Editing Valkyrie (section)

===''Poetic Edda''===
Valkyries are mentioned or appear in the ''[[Poetic Edda]]'' poems ''[[Völuspá]]'', ''[[Grímnismál]]'', ''[[Völundarkviða]]'', ''[[Helgakviða Hjörvarðssonar]]'', ''[[Helgakviða Hundingsbana I]]'', ''[[Helgakviða Hundingsbana II]]'' and ''[[Sigrdrífumál]]''.

====''Völuspá'' and ''Grímnismál''====
[[File:Hild, Thrud and Hløkk by Frølich.jpg|thumb|The valkyries Hildr, Þrúðr and Hlökk bearing ale in Valhalla (1895) by [[Lorenz Frølich]]]]
In stanza 30 of the poem ''[[Völuspá]]'', a [[völva]] (a travelling [[seeress]] in Norse society) tells Odin that "she saw" valkyries coming from far away who are ready to ride to "the realm of the gods". The völva follows this with a list of six valkyries: [[Skuld]] (Old Norse, possibly "debt" or "future") who "bore a shield", [[Skögul]] ("shaker"), [[Gunnr]] ("war"), [[Hildr]] ("battle"), [[Göndul]] ("[[wand]]-wielder") and [[Geirskögul]] ("Spear-Skögul"). Afterwards, the völva tells him she has listed the "ladies of the War Lord, ready to ride, valkyries, over the earth".<ref name="DRONKE15ORCHARD193-195">Dronke (1997:15). Valkyrie name etymologies from Orchard (1995:193–195).</ref>

In the poem ''[[Grímnismál]]'', Odin (disguised as ''[[List of names of Odin|Grímnir]]''), tortured, starved and thirsty, tells the young [[Agnarr Geirröðsson|Agnar]] that he wishes that the valkyries [[Hrist]] ("shaker") and [[Mist (valkyrie)|Mist]] ("cloud") would "bear him a [drinking] [[drinking horn|horn]]", then provides a list of 11 more valkyries who he says "bear [[ale]] to the [[einherjar]]"; [[Skeggjöld]] ("axe-age"), Skögul, Hildr, [[Þrúðr]] ("power"), [[Hlökk]] ("noise", or "battle"), [[Herfjötur]] ("host-fetter"), [[Göll]] ("tumult"), [[Geirahöð]] ("spear-fight"), [[Randgríð]] ("shield-truce"), [[Ráðgríð]] ("council-truce") and [[Reginleif]] ("power-truce").<ref name="LARRINGTON57ORCHARD193-195">Larrington (1999:57). Valkyrie name etymologies from Orchard (1995:193–195).</ref>

====''Völundarkviða''====
[[File:Walkyrien by Emil Doepler.jpg|thumb|''Walkyrien'' (c. 1905) by [[Emil Doepler]]]]
A prose introduction in the poem ''[[Völundarkviða]]'' relates that the brothers [[Slagfiðr]], [[Agilaz|Egil]] and [[Wayland Smith|Völund]] dwelt in a house sited in a location called Úlfdalir ("wolf dales"). There, early one morning, the brothers find three women spinning linen on the shore of the lake Úlfsjár ("wolf lake"), and "near them were their [[Feather cloak#Germanic|swan's garments]]; they were valkyries". Two daughters of King Hlödvér are named [[Hlaðguðr svanhvít]] ("swan-white") and [[Hervör alvitr]] (possibly meaning "all-wise" or "strange creature"<ref name="ORCHARD83">Orchard (1997:83).</ref>); the third, daughter of [[Kjárr]] of [[Valland]], is named [[Alruna|Ölrún]] (possibly meaning "[[beer]] [[runic alphabet|rune]]"<ref name="SIMEK251">Simek (2007:251).</ref>). The brothers take the three women back to their hall with them—Egil takes Ölrún, Slagfiðr takes Hlaðguðr svanhvít and Völund takes Hervör alvitr. They live together for seven winters, until the women fly off to go to a battle and do not return. Egil goes off in snow-shoes to look for Ölrún, Slagfiðr goes searching for Hlaðguðr svanhvít and Völund sits in Úlfdalir.<ref name="LARRINGTON102">Larrington (1999:102).</ref>

