In the mindset of the Viking peoples, the only way to access the paradise of the gods is to get a dignified death in battle. The Valkyries are the Viking warrior goddesses that the god Odin personally selects to make a connection between both worlds: after the battles, they descend with their flying horses to collect the souls of the heroes and take them to Valhalla.
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What are the Valkyries in Norse mythology?
Among the female mythological beings of the Vikings, the Valkyries are undoubtedly the best known, both for their role as subjects of the god Odin who carry the dead heroes to Valhalla as for its fascinating image of virgin warriors.
Taking into account the fascination of the Viking peoples with death, believing that a heroic death in battle gave them access to the hall of paradise and which explains their success as conquerors, the figure of the Valkyries as servants of Odin in charge of taking the souls of the dead warriors to Valhalla gives them enormous popularity .
In Norse mythology, the Valkyries are goddesses selected by the god Odin himself, but at the same time with warriors and they are represented with a strong musculature, big blue eyes, long blonde hair and a war helmet with horns. The embodiment of the classic Amazon, the Valkyries ride flying horses and possess superhuman strength and remarkable agility.
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Due to their mission, they are the only divinities that connect the earthly world of men with the universe of the gods. In the world of the living, they descend to collect the soul of the deadand in the world of the gods, they take care of the newcomers, to heal their wounds and recompose their spirit through banquets and drinking mead.
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Brunnhilde, queen of the Valkyries
Of all the Norse goddesses and Viking Valkyries, Brunnhilde is the chief shieldmaiden (skjaldmö) and chief servant of Odin.. Inspired by the Visigoth princess Brunegild of Austrasia, who reigned over the territory of present-day central Germany in the 7th century, is given the role of Brunnhilde as queen of the Valkyries by the Poetic Edda.
Brunnhilde is the daughter of Budli, one of the main legendary kings of the Scandinavian saga, and was chosen as a shieldmaiden and selected as a valkyrie by Odin. He sent her to decide the fight between two kings, but by choosing the wrong side she was punished by the gods and condemned to sleep in a castle until she was rescued.
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In the Nibelungenlied, a medieval epic composition, the hero Sigurd comes to Brunnhilde and rescues her and promises to return to marry her. However Sigurd unites with Krimilda, sister of King Gunther of Burgundy, with whom Brunilda marries deceived. Discovering her ruse, Brunnhilde kills Sigurd, but out of remorse she kills herself, and ever since her body rests next to that of her beloved.
In Norse mythology Brunnhilde commands a Valkyrie army, which varies in number depending on the narrative. In one of the most famous, the Hakonarmál, King Haakon the Good, son of the English monarch Athelstan, is assassinated by the sons of Gunnhild, mother of kings. Odin sends the Valkyries Göndul and Skögul to lead him to Valhalla.
According to the narration, they are worthy and noble warrior maidens, armed to the nines and who, on horseback, were sent by the Father of the Gods to choose a royal champion, of the Yngvi lineage, who would enter the service of Odin, brave in the world. Valhalla.» These they guard the norwegian hero to the hall of paradisewhere it will be seen with Odin.
The Ride of the Valkyries, by Richard Wagner
Between 1848 and 1874 the German genius Richard Wagner was inspired by the Icelandic saga of Norse myths and medieval composition Nibelungenlied to create one of the greatest monuments of classical musicthe four operas that make up the ensemble Der Ring des Nibelungen («The Ring of the Nibelung»).
The second opera, known as The Valkyrieincludes as a prelude to the third act a piece of about five minutes that has become one of the best known in the history of classical music, and that with the name of The Ride of the Valkyriesexplodes in a heroic and romantic sequence of winds with the passionate profusion of brass.
Since its premiere in Munich on June 26, 1870, and above all the electrifying majesty of The Ride of the Valkyriesthe second opera of the tetralogy became the most popular and most played, so that she was often depicted separately from the others. She was not long in acquiring the same glory that she was trying to reproduce.
So much so that in the decades to come, this piece would be used in famous movies like Eight and a half by Federico Fellini or apocalypse now by Francis Ford Coppola.
What was Wagner inspired by? The Valkyrie is the opera in which the German genius wants to reflect the opposition between men and gods, for which he uses the figure of the Valkyriesthose virgin warriors who, under the orders of Odin, descend to the battlefield to carry the souls of fallen heroes to Valhalla.
- Discover Ragnarök, the battle of the Vikings at the end of the world. Click here!
In fact, the opera is set just after a great battle and narrates the journey of the Valkyries to the Vikings’ paradise, to deliver the war souls to the god Odin. The epic moment comes with The Ride of the Valkyrieswhere the light orchestration in the winds and its effects they suggest the clouds of dust and the golden hair swaying in the wind, while the violins and the coppers marked the incessant rhythm of the horses.
As a result, this composition remains in history, whose supernatural force was used, for example, by British paratroopers as a fast march, or, in a darker way, as an introduction at Hitler rallies and in his public appearances.
The Valkyries in popular culture: from Marvel to Operation Valkyrie
In December 1970, in issue 83 of the comic magazine avengersthe fictional character created by Roy Thomas and John Buscema and called Valkyrie became part of the wide cast of characters in Norse mythology used by Marvel Comics to inspire superheroes with supernatural powers.
In this case, Valkyrie is directly inspired by the figure of the Valkyrie Brunilda and is, in reality, a divinity that possesses the body of the mortal Samantha Parrington and gives her the powers of Odin’s warrior. Thanks to those new abilities, for example, she faces the Hulk in issue #142 of The Incredible Hulkpublished in 1971.
As a superhero Valkyrie is the strongest of all the Valkyries, with great resistance to disease and injury and amazing longevity. She has the ability ability to predict death of the others, and has been trained to fight with a sword and ride a horse, being the most effective warrior of the Asgardian women.
She is usually depicted with two main weapons, a sword called the Dragon Fang and an unnamed iron spear. With the popularization of Marvel characters in recent film sagas, Valkyrie was played by actress Tessa Thompson in Thor: Ragnarok (2017), and also appears, although indirectly, in Avengers: Infinity War (2018).
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In popular culture, the Valkyries have also transcended for having given their name to the operation to kill Hitler, a true story that was turned into fiction in the film directed by Bryan Singer in 2008 and starring Tom Cruise.
On July 20, 1944, the German general Claus von Stauffenberg executed a failed attempt to assassinate Hitler, in the plan known as Operation Valkyrie as part of a coup by some Wehrmacht officers. The bomb that exploded in the headquarters of Hitler while he was meeting with his generals caused him only minor injuries.
In the film the events are narrated in detail, and Tom Cruise plays General Claus von Stauffenberg, while David Bamber plays Hitler. In any case, was Stauffenberg in general thinking of Wagner’s music when he planned the attack?
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