Study › Runes & Norse › The Valkyries
The valkyries are Odin's warrior maidens in Norse mythology, the "choosers of the slain". They ride over battlefields, decide who lives and who dies, and bring the chosen to Valhalla.
What are the valkyries?
The valkyries — 'choosers of the slain' — are Odin's warrior-maidens, who ride over the battlefield and decide who will live and who will die. Those they choose are borne to Valhalla, to join the ranks of the Einherjar who feast and fight until Ragnarok. In the hall they also bear the mead-horns to the fallen heroes.
The two faces of the valkyries
Some valkyries are portrayed as fierce, otherworldly spirits weaving the fates of war on grim looms; others, like Brynhild of the Volsung legend, are drawn as near-human heroines who love, defy Odin and suffer for it. In them the two faces of Norse death meet: the glory of falling in battle and the cold hand that chooses when it comes.
They bring the fallen to Valhalla for Odin, to fight at Ragnarok.
Questions
What does valkyrie mean?
"Chooser of the slain", from the Old Norse valkyrja.
What are the names of the valkyries?
The poems name many, among them Brynhild, Hildr, Göndul, Skögul, Hrist and Mist.
Are valkyries good?
They are neither good nor evil: they serve Odin and carry out fate. Some poems show them as grim spirits of war, others as heroines who love and suffer.
Can valkyries marry?
In the heroic poems some do: Sigrun marries the hero Helgi, and Brynhild is promised to Sigurd.