====''Helgakviða Hjörvarðssonar''====
[[File:ValkyrieOnHorse.jpg|thumb|''Valkyrie'' (1908) by [[Stephan Sinding]] located in [[Churchillparken|Churchill Park]] at [[Kastellet, Copenhagen|Kastellet]] in [[Copenhagen]], Denmark]]
In the poem ''[[Helgakviða Hjörvarðssonar]]'', a prose narrative says that an unnamed and silent young man, the son of the Norwegian King Hjörvarðr and Sigrlinn of Sváfaland, witnesses nine valkyries riding by while sitting atop a [[Tumulus#Scandinavia|burial mound]]. He finds one particularly striking; this valkyrie is detailed later in a prose narrative as [[Sváfa|Sváva]], King Eylimi's daughter, who "often protected him in battles". The valkyrie speaks to the unnamed man, and gives him the name ''[[Helge (name)|Helgi]]'' (meaning "the [[hallow|holy]] one"<ref name="ORCHARD81">Orchard (1997:81).</ref>). The previously silent Helgi speaks; he refers to the valkyrie as "bright-face lady", and asks her what gift he will receive with the [[Germanic name|name]] she has bestowed upon him, but he will not accept it if he cannot have her as well. The valkyrie tells him she knows of a hoard of swords in Sigarsholm, and that one of them is of particular importance, which she describes in detail.<ref name="LARRINGTON125">Larrington (1999:125).</ref> Further into the poem, Atli [[flyting|flytes]] with the female [[jötunn]] [[Hrímgerðr]]. While flyting with Atli, Hrímgerðr says that she had seen 27 valkyries around Helgi, yet one particularly fair valkyrie led the band:
{{poemquote|[[Numbers in Germanic paganism|Three times nine girls]], but one girl rode ahead,
white-skinned under her helmet;
the horses were trembling, from their manes
dew fell into the deep valleys,
hail in the high woods;
good fortune comes to men from there;
all that I saw was hateful to me.<ref name="LARRINGTON128">Larrington (1999:128).</ref>}}

After Hrímgerðr is turned to stone by the daylight, a prose narrative continues that Helgi, who is now king, goes to Sváva's father—King Eylimi—and asks for his daughter. Helgi and Sváva are betrothed and love one another dearly. Sváva stays at home with King Eylimi, and Helgi goes raiding, and to this the narrative adds that Sváva "was a valkyrie just as before".<ref name="LARRINGTON129">Larrington (1999:129).</ref> The poem continues, and, among various other events, Helgi dies from a wound received in battle. A narrative at the end of the poem says that Helgi and his valkyrie wife Sváva "are said to be reincarnated".<ref name="LARRINGTON130-131">Larrington (1999:130–131).</ref>

====''Helgakviða Hundingsbana I''====
[[File:Helgi Hundingsbane and Sigrún by Robert Engels.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Helgi Hundingsbane]] and Sigrún (1919) by [[Robert Engels (artist)|Robert Engels]]]]
In the poem ''[[Helgakviða Hundingsbana I]]'', the hero [[Helgi Hundingsbane]] sits in the corpse-strewn battlefield of Logafjöll. A light shines from the [[fell]], and from that light strike bolts of lightning. Flying through the sky, helmeted valkyries appear. Their waist-length [[Mail (armour)|mail armour]] is drenched in blood; their spears shine brightly:
{{poemquote|Then light shone from Logafell,
and from that radiance there came bolts of lightning;
wearing helmets at Himingvani [came the valkyries].
Their byrnies were drenched in blood;
and rays shone from their spears.<ref name="LARRINGTON116">Larrington (1999:116).</ref>}}

