In Old Norse, valkyrja means “chooser of the slain.” Valkyries appear in the Poetic Edda, the Prose Edda, skaldic verse, and heroic legend. These sources do not present one fixed roster or a single uniform description. Some passages place Valkyries on the battlefield, while others show them serving drink in Valhalla or taking part in stories about mortal heroes.
What Valkyries Do
Snorri Sturluson’s Gylfaginning says that Odin sends Valkyries to battles, where they determine who is fated to die and award victory. The poem Völuspá names Skuld, Skögul, Gunnr, Hildr, Göndul, and Geirskögul as Valkyries ready to ride. Their role is therefore broader than collecting bodies after combat. They are linked to fate, victory, and Odin’s war band.
Not every battle-dead warrior goes to Odin. Grímnismál states that Freyja chooses half of the slain and Odin receives the other half. The surviving sources do not provide a simple administrative map of every afterlife destination, and they do not say that there are exactly twelve or thirteen Valkyries.
Valkyries in Valhalla
In Grímnismál, Odin names Valkyries who carry ale to the einherjar, the dead fighters gathered in Valhalla. This service is not a demotion from warrior status. In an elite hall, offering drink is a formal act that confirms rank, hospitality, and the relationship between a lord and his retainers.
Named Valkyries in Heroic Poems
The Eddic heroic poems give several Valkyries individual stories:
- Sigrdrífa or Brynhildr: A Valkyrie punished by Odin after granting victory against his wishes. The relationship between the names Sigrdrífa and Brynhildr differs across manuscripts and later retellings.
- Sigrún: A Valkyrie associated with the hero Helgi Hundingsbani.
- Sváva: A king’s daughter and Valkyrie in the poem about Helgi Hjörvarðsson.
These figures are not simply interchangeable attendants. Their poems combine supernatural authority with human kinship, marriage, feud, and grief.
What Did Valkyries Look Like?
Medieval texts describe Valkyries riding, carrying shields, wearing helmets, and handling spears. They are also connected with swan garments in some traditions. Wings fixed to a woman’s body are mainly a later artistic convention. The sources do not support one compulsory costume, hair color, or style of armor.
Valkyries in Later Culture
Richard Wagner’s nineteenth-century opera cycle made the “Ride of the Valkyries” internationally familiar, but Wagner’s characters and plot are not direct transcripts of medieval Icelandic literature. Modern novels, games, comics, and films continue to reshape Valkyries as warrior women, escorts of the dead, or independent heroes. These versions are best understood as adaptations.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Valkyries were there?
No authoritative medieval source gives a final total. Different poems and prose lists preserve different names.
Was Freyja a Valkyrie?
Freyja is a goddess, not one of Odin’s named Valkyries. Grímnismál says she chooses half of those slain in battle for her hall, Fólkvangr.
Were Valkyries Odin’s daughters?
The sources usually describe them as Odin’s servants or supernatural women who carry out his decisions. Some heroic Valkyries also have named human fathers. They are not consistently presented as Odin’s biological daughters.