19th Century Romanticism painted the Valkyries into Dilbert Cartoons. This one is by Peter Nicolai Arbo.They were not chubby love puppies who rescued the dead from the field as strains of Wagner wafted them through the air to Asgard.
Owning a martial spirit was more than an ideal a Viking aspired to. It was who you were, and many Old Norse names are quite blunt about it.
Want in to Valhalla? Die in battle.
Waiting for illness or old age to kill you sent you to Hel. The term is Ana Sótt. (die of disease)
Valhalla’s actual name is Valhöll: Carrion Hall: where you trained in mortal combat every day, all day, and died again and again: hardening you against death by steel to confront the final death you and your mead bench mates would all suffer at Ragnorök: liberating your progeny from the forces of Hel.
Valhöll was full contact, full death and dismemberment, and near eternal, bootcamp.
Odin’s daughters hovered above the battle choosing the doomed and sending death to them. Odin wanted the best and they were at the front of the fight.
So, with that, here's my stab at translating some of the original Valkyrie names.
Hrist: To Shake: as in Shudder, Shock, an Earthquake: from Hrista: To Shake.
Mist: To Avenge: from the Slavic name Mmsti: To Avenge.
Skeggjöld: Old Beard. The Viking Bearded Ax had an extended cutting tail on it called a beard.
Skjógul: Skjóg: Forest, and Ulfr: Wolf: the Forest Wolf
Hlökk: possible variant of Hrörri: Sword
Herfiotr: Army Fetterer: Hirð: a company of men, usually military, fjoturr: to fetter
Hildi: Battle
Þruð: Might (Þor’s daughter)
Göll: Gollr, the talon or claw of a hawk.
Geirölul: Geirr: Spear, Olla: to cause, as in Valda: Authority
Randgrið: Rand: Shield, Grið: Peace, IE, peace through triumph of shields.
Raðgrið: Counsel (of) Peace IE: Accept Peace, on our terms, or else
Reginleif: Regin: Power of the Gods, Leif: Inheritence or Legacy
I like cartoons as much as the next person,
but do these gals Sound like Mrs. Thorbob?
