In Norse mythology, the valkyries were the female deities also named "dark angels of death" who had
the ungrateful role of deciding who lives and who perishes in battle, and after, to gather the
souls of the bravest warriors and bring them into Valhalla, the paradise of the Viking warriors,
near Odin, who was to use them in the end-of-the-world war - Ragnarok.
In the afterlife, usually, half of the chosen ones from the battlefield arrive in Valhalla,
the other half is taken to the goddess Freya on the Fólkvangr field. In many writings,
it is found that the goddess Freya had priority in choosing the warriors killed during the battles.
Once in the service of the great Odin, the leader of all the gods, they turned into "Einherjar",
In Valhalla, these female deities had the role of serving drinks and food
to the great warriors and taking care of arranging and cleaning the tables.
In late Norse mythology, these Valkyries were transformed into gorgeous, blonde virgins,
with white wings, which delighted the eyes of the
diners while serving refined drinks in the Valhalla halls.
In modern art, these deities are embodied as warriors of rare beauty,
who rode winged horses and were equipped with helmets and arrows.
However, the horses of a Valkyrie were often winged wolves,
very fierce, with the help of which they could take the dead bodies to Odin.
Whether or not they were accompanied by winged wolves, the impression of Norse mythology stories
is that these creatures resembled crows hovering over the battlefield
to choose prey that would serve a higher purpose — saving the world of perdition.
According to Norse mythology, the Valkyries appeared during the battle.
These virgins usually appeared in numbers from 6 to 13.
It seems that some of the Valkyries had a higher rank than others and were treated with respect.
Thomas Bulfinch, fascinated by Norse legends, in his work "Mythology,",
points out that many of the stories suggest that the Valkyries armor produces a strange,
and, at the same time, splendid light, which is called the "Northern Lights" or "Aurora
Borealis". The origin of the strange mythological beings is said to have often had mortal parents.
In the oldest legends, they are seen as the high priestesses of Odin,
who participate in the sacrificial rituals of the prisoners in honor of Odin.
They were the ones who made the sacrifice, using a ritual spear.
With the advent of Old Norse poems in the twelfth-century Codex Regius manuscript,
these rituals faded away and were replaced by legends that, as supernatural beings, the
Valkyries witnessed battle, on the battlefield, and they decided who would live and who would not.
In the Codex Regius, these entities have an unknown origin,
being described as deities who had the role of serving at the table of the gods in Valhalla
and bore names unworthy of the beauty and high purpose they had; such as:
“Skogul” which means "Anger", or “Hlok” which means "Lament" and “Gol” which means "Scream".
In heroic legends, they were invariably the beautiful daughters of famous kings,
known for their heroism, and they had supernatural powers.
The etymology of the name comes from the ancient word "Valkyrja" from Norse mythology,
consisting of the words "val", which means "to kill", and "kyrja", which means
"choice". Put these together, meaning "Chooser of the Slain".
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Yours truly: Mythos, the Historian.