Editing Valhalla (section)

=== Horse burial: transportation to Valhalla ===
Horses played a critical role in the burial and funeral processions of Viking burials. They were seen to be the dead's main transportation to Valhalla. In ''[[Egil's Saga|Egils saga Skallagrímssonar]]'', for instance, [[Skalla-Grímr|Skallagrímr]] is buried with his horse, weapons, and smith’s tools, illustrating the belief in the horse’s importance for the deceased’s passage to Odin’s hall. It is also noted that Old Norse sources mention only horses, not ships, as a means of traveling to and from Valhalla.<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal |last=Shenk |first=Peter |date=2002 |title=To Valhalla by Horseback?: Horse Burial in Scandinavia During the Viking Age |journal=University of Oslo}}</ref> This belief in horses being the main way of getting to Valhalla is also supported in the story, [[Sögubrot af nokkrum fornkonungum|Sögubrot]], where the character [[Harald Wartooth]] is buried with his horse and a wagon so he could ride to Valhalla.<ref name=":5" /> The riding of a horse to Valhalla is also mention in the story, ''[[Helgakviða Hundingsbana II]]'', where the hero Helgi rides to Valhalla after his burial and later returns on horseback to visit his living bride.<ref name=":5" />