![]() ![]() In this regard, they lose some of their power and status, morphing into mortal women who are allowed to fight alongside men. ![]() In later myths, the Valkyries are described as shieldmaidens, rather than the warriors of Odin. Once a Valkyrie finds “the right” hero, she gets their spirit on the back of her flying horse and delivers them to Valhalla. They do this by flying over the battlefields of men or standing next to them, and picking and choosing those who died the most heroic deaths. The Valkyries’ role in all of this is to act out Odin’s will and follow the already-prophesied story. All you can do is follow it as heroically as possible. All this symbolizes one of the main motifs of Norse mythology – fate is inevitable and you cannot change it. In essence, Odin follows the prophecy while trying to prevent it. The Norse heroes will rise from Valhalla and will fight the losing battle side-by-side with the gods. Ragnarok – a battle fated to be lost by the godsĮven though Odin knows that the battle is fated to be lost, he still tries to gather them in Valhalla in the first place, in a futile attempt to prevent the inevitable.He also knows that the gods are fated to lose that battle and that he, Odin himself, is to be slain by Loki’s son, the giant wolf Fenrir. Odin knows that the gods of Asgard are going to fight against the giants, jötnar, and other “creatures of chaos” of Norse mythology. Odin does this because he knows the prophecies relating to Ragnarok. Instead, the Allfather tries to gather all Nordic and Germanic heroes in Valhalla with the purpose of getting their help during Ragnarok. Additionally, Odin doesn’t charge his flying maidens with this task as a “reward” for the fallen heroes. However, the Valkyries’ mission isn’t just an aimless collection of warriors. The purpose of gathering the fallen soldiers.Just like the ravens Hugin and Munin which symbolize and embody Odin’s wisdom, the Valkyries embody Odin’s goal of gathering all the greatest Nordic and Germanic people into Valhalla. In most Norse myths the Valkyries are viewed not just as servants of the Allfather god Odin but as outright extensions of his being. These stories depict the Valkyries as having mortal feelings such as love and infatuation. Given their main purpose as servants of Odin, the name was more than appropriate.ĭifferent Valkyries have their own myths, some more famous than others. Together, these female warriors bore the name Valkyries, or Valkyrja in Old Norse, which meant c hoosers of the slain. Most of their names related to battles and war. In most sagas and eddas, the individual Valkyries are often named. While many of the Valkyries in Norse myths had their own names, they were usually viewed and talked about as a homogeneous party of beings, all sharing a common purpose. The original image of these mythical Norse maidens was exactly that, but also so much more. In modern culture, they are usually portrayed as beautiful and strong warrior women riding on flying horses. ![]() The Norse Valkyries are among the most famous beings and symbols to survive to this day from ancient Nordic and Germanic mythology.
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