The Valkyries

The Valkyries

The Valkyries were supernatural women who had several missions: they lived with Odin in the golden palace of Valhalla, where they served beer to the shades of dead warriors; they also rode into battle on their horses, clad in armour and bearing spears, and assigned victory and defeat — “valkyrie” literally means “she who chooses the fallen” — Two Valkyries, Gunn and Rota, chose men for death, accompanied by Skuld (necessity), the youngest of the Norns, one of the Three Fates who shape the lives of men.

The Valkyries may have had special relationships with the warriors known as berserkir, who, inspired by Odin’s fury in battle, stripped off their armour to fight with supernatural strength. Certainly, the berserkir had a great likelihood of dying in battle and thereby earning a place in Valhalla, where they spent their time fighting and drinking.

Valhalla was depicted as an enormous golden palace, with a roof of shields, a framework of spears, and 540 doors, through each of which columns of warriors could march out to the final battle of Ragnarök.