Valhalla
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Valhalla is a concept from Norse mythology referring to a great hall where warriors who died in battle were believed to go in the afterlife. It matters as a significant element of Norse religious beliefs and has become an influential symbol in Western culture, notably appearing in artistic works like Richard Wagner's operatic Ring Cycle.
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Article
21 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Attestations
- ''Poetic Edda''
- ''Grímnismál''
- ''Helgakviða Hundingsbana II''
- Vafthrúðnismál
- ''Prose Edda''
- ''Gylfaginning''
- ''Skáldskaparmál''
- ''Heimskringla''
- ''Fagrskinna''
- Women of Valhalla and their role in the afterlife
- Cultural practices
- Horse burial: transportation to Valhalla
- Death chants as appeals to Valhalla
- Political continuity through death
- Modern influence
- See also
- Notes
- References
- External links
250px|thumb|Walhalla (1896) by Max Brückner (artist)|Max Brückner in a scenic backdrop for [[Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen]]
In Norse mythology, Valhalla ( , ; , ) is described as a majestic hall located in Asgard and presided over by the god Odin. There were five possible realms the soul could travel to after death. The first was Fólkvangr, ruled by the goddess Freyja. The second was Hel, ruled by Hel, Loki's daughter. The third was that of the goddess Rán. The fourth was the Burial Mound where the dead could live. The fifth and last realm was Valhalla, ruled by Odin and was called the Hall of Heroes. The masses of those killed in combat (known as the einherjar), along with various legendary Germanic heroes and kings, live in Valhalla until Ragnarök, when they will march out of its many doors to fight in aid of Odin against the jötnar. Valhalla was idealized in Viking culture and gave the Scandinavians a widespread cultural belief that there is nothing more glorious than death in battle. The belief in a Viking paradise and eternal life in Valhalla with Odin may have given the Vikings a violent edge over the other raiders of their time period.