Valkyrie

Valkyries ("Choosers of the Slain") were female war-deities, armed with helmets and spears.

By Odin they were sent to the battlefields, where they chose the slain, died honourable in battle. These warriors were called Einherjar. Then the Valkyrie took them and brought one half to Valhalla and the other half to Folkvang.

Valkyries were messangers and servants of the chief-god Odin. They were often seen riding in a group of nine maidens.

"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."
(Grimnismál)

Valkyries were a symbol of death and represented demi-goddesses of the slain. It was said that, if you see a Valkyrie before a battle you're convinced to die.

The chief of the Valkyries was the goddess Freyja (Valfreyja = "Mistress of the Slain").

They came on the back of their winged horses from Asgard to Midgard. The Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) were the reflection of their brilliant armor.

The animal, which was sacred to them was the swan, therefor they were often called Swan-Maidens. It isn't really clear if Valkyries and Swan-Maidens are the same, but if not they are at least very similar.
(see: Swan-Maidens)

"Valkyrie Horse" was a kenning for wolf, some say that they did not ride winged horses but wolves.
The animals dedicated to the Valkyries were: swan, wolf and raven. These three animals represented the characteristics of the Shild-Maidens.

HEROIC LAYS:
Much of the heroins of the Heroic Lays became Valkyries

Lays of Helgi:

Svava
Sigrun ("Victory Rune")
Kara ("Curly")

Lays of Sigurd:

Brynhild ("Armoured Warrior")
Gudrun ("God's rune")
Hild ("Warrior") = Brynhild
Sigrdrifa ("Victory Blizzard") = Brynhild
Svanhild ("Swan Warrior")

GODDESSES:
Some of the Valkyries had a primal funktion in the world of the gods:

Freyja ("Mistress") - Goddess of Love
Skuld ("Future") - Norn of the Future
Thrud ("Might") - daughter of Thor
Eir ("Mercy"? or "Kindly"?) - Goddess of Health

VALKYRIE-LIST:

Brynhild ("Armoured Warrior")
Eir ("Mercy"? or "Kindly"?)
Freyja ("Goddess of Love")
Geirahöd ("Spear of Battle") - Prose Edda
Geironul ("Spear-Bearer")
Geirskogul ("Battle-Spear")
Gol ("Screaming") - Poetic & Prose Edda
Gondul ("Magic Wand" or "Enchanted Stave" or perhaps, "She-Were-Wolf")
Gudr ("God")
Gudrun ("God's Rune") - Poetic & Prose Edda
Gunnr ("Battle") = Gudr
Herfjotur ("Host-Fetter") - Poetic & Prose Edda
Hervor (Swan-Maiden) - Poetic Edda
Hildr ("Warrior") = Brynhild
Hildr ("Warrior")
Hlathguth (a Swan-Maiden) - Poetic Edda
Hlok ("Shrieking") - Poetic Edda
Hrist ("Shaker") - Poetic & Prose Edda
Hrund ("???") - Prose Edda
Kara ("Curly") - Poetic Edda
Mist ("Mist") - Poetic & Prose Edda
Olrun (Swan-Maiden) - Poetic Edda
Randgridr ("Shield-Bearer") - Poetic & Prose Edda
Radgridr ( "Plan-Destroyer") - Poetic & Prose Edda
Reginleif ("Gods'-Kin")
Rota ("She Who Causes Turmoil") - Prose Edda
Sigrdrifa ("Victory Blizzard") = Brynhild
Sigrun ("Victory Rune")
Skeggjold ("Ax-Time")
Skogul ("Raging")
Skuld ("Future")
Svanhild ("Swan-Warrior") - Poetic Edda
Svava - Poetic Edda
Thrud ("Might")
Valfreyja ("Mistress of the Slain") = Freyja

NAMES:
Valkyries = "Chooser of the Slain"

- Battle-Maidens (often called so when they came to the battlefields)
- Mead-Maidens (in tha halls of Valhalla they served Odin and the Einherjar, bringing them Mead and food, therfore "Mead-Maidens").
- Shield-Maidens
- Swan-Maidens
- Wish-Maidens (it was said that, if someone could catch a Swan-Maiden, he can make a wish)

APPEARENCE:

Prose Edda: Gylfaginning XXXVI
Poetic Edda: Grimnismol - The Ballad of Grimnir

OPERA:
Wagner calls the Valkyries 'the nine daughter of Wotan (Odin) and Erda (Jörd)': Brünnhilde, Helmwige, Ortlinde, Gerhilde, Waltraute, Siegrune, Rossweisse, Grimgerde and Schwertleite

Old Norse: pl. valkyrjur, si. valkyrja
Meaning: "Choosers of the Slain"

Warrior Bride by Diana Antara

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