Bulfinch’s Mythology · Chapter
The Valkyrie explained
This chapter introduces the Valkyrie, warlike virgins who serve Odin by choosing heroes slain in battle to dwell in Valhalla, preparing for the final conflict with the giants.
What happens
This chapter introduces the Valkyrie, warlike virgins who serve Odin by choosing heroes slain in battle to dwell in Valhalla, preparing for the final conflict with the giants. Their armor creates the Aurora Borealis.
Themes in this chapter
Mortality and Immortality
The Valkyrie choose the slain, granting them a form of immortality in Valhalla.
Fate and Free Will
The Valkyrie determine who shall die in battle, embodying fate.
Characters to notice
- Odin
Odin sends the Valkyrie to battlefields to select slain heroes for Valhalla.
Key passages
“The Valkyrie are warlike virgins, mounted upon horses and armed with helmets and spears.”
The Valkyrie are warrior maidens who ride horses and carry weapons.
Describes the martial appearance of the Valkyrie.
“When they ride forth on their errand, their armor sheds a strange flickering light, which flashes up over the northern skies, making what men call the 'Aurora Borealis,' or 'Northern Lights.'”
The Valkyrie's armor creates the Northern Lights as they ride across the sky.
Explains the mythological origin of the Aurora Borealis.