Valkyrie

This article is about the mythological valkyries. See XB-70 Valkyrie for the aircraft and VF-1 Valkyrie for the Robotech aircraft.

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"Sinding Valkyrie", a modern statue located in Copenhagen, presents an active image of a valkyrie.

In Norse mythology the valkyries (Old Norse: valkyrjur, singular: valkyrja) are minor female deities who serve Odin. The name means choosers of the slain.

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.

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 ([1] (http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/valkyrie.htm)). Thus, the packs of wolves and ravens that scavenged the aftermath of battles may have been seen as serving a higher purpose.

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.

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.

Contents

Major valkyries

Several valkyries appear as major characters in extant myths.

Brynhildr appears in Völsunga saga.
Hildr appears in the legend of Hedin and Högni, in Ragnarsdrápa and in the Edda.
Sigrdrífa appears in Sigrdrífumál.
Sigrún appears in Helgakviða Hundingsbana II.
Sváva appears in Helgakviða Hjörvarðssonar.
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 Þulur addition to Snorri's Edda the following strophes are found.

The Valkyrie's Vigil, by the painter . Following Richard Wagner's romantic reinterpretation of the old myths, Hughes depicts the dreadful Norse war goddess in an : barefoot, clad in a sheer off-the-shoulder gown, and softly lit from above. Her martial aspects are de-emphasized: she tucks her helmet into the crook of her arm and holds her sword, quite uselessly, by the blade. Of the chooser of the warrior slain in battle, of the scavenging wolf and raven, there is no trace.

The Valkyrie's Vigil, by the Pre-Raphaelite painter Edward Robert Hughes. Following Richard Wagner's romantic reinterpretation of the old myths, Hughes depicts the dreadful Norse war goddess in an ethereal fairy painting: barefoot, clad in a sheer off-the-shoulder gown, and softly lit from above. Her martial aspects are de-emphasized: she tucks her helmet into the crook of her arm and holds her sword, quite uselessly, by the blade. Of the chooser of the warrior slain in battle, of the scavenging wolf and raven, there is no trace.

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.

Some 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.

Wagner's valkyries

Richard Wagner incorporated Norse tales that included the Valkyrie Brünhilde (Brynhildr) and her punishment and subsequent love for the warrior Siegfried (Sigurðr) into his operas Die Walküre and Götterdämmerung. In Wagner's treatment the Valkyries are nine daughters of Wotan (Odin) and Erda (Jörð) 'Earth' and are named Brünnhilde, Helmwige, Ortlinde, Gerhilde, Waltraute, Siegrune, Rossweisse, Grimgerde, and Schwertleite.

In modern media, the valkyrie Brünhilde singing the Ride of the Valkyries is one of the most recognizable visual and aural motifs from opera.

Valkyrie

Major valkyries

Other valkyries

Wagner's valkyries

See also

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