lindow, 158).
  8. ↑ This process of historical development, from priestess to minor deity, is discussed in Davidson (1964).
  9. ↑ Footnote to "Voluspa," in the Poetic Edda, accessed online at sacred-texts.com. pp. 14-31. Retrieved July 10, 2007.
  10. ↑ See Orchard's "Appendix D: Names of Troll-wives, Giantesses, and Valkyries" (421-423). For accounts of the valkyries in the Poetic Edda, see Voluspa or Grimnismol, both accessible online, retrieved July 10, 2007.
  11. ↑ These heroic lays are all found in the second half of the Poetic Edda, accessible online at sacred-texts.com. Retrieved July 10, 2007.
  12. ↑ See Orchard's "Appendix D: Names of Troll-wives, Giantesses, and Valkyries" (421-423).
  13. ↑ "Grimnismol" (36), Poetic Edda, accessed online at sacred-texts.com. p. 99. Retrieved July 10, 2007.
  14. ↑ "Voluspa" (31), Poetic Edda, accessed online at sacred-texts.com. p. 14. Retrieved July 10, 2007.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Davidson, Hilda Roderick Ellis. Gods and Myths of Northern Europe. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1964. ISBN 0317530267
  • DuBois, Thomas A. Nordic Religions in the Viking Age. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1999. ISBN 0812217144
  • Dumézil, Georges. Gods of the Ancient Northmen. Edited by Einar Haugen; Introduction by C. Scott Littleton and Udo Strutynski. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1973. ISBN 0520020448
  • Lindow, John. Handbook of Norse mythology. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2001. ISBN 1576072177
  • 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 0304363855
  • The Poetic Edda. Translated and with notes by Henry Adams Bellows. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1936. 151-173. Accessed online at sacred-texts.com. Retrieved July 10, 2007.
  • 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 0520012313
  • 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 Northvegr.org. Retrieved July 10, 2007.
  • 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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