Category: Vikings

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Valkyrie (“Choosers of the Battle-slain”; Old Norse valkyrja, pl. valkyrjar): The valkyries are representative of warfare, but are also magicians, guardians, female lovers of heroes, bird-women, and keepers of knowledge. They are concerned with fertility and fecundity and have many points in common with the Dises (deities), the Norns (the Germanic Fates), and the fylgjur (personal tutelary spirits).

They are in Odin’s service, and their names are most often of a warlike nature, formed from words like battle, combat, sword, spear, fury, bravery, and so forth. Régis Boyer has analyzed the thirty-eight valkyrie names that have been preserved in the texts; from his study it becomes apparent that they escape any strict classification as one-third of them are engaged in two different functions.

The valkyries select the slain warriors who will populate Valhalla. They attach themselves to the kings and princes who are worshippers of Odin, helping them, counseling them, bringing them luck, and even marrying them after their death. If they disobey Odin they are punished—as in the case of Brynhildr, who, pricked by the sleep-thorn, lies on Hindarfjall Mountain waiting for the one who will awaken her. In Valhalla the valkyries serve beer to the warriors.

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Valhalla (“Hall of the Slain”; Old Norse Valhöll): Odin’s dwelling in Ásgarðr and the paradise of warriors. One cannot enter it if death came as a result of illness or old age. Armor lies strewn about on the benches. The roof is made of spears and shields. Atop it is where the goat Heiðrún stands; she chews on the leaves of Læraðr (Yggdrasill), and from her udders comes the mead that the valkyries serve to the einherjar.

Near her is the stag Eikþyrnir (“Oak-thorny”) who munches on the branches of the tree; moisture flows from his antlers. Valhalla has 540 doors. Each day the warriors emerge from them to fight each other in the courtyard for amusement, and they return to the hall when the signal for dinner has sounded. The cook, Andhrímnir, then serves them the meat of the boar Sæhrímnir. On the day of Ragnarök the warriors will leave Valhalla to confront the forces of chaos.

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Freyja (“Lady,” “Mistress”): She is the primary goddess of the family of the Vanir, daughter of Njörðr and the sister of Freyr. She was married to Óðr, with whom she had a daughter, Hnoss, also called Gersimi. When her husband went away on his travels, she wept gold tears. She lives in Fólkvangr, one of the heavenly dwellings, and her hall is called Sessrumnir. She shares half of the dead with Odin. She is fond of love poetry and is famous for her promiscuity. The worship addressed to her was erotic, which likens her to several Eastern deities, Cybele in particular. Freyja travels in a chariot drawn by cats.

Her field of activity is vast: life (birth) and death, love and battle, fertility and black magic. It is Freyja who taught the Æsir the magic rites most honored by the Vanir.

She is beautiful and lascivious, which inspired the giants with an urge to wed her, and the historiographical texts tell us that she was good to invoke for matters concerning love.

In skaldic poetry she was called Vanadís (“Dise of the Vanir”), Sýr (“Sow”), Gefn (“The Giving One”), Hörn (“Spirit of Flax”?), and Mardöll (“Sea-brightener”). She was quite renowned because of her necklace, Brísingamen. She obtained this piece of jewelry by sleeping with the dwarves who had forged it. The strength of the worship dedicated to Freyja is well attested by Norwegian and Swedish place-names, but the texts remain silent on this point.