Valkyries in Norse Mythology: Who Were They and What Did They Do?

Despite being less popular than other mythologies, Scandinavian culture has interesting narratives. If you admire stories with many beautiful people, passion and war, especially from the medieval era, I dare say that you know or, at least, have heard about the Norse Mythology Valkyries.

Today we are going to tell you a little bit about the history of the valkyries, those active and controversial ladies who sought out and watched the bloodiest combats. Good reading.

Who were the Valkyries in Norse Mythology?

Legends tell that the Valkyries were virgins, messenger creatures who represented the female spirit and who received orders from Freya. Because they were daughters of the god of war, they were part of the team of Odin, the main god of the religion worshiped by the Nordic and Germanic peoples of northern Europe.

For this reason, the Valkyries were present in most battles, and when they mounted their winged steeds, the luminosity of their garments and shields shone a different light through the atmosphere, similar to the aurora borealis. Despite being presented as warriors, the Valkyries did not fight and were responsible for the choice of bodies.

The Valkyries were part of the popular culture of the Germanic peoples between the Middle Ages and the Contemporary Age. In Germany, they were even used to compose the country’s nationalism, at the time of its unification, which took place in the 19th century.

Origin of the Valkyries

Among the peasant women who held noble titles, Odin chose his “body pickers” and took them to him in Asgard.

How many Valkyries were there?

Contrary to what you see in most movies out there, the numbers from Norse mythology indicate that there were few Valkyries. The main documents say that, at the beginning, there were only 6 of them and, at other times, they were identified in groups of 9 to 13 women.

What was the role of the Valkyries in Norse Mythology?

The Valkyries roamed the battlefields looking for the best soldiers. They chose from among the men killed in battles and led them to reach Valhalla, the famous and desired hall of Odin.

There, the warriors stayed and trained to join the army of the god of war until the day of the battle against the trolls, goblins and demons, descendants of Ymir, the frost giant who slept for several ages.

Some facts about the Valkyries and Norse Mythology

Despite being extremely interesting and important creatures for Scandinavian culture, Valkyries are not quite what we see in movies and cartoons. See some fun facts below.

The Ride of the Valkyries

Odin’s messengers were immortalized in the opera The Valkyrie, by the German Richard Wagner. The third act of the work became very famous for being used as a soundtrack for feature films in cinema, popularizing the composition.

You’ve probably heard some snippets with Bugs Bunny:

There are reports that the Nazi Adolf Hitler loved this opera and just before attacks began, the Führer ordered the tanks to play this work on their radios. Jeez!

Northern Lights

According to Norse mythology, another famous fable says that when the Valkyries mounted their winged steeds, the luminosity of their garments and their shields shone a different light through the atmosphere, similar to the aurora borealis.

Such brightness could be seen in several regions of the planet Earth, mainly those closest to the North and South poles. This lighting represented the spirit of women warriors.

Sleeping Beauty

Most tales, especially children’s tales, are created from elements of culture from different parts of the world. Sleeping Beauty, for example, Disney’s 1959 film, is a retelling of a tale about a Valkyrie, written in the 13th century.

There was a fight between a Valkyrie and a king. Even against Odin’s wishes, the woman won and, as punishment, the god of war made her fall into a deep sleep by pricking her finger on a thorn. To ensure she stayed there forever, the place where Valkyrie fell was enveloped in a circle of fire.

Years later a knight found her and, contrary to what we know, he didn’t wake her up with a kiss. The warrior faced the flames and opened the armor to save whoever was there. As soon as he took off his protective robes, Valkyrie woke up with no memory. Instead of asking her to marry him, the young man asked the demigoddess to grant him wisdom.

Servants of Odin and the Warriors of Valhalla

While wars did not break out and the Valkyries had no bodies to rescue, they served drinks to Odin and his heroic warriors who were already in Valhalla.

Haja pique, therefore, tells the story that Valhalla had about 540 doors. And to find all these men in the great hall and pour each of their mugs?

The Valkyries and Their Powers

As much as they were Odin’s servants, there are some stories that escape this plot. In one of these adventures, a Valkyrie revived armies of dead men to wage war against her brother.

Another of them says that there was a rain of blood, created by a Valkyrie to form rivers and thus allow Viking ships to sail.

Robes, capes and wings

The Valkyries didn’t wear white and silver like we see in the movies. According to mythology, they wore enormous capes, made from the feathers of crows and swans. There are also those who say that their cloaks turned into large wings, allowing them to fly over battlefields in search of dead warriors.

Virginity

To remain immortal and serve Odin forever, The Valkyries needed to be virgins. Even though some stories may depict romantic relationships, in most of them, the romances never had a happy ending and ended in tragedy.

Did you like to know the history of the Valkyries in Norse mythology? Enjoy and read about other mythologies:

The main gods of Greek mythology.