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Valkyrie
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Illustration of a helmeted Valkyrie riding a rearing winged horse through clouds while carrying a fallen warrior and raising a spear.
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Also spelled:
Walkyrie
Old Norse:
Valkyrja (“Chooser of the Slain”)
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Illustration of a helmeted Valkyrie riding a rearing winged horse through clouds while carrying a fallen warrior and raising a spear.
A Valkyrie transporting a slain warrior to Valhalla

Valkyrie

Norse mythology
Also known as: Valkyrja, Walkyrie
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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Last updated
•History

Valkyrie, in Norse mythology, any of a group of maidens who served the god Odin and were sent by him to the battlefields to choose the slain who were worthy of a place in Valhalla. These foreboders of war rode to the battlefield on horses, wearing helmets and shields; in some accounts, they flew through the air and sea. Some Valkyries had the power to cause the death of the warriors they did not favor; others, especially heroine Valkyries, guarded the lives and ships of those dear to them. Old Norse literature made references to purely supernatural Valkyries and also to human Valkyries with certain supernatural powers. Both types of beings were associated with fairness, brightness, and gold, as well as bloodshed.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.