Valkyrie (Pronunciation:
'Valk-eer-ee') are celestial ladies of Norse mythology who come to the
battlefields to select the best warriors who have been slain and to bring them
to Valhalla and Folkvang, the great halls of the upper world. They
have a chapter in the book, 'Who are your Divine Friends?',
in Lulu Publishing.
All Valkyries are led by Freya and are attendants to Odin.
The most well known was Brunnhilde, who allied herself with the Norse hero
Sigurd and taught him runic magick. They can be
appealed to for courage, war, protection, combat, and death. Honor their friendship by helping veterans of
war or by feeding the homeless.
In myth they have been seen as both very fierce ugly hags
relishing in bloodshed and as beautiful young women living to serve the hero to
which they are assigned. The Valkyries also acted as Odin's messengers. Their
armor, which shone while doing his bidding, were once thought to have caused
Aurora Borealis.
In Norse mythology, the Einherjar ('lone or once fighters') are those
that have died in battle. The Einherjar
could be best described as elite troops, and that going to Valhalla was not
necessarily the fate of the common soldier.
They were to fight alongside the Gods, in an attempt to strengthen and
save the Gods in the final battle at the time of Ragnarok.
Correspondences:
Altar: upon cloth set a black
stone, a white stone, a chalice of mead, a knife, a skull, and the figure
of a black winged horse
Color: black
Offerings: kneel and meditate on
death, face a fear that is long overdue
A Valkyrie Invocation
My sister Valkyries, fetch-wives of Odin,
Swan Maidens and Mead Maidens, come forth,
Daughters of Freya, sworn Battle Maidens, we call,
Those who ride the battlefields, Choosers of the Slain,
We welcome you, on this day, as we sing praises for the gifts you bring,
Oh, sweet Valkyries, embrace our fallen…
Ride them into the sweet halls of Valhalla.
~ Larisa C Hunter
My sister Valkyries, fetch-wives of Odin,
Swan Maidens and Mead Maidens, come forth,
Daughters of Freya, sworn Battle Maidens, we call,
Those who ride the battlefields, Choosers of the Slain,
We welcome you, on this day, as we sing praises for the gifts you bring,
Oh, sweet Valkyries, embrace our fallen…
Ride them into the sweet halls of Valhalla.
~ Larisa C Hunter
Here and Now
Soldiers ride the tide of swords
they fight while others dream
they see the blood and taste the sweat
while in sagas armor gleams
Kings and lords tread the road
of soldier's marching feet
but more lightly do they tread upon
and never match the beat
When swords to flying stingers fell
the sport of Odin changed
might gave way to steady mind
but courage stayed the same
A trial of motives lingers now
few ask the question 'why?'
But truly only Einherjar know
where and how they died
Soldiers ride the tide of swords
they fight while others dream
they see the blood and taste the sweat
while in sagas armor gleams
Kings and lords tread the road
of soldier's marching feet
but more lightly do they tread upon
and never match the beat
When swords to flying stingers fell
the sport of Odin changed
might gave way to steady mind
but courage stayed the same
A trial of motives lingers now
few ask the question 'why?'
But truly only Einherjar know
where and how they died
~ Matthias Wilson
Valhalla Awaits Me
The reverberation of battle is in my head,
Swords clash as bodies lay dead.
Into Valhalla, I shall be led
With a sword held in my hand,
I shall board the other land.
The reverberation of battle is in my head,
Swords clash as bodies lay dead.
Into Valhalla, I shall be led
With a sword held in my hand,
I shall board the other land.
There my brothers
wait
Death approaches, It's my fate.
So brothers I won't be late,
soon I'll join you in that hall
Reunite shall we all.
Death approaches, It's my fate.
So brothers I won't be late,
soon I'll join you in that hall
Reunite shall we all.
When I reach
Valhalla's door
and I lay my foot on that sacred floor
I shall be mortal, no more.
and I lay my foot on that sacred floor
I shall be mortal, no more.
Valhalla awaits me,
crack open thy door
For when I fall, Valkyries will carry me
To that hall...
For when I fall, Valkyries will carry me
To that hall...
Honor
In Sunna's realm or Mani's,
Search for honor and glory and self
On whale's road or the heath,
Battlefield, the same--
Armor donned and weapon bared,
The berserks' trade with the greatest of foes;
Only the Gods know which will enter Asgard
And to where within.
In Sunna's realm or Mani's,
Search for honor and glory and self
On whale's road or the heath,
Battlefield, the same--
Armor donned and weapon bared,
The berserks' trade with the greatest of foes;
Only the Gods know which will enter Asgard
And to where within.
~ Ragnarr
The Einherjar prepares daily for the events
of Ragnarok. During the day they train
and fight, until they cut each other to pieces.
At night, they feast at Odin's side, and their wounds are miraculously
healed. When the Einherjar was not
preparing for the events of Ragnarok by fighting all day, the Valkyries would
bear them mead drinks.
Today, their modern influence can be seen in various poems, works of art,
and musical works. In poetry, Valkyries
appear in Die Walküren, and Sköldmon. The Ride
of the Valkyries is the popular term for the beginning of act 3 of Die
Walküre, the second of the four operas by Richard Wagner. Works of art depicting Valkyries include
Reitende Walküre, Valkyrien, Valkyriens død, and more.
