Valkyrie

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The Valkyrie's Vigil, by the painter Edward Robert Hughes. Hughes shows the dreadful Norse war goddess in an ethereal fairy painting: barefoot, wearing a sheer off-the-shoulder gown, and softly moonlit from above. Her fighting personality is made less important: her chainmail is set aside, she tucks her helmet into the crook of her arm, and she holds her sword—quite uselessly—by the blade. There is no sign left of the chooser of the warrior slain in battle or the scavenging wolf and raven
The Valkyrie's Vigil, by the painter Edward Robert Hughes. Hughes shows the dreadful Norse war goddess in an ethereal fairy painting: barefoot, wearing a sheer off-the-shoulder gown, and softly moonlit from above. Her fighting personality is made less important: her chainmail is set aside, she tucks her helmet into the crook of her arm, and she holds her sword—quite uselessly—by the blade. There is no sign left of the chooser of the warrior slain in battle or the scavenging wolf and raven

Valkyries are lesser goddesses in Norse Mythology. They serve the chief god Odin. Their task is to choose those who have died in the most heroic way in battle. The Valkyrie then carries the chosen one off to Valhalla. This chosen one would then be called einherjar. They would fight at Odin's side at Ragnarök, the battle at the end of the world. In Valhalla, the Valkyries would also serve drink and care for the well-being of the feasting warriors.

The old Norse people thought that Valkyries rode winged horses, much like Pegasus. With the spread of Christianity the idea of what a Valkyrie was like changed more and more to a Romantic description of a beautiful woman.

Richard Wagner composed some operas, featuring Valkyries (German: "Walküren", singular: "Walküre"). These operas are Die Walküre , Siegfried , and Götterdämmerung. They feature a story of a valkyrie Brünnhilde, her punishment for disobeying her father, and her falling in love with Siegfried. The music for the opening of Act Three of Die Walküre is very famous. It is called the Ride of the Valkyries.

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Norse Mythology
Gods and Goddesses: Odin | Frigg | Freyja | Thor | Loki | Tyr | Vidar | Sif | Móði and Magni | Thrud | Ull | Baldur | Heimdall | Jord
Locations: Asgard | Midgard | Niflheim | Hel | Valhalla | Jotunheim | Muspelheim | Bifröst | Yggdrasil | Niðavellir
Races and groups: Æsir | Vanir | Giants | Dwarves | Valkyrie | Norns
Other: Jörmungandr | Fenrir | Hel |Ragnarök | Hugin and Munin | Mjolnir | Runestones