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The Poetic Edda on Valkyries

The > Volume I > Notes

attestation: The Valkyries, or 'Choosers of the Slain,' bring the bravest warriors killed in battle to Valhall to reinforce the gods for their final struggle

"Valkyries: these "Choosers of the Slain" (cf. stanza 1, note) bring the bravest warriors killed in battle to Valhall, in order to re-enforce the gods for their final struggle."
attestation: The Valkyrie concept was brought to Scandinavia from South-Germanic races and later interwoven with the swan-maiden tradition

"The conception of the supernatural warrior-maiden was presumably brought to Scandinavia in very early times from the South-Germanic races, and later it was interwoven with the likewise South-Germanic tradition of the swan-maiden."
attestation: The Valkyrie names listed include Hrist ('Shaker'), Mist, Skeggjold ('Ax-Time'), Skogul ('Raging'), Hild ('Warrior'), Thruth ('Might'), and others.

"Hrist: "Shaker." Mist: "Mist." Skeggjold: "Ax-Time." Skogul: "Raging" (?). Hild: "Warrior." Thruth: "Might." Hlokk: "Shrieking." Herfjotur: "Host-Fetter." Gol: "Screaming." Geironul: "Spear-Bearer." Randgrith: "Shield-Bearer.""

attestation: Valkyrie is characterized by beauty in the verse.

"Hjorvarth and Sigrlin had a son, mighty and of noble stature; he was a silent man, and no name stuck fast to him. He sat on a hill, and saw nine Valkyries riding; one of them was the fairest of all. She spake:"
attestation: Valkyrie is characterized by nobility in the verse.

"Hjorvarth and Sigrlin had a son, mighty and of noble stature; he was a silent man, and no name stuck fast to him. He sat on a hill, and saw nine Valkyries riding; one of them was the fairest of all. She spake:"
attribution: Valkyrie delivers a speech in the verse.

"7. "What gift shall I have | with Helgi's name, Glorious maid, | for the giving is thine? All thy words | shall I think on well, But I want them not | if I win not thee."

The Valkyrie spake:"

attestation: The stanza references wealth or gifts involving Valkyrie.

"7. "What gift shall I have | with Helgi's name, Glorious maid, | for the giving is thine? All thy words | shall I think on well, But I want them not | if I win not thee."

The Valkyrie spake:"

attestation: The Valkyries' lightning suggests their identification with clouds

"The lightning which accompanies them suggests again their identification with the clouds"
attestation: The Valkyries of Germanic tradition, like the swan-maidens of the Volundarkvitha, were regarded as being of southern (German) origin

"Southern: this variety of Valkyrie, like the swan-maidens of the Völundarkvitha, was clearly regarded as of southern (i.e., German) origin"

attestation: Swan-maidens could be captured by men stealing their swan-garments, demonstrating the confusion between swan-maidens and Valkyries

"Regarding the identification of swan-maidens with Valkyries, and the manner in which men could get them in their power by stealing their swan-garments"
attestation: Valkyries are called wish-maids because they fulfilled Odin's wish in choosing slain heroes for Valhall

"Wish-maid: a Valkyrie, so called because the Valkyries fullfilled Othin's wish in choosing the slain heroes for Valhall."
attestation: Shield-maids and sword-norns among the Huns reflect the tradition of warrior-women described by Roman writers among early Germanic tribes, closely allied to the Valkyrie tradition

"Roman writers refer to the warrior-women among the early Germanic tribes, and the tradition, closely allied to that of the Valkyries, attached itself readily to the ferocious Huns."