Norse mythology Norse, Nordic, or Scandinavian mythology is the body of myths belonging to the North Germanic peoples, stemming from Old Norse religion and continuing after the Christianization of Scandinavia, and into the Nordic folklore of the modern period ...

, a valkyrie (from

Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and t ...

''valkyrja'' "chooser of the fallen") is one of a host of female figures who decide who will die in battle. Selecting among half of those who die in battle (the other half go to the goddess Freyja's afterlife field Fólkvangr), the

valkyrie In Norse mythology, a valkyrie ("chooser of the slain") is one of a host of female figures who guide souls of the dead to the god Odin's hall Valhalla. There, the deceased warriors become (Old Norse "single (or once) fighters"Orchard (1997:36) ...

s bring their chosen to the afterlife hall of the slain, Valhalla, ruled over by the god

Odin Odin (; from non, Óðinn, ) is a widely revered Æsir, god in Germanic paganism. Norse mythology, the source of most surviving information about him, associates him with wisdom, healing, death, royalty, the gallows, knowledge, war, battle, v ...

. There, when the einherjar are not preparing for the events of

Ragnarök In Norse mythology, (; non, Ragnarǫk) is a series of events, including a great battle, foretelling the death of numerous great figures (including the gods Odin, Thor, Týr, Freyr, Heimdallr, and Loki), natural disasters, and the submers ...

, the valkyries bear them

mead Mead () is an alcoholic beverage made by fermenting honey mixed with water, and sometimes with added ingredients such as fruits, spices, grains, or hops. The alcoholic content ranges from about 3.5% ABV to more than 20%. The defining character ...

. Valkyries also appear as lovers of heroes and other mortals, where they are sometimes described as the daughters of royalty, sometimes accompanied by

raven A raven is any of several larger-bodied bird species of the genus ''Corvus''. These species do not form a single taxonomic group within the genus. There is no consistent distinction between "crows" and "ravens", common names which are assigned t ...

s, and sometimes connected to

swan Swans are birds of the family (biology), family Anatidae within the genus ''Cygnus''. The swans' closest relatives include the goose, geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form t ...

s. The Old Norse poems '' Völuspá'', '' Grímnismál'', '' Darraðarljóð'', and the ''

Nafnaþulur ''Nafnaþulur'' (Old Norse: ) is a subsection of the ''Prose Edda'', the last part of the ''Skáldskaparmál ''Skáldskaparmál'' (Old Norse: 'The Language of Poetry'; c. 50,000 words; ; ) is the second part of the ''Prose Edda''. The sectio ...

'' section of the ''

Prose Edda The ''Prose Edda'', also known as the ''Younger Edda'', ''Snorri's Edda'' ( is, Snorra Edda) or, historically, simply as ''Edda'', is an Old Norse textbook written in Iceland during the early 13th century. The work is often assumed to have been t ...

'' book '' Skáldskaparmál'' provide lists of valkyrie names. Other valkyrie names appear solely outside these lists, such as Sigrún (who is attested in the poems '' Helgakviða Hundingsbana I'' and ''

Helgakviða Hundingsbana II "Völsungakviða in forna" or "Helgakviða Hundingsbana II" ("The Second Lay of Helgi Hundingsbane") is an Old Norse poem found in the ''Poetic Edda''. It constitutes one of the Helgi lays together with ''Helgakviða Hundingsbana I'' and ''Helgakv ...

''). Valkyrie names commonly emphasize associations with battle and, in many cases, with the

spear A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fasten ...

—a weapon heavily associated with the god Odin.Davidson (1988:96). Scholars such as

Hilda Ellis Davidson Hilda Roderick Ellis Davidson (born Hilda Roderick Ellis; 1 October 1914 – 12 January 2006) was an English folklorist. She was a scholar at the University of Cambridge and The Folklore Society, and specialized in the study of Celtic and Ge ...

and Rudolf Simek propose that the names of the valkyries themselves contain no individuality, but are rather descriptive of the traits and nature of war-goddesses, and are possibly the descriptive creations of skalds, a type of traditional

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...

n poet.Examples include Davidson (1988:96–97) and Simek (2007:349). Some valkyrie names may be descriptive of the roles and abilities of the valkyries. The valkyrie name

Herja In Norse mythology Herja (Old Norse) is a valkyrie attested in the longer of the two '' Nafnaþulur'' lists found in the ''Prose Edda''.Jónsson (1973:678). Rudolf Simek says the name is etymologically related to the Old Norse ''herja'' and Old Hi ...

may point to an etymological connection to

Hariasa Hariasa is a Germanic goddess. Hariasa is attested on a (now lost) stone bearing a Latin dedication to her. The stone was found in Cologne, Germany and dated to 187 CE ( CIL XIII 8185).Simek (2007:131). Etymology Rudolf Simek says that like the ...

, a Germanic goddess attested on a stone from 187 CE.Simek (2007:143). For Hariasa, Simek (2007:131). The name

Herfjötur In Norse mythology, Herfjötur (Old Norse: ''Herfjǫtur'', "host-fetter"Orchard (1997:194). or "fetter of the army"Simek (2007:142).) is a valkyrie. Herfjötur is attested as among the 13 valkyries listed in the '' Poetic Edda'' poem '' Grímnismá ...

has been theorized as pointing to the ability of the valkyries to place fetters, which would connect the valkyries to the earlier

Idisi In Germanic mythology, an idis (Old Saxon, plural idisi) is a divine female being. ''Idis'' is cognate to Old High German itis and Old English ides, meaning 'well-respected and dignified woman.' Connections have been assumed or theorized between th ...

.Simek (2007:142). The name

Svipul In Norse mythology, Svipul (Old Norse "changeable"Simek (2007:308).) is a valkyrie. Svipul is attested among valkyrie list in the poem ''Darraðarljóð'' and the longer of the two '' Nafnaþulur'' valkyrie lists in the ''Poetic Edda'' book ''Skál ...

may be descriptive of the influence the valkyries have over wyrd or ørlog—a Germanic concept of

fate Destiny, sometimes referred to as fate (from Latin ''fatum'' "decree, prediction, destiny, fate"), is a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual. Fate Although often ...

.Simek (2007:308).

Valkyrie names

Citations

General and cited references

* Davidson, Hilda Roderick Ellis (1988). ''Myths and Symbols in Pagan Europe: Early Scandinavian and Celtic Religions''.

Manchester University Press Manchester University Press is the university press of the University of Manchester, England and a publisher of academic books and journals. Manchester University Press has developed into an international publisher. It maintains its links with th ...

. * Lindow, John (2001).
Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs
'.

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...

. * Haymes, Edward (2010). ''Wagners Ring in 1848: New Translations of The Nibelung Myth and Siegfried's Death''.

Camden House Camden House, Inc. was founded in 1979 by professors James Hardin and Gunther Holst with the purpose of publishing scholarly books in the field of German literature, Austrian Literature, and German language culture. Camden House books were publish ...

. * Orchard, Andy (1997). ''Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend''. Cassell. * Simek, Rudolf (2007) translated by Angela Hall. ''Dictionary of Northern Mythology''.

D.S. Brewer Boydell & Brewer is an academic press based in Woodbridge, Suffolk, England, that specializes in publishing historical and critical works. In addition to British and general history, the company publishes three series devoted to studies, edition ...

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Valkyrie names *List Germanic paganism and mythology lists Lists of names

Valkyrie names

See also

Citations

General and cited references