As the maidens of the all father and often referred to as beacons of strength, the Valkyries of Norse mythology were women of vast prestige and power, one of the few factions of warriors having a certain influence over the world of men. Upon the backs of their ethereal horses, they came from Valhalla with guttural screams at the back of their throats. According to the Norse mythology, Prose Edda and Poetic Edda, it is not the duty of Valkyries to interfere in the conflicts of men nor to have any role in the physical or mental acts of battle. But rather to choose from the fallen warriors who was worthy enough to ascend to the halls of Odin, and who was benign enough to be sent to the fields of the goddess Freyja. The name Valkyrie means “chooser of the slain,” and once chosen the warriors would be flown on to Valhalla. The Valkyries feature in the stories from the Prose and Poetic Edda, both are the collections of Norse tales as well as Germanic works. It's important to understand that Norse Mythology was passed down orally for generations until the region was converted to Christianity, which introduced literacy. It’s unknown when the concept of the Valkyrie was first mentioned, but in Norse mythology, they were originally seen as bloodthirsty spirits feasting on the bodies of the slain across the battlefields, and took their souls to a generic afterlife. Much like the Greek Keres that we have in Greek mythology. It was only because of the influence of women who fought as men during the Viking age that the Valkyries were more romanticized, and the descriptions of beautiful Valkyries taking the braves up to a glorious afterlife replaced this unpleasant image.
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