The Valkyries, these incredible warriors, but also ruthless, have become famous. Today, through this article, we will try to present these blonde-haired goddesses to you. Prepare to see some of your fantasies collapse, because there are important distinctions between the popular and modern image of the Valkyries and what Norse mythology tells.
THE VALKYRIES, WHO ARE THEY?
Luminous Guardian Angels or Bloodthirsty Barbarians?
You have started reading and in your mind, you already see pretty blonde women very feminine, sharp and sexy warriors! So.. I'll be nice and we'll start by talking about this "modern" depiction.
Find the illustrators on Pinterest. Image on the left and image on the right.
The Valkyries are often described as being in exemplary physical condition, they wear golden armor, they have long blonde hair, they ride winged horses, they carry spears, they are refined sexy! It goes even further, because the Valkyries in this depiction are virgins. This is a popular interpretation and easy to show on screen. They are described as guardian angels, which makes sense when you know their mission. However, if you rely on various writings and documents dealing with Norse mythology, you find a much darker description than that.
First of all, the Valkyries would be a form of Odin's extension. Kind of like if they were his left arm, you see? And, if that were not the case, they are at least one of Odin's two private militias with on one side the Warrior Men or "The Berserkers" and on the other the Warrior Women "The Valkyries". In this description of the Valkyries, they are much darker, here is a small list that should change your vision:
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- They ride wolves described as "Macabre fighters"
- They are not necessarily blonde
- They were followed by dozens of ravens
- They ate some corpses
Is that good? Should I stop here?
To summarize, here are the two visions of the Valkyries:
🏇 Version of the Valkyries number one: Beautiful women, with long blonde hair riding magnificent pearly horses... Filled with gentleness and kindness, you dream that they sing you a lullaby...
🏇 Version of the Valkyries number two: The greatest killers the universe has ever borne. Odin's elite guard, thirsty for blood and torture. They decapitate you with a smile.
The Mission of the Valkyries
If the Valkyries are often compared to guardian angels, it is because in Norse mythology, they are the ones who take the dead to paradise, that is Odin's Hall. Moreover, in the Viking language, that is in "Old Norse", Valkyrie means "chooser of the dead". It is important to understand, then, that their role is to CHOOSE. Indeed, for a Viking warrior, there are certain conditions to go to Odin's Hall. It is essential to die with honor!
If you are running to save your skin and at that very moment your body is pierced by an arrow, do not hope to go to Odin's Hall.
It is this belief that drove the Nordic warriors to fight to the end and to not fear death or simply combat; for many, it was an impatience to die to join the gods and their brothers already fallen in battle at Odin's Hall.
According to some sources, the Valkyries influence battles by casting spells on the fighters to help or, on the contrary, hinder them. They would therefore truly have power of life or death over humans.
PRESENTATION OF THE VALKYRIES WHO MARKED NORSE MYTHOLOGY
The Valkyrie Freyja
So if you want to shine in society by mentioning the name of a Valkyrie, you can talk about Freyja. She is considered the first Valkyrie who ever was.
Freyja is a major figure in Norse mythology, she is a goddess from the Vanir family, embodying fertility, nature, beauty, and especially love. It is believed that the perfect vision of the Valkyries we have today comes from Freyja. She is the daughter of Njörd and Nerthus, and has a twin brother Freyr, chief of the Vanir.
We attribute several distinctive signs to Freyja:
- Her Falcon feather cloak which allows her to transform into a bird and travel through the 9 worlds supported by the world tree Yggdrasil.
- The Brisingamen Necklace made of gold and amber, allowing her to charm anyone who lays eyes on her.
- The Chariot of Freyja which is pulled by blue cats. These cats are a gift from Thor himself, who has his own chariot pulled by goats!
The Valkyrie Brynhild
Probably the second most famous Valkyrie, this is Brynhild! Her story is told in the Völsunga saga.
She is part of the Valkyrie generals, with an important mission: she must choose the Einherjar, which is the name given to the most valiant warriors who died in battle. The idea is to form an elite army! This role being very important, many agree that she must have been Odin's favorite daughter.
She is known for many adventures she will experience, a complicated marriage, a sleep curse from Odin, and more. I leave you to read the Völsunga saga or its summary on Wikipedia.
In this illustration on the left, the Valkyrie Brynhild by Geek Native.
In this illustration on the right, the Valkyrie Freyja by Art-Spire.
The most well-known Valkyries
So, we could not say how many Valkyries there are in total, but we know that some stand out in the writings. It is either a Valkyrie or the name of a Valkyrie battalion. Each time represented by a weapon, a symbol, or a mission:
- Skuld - "The youngest Norne"
- Gunnr - "war" or "combat"
- Hildr - "battlefield"
- Gondul - "Skill of the hands".
- Geirskogul - "spear bearer"
or also:
- Mist - "cloud" or "mist"
- Skeggjold - "axe age"
- Thrudr - "power" or "vigor"
- Hlokk - "the sound of battle"
- Herfjotur - "host-ant".
- Goll - "Noise"
- Geirahod - "frontline combat".
- Randgrid - "shield".
- Radgrid - "council".
- Reginleif - "power".
THE VALKYRIES IN MODERN FICTIONS
Valkyrie and Marvel
If you are Marvel fans, we will quickly talk about the Valkyrie portrayed by actress Tessa Thompson in Thor: Ragnarok and then Avengers: EndGame.
I must warn you about these fictions, there is a huge gap between what Norse mythology tells and what the film and/or video game industry makes of it. We can see in Marvel many strong distinctive signs of the Valkyries. Starting with the armor, the spear and of course the fact that she is very beautiful!
Many others...
The Valkyries are an infinite source of inspiration for all fictions featuring warrior women in a medieval era, to name a few examples, we have:
- God of War, featuring Valkyries corrupted by Odin's magic
- Age of Mythology, here it seems obvious, these are units playable by the Scandinavian forces
- OverWatch with the character "Mercy"
- Apex Legends, Valkyrie is a playable character
- or even Black Desert where she is also a playable character.
There are many other video games or movies featuring Valkyries.
THE VALKYRIES AND ODIN'S HALL
The Valkyries have always fascinated, you will always find more videos or articles talking about them. They raise so much mystery and fantasy that we are not done seeing them on our screens. We are no exception at Odin's Hall!
Thank you for reading me, it is a pleasure to write for Odin's Hall, the reference brand in accessories inspired by Norse mythology.
You can visit our collections to find a piece of jewelry or an accessory representing these warrior women and goddesses of Norse mythology.
To go further, you can continue reading our blogs on Norse deities by starting with Fenrir, the giant wolf for example.
You can also leave if you want, but I must admit we prefer that you stay on our site a little longer.
Let me tell you a bit about our logo if you want! At Odin's Hall we wanted to have our own logos representing the strong symbols of Norse mythology and the Valkyries have theirs of course. I'll put it just below.
Do you like it? Then, wear our colors by getting the Valkyrie T-shirt.
SKOOOLL! Glory to the Valkyries!