In the stanza that follows, Helgi asks the valkyries (who he refers to as "southern goddesses") if they would like to come home with the warriors when night falls (all the while arrows were flying). The battle over, the valkyrie [[Sigrún]] ("victory-[[runic alphabet|rune]]"<ref name="ORCHARD194">Orchard (1997:194).</ref>), informs him from her horse that her father [[Högni]] has betrothed her to [[Höðbroddr]], the son of king [[Granmar]] of the [[Nibelung|Hniflung]] clan, who Sigrún deems unworthy. Helgi assembles an immense host to ride to wage battle at Frekastein against the Hniflung clan to assist Sigrún in her plight to avoid her betrothment.<ref name="LARRINGTON116-117">Larrington (1999:116–117).</ref> Later in the poem, the hero [[Sinfjötli]] [[flyting|flytes]] with Guðmundr. Sinfjötli accuses Guðmundr of having once been female, and gibes that Guðmundr was "a witch, horrible, unnatural, among Odin's valkyries", adding that all of the einherjar "had to fight, headstrong woman, on your account".<ref name="LARRINGTON119">Larrington (1999:119).</ref> Further in the poem, the phrase "the valkyrie's airy sea" is used for "[[mist]]".<ref name="LARRINGTON120">Larrington (1999:120).</ref>

Towards the end of the poem, valkyries again descend from the sky, this time to protect Helgi amid the battle at Frekastein. After the battle, all the valkyries fly away but Sigrún and wolves (referred to as "the [[troll]]-woman's mount") consume corpses:
{{poemquote|Helmeted valkyries came down from the sky
—the noise of spears grew loud—they protected the prince;
then said Sigrun—the wound-giving valkyries flew,
the [[troll]]-woman's mount was feasting on the fodder of ravens:<ref name="LARRINGTON121">Larrington (1999:121).</ref>}}

The battle won, Sigrún tells Helgi that he will become a great ruler and pledges herself to him.<ref name="LARRINGTON122">Larrington (1999:122).</ref>

====''Helgakviða Hundingsbana II''====
[[File:Helgi und Sigrun by Johannes Gehrts.jpg|thumb|upright|''Helgi und Sigrun'' (1901) by [[Johannes Gehrts]]]]
At the beginning of the poem ''[[Helgakviða Hundingsbana II]]'', a prose narrative says that King [[Sigmund]] (son of [[Völsung]]) and his wife [[Borghild]] (of Brálund) have a son named Helgi, who they named for Helgi Hjörvarðsson (the protagonist of the earlier ''Helgakviða Hjörvarðssonar'').<ref name="LARRINGTON132">Larrington (1999:132).</ref> After Helgi has killed King Hunding in stanza 4, a prose narrative says that Helgi escapes, consumes the raw meat of cattle he has slaughtered on a beach, and encounters Sigrún. Sigrún, daughter of King Högni, is "a valkyrie and rode through air and sea", and she is the valkyrie Sváva reincarnated.<ref name="LARRINGTON133">Larrington (1999:133).</ref> In stanza 7, Sigrún uses the phrase "fed the [[goose|gosling]] of Gunn's sisters". Gunnr and her sisters are valkyries, and these goslings are [[raven]]s, who feed on the corpses left on the battlefield by warriors.<ref name="LARRINGTON133+281">Larrington (1999:133 and 281).</ref>

After stanza 18, a prose narrative relates that Helgi and his immense fleet of ships are heading to Frekastein, but encounter a great storm. Lightning strikes one of the ships. The fleet sees nine valkyries flying through the air, among whom they recognise Sigrún. The storm abates, and the fleets arrive safely at land.<ref name="LARRINGTON135">Larrington (1999:135).</ref> Helgi dies in battle, yet returns to visit Sigrún from Valhalla once in a burial mound, and at the end of the poem, a prose epilogue explains that Sigrún later dies of grief. The epilogue details that "there was a belief in the pagan religion, which we now reckon [is] an old wives' tale, that people could be reincarnated" and that "Helgi and Sigrun were thought to have been reborn" as another Helgi and valkyrie couple; Helgi as Helgi Haddingjaskaði and Sigrún as the daughter of [[Halfdan]]; the valkyrie [[Kára]]. The epilogue details that further information about the two can be found in the (now lost) work ''[[Káruljóð]]''.<ref name="LARRINGTON141">Larrington (1999:141).</ref>

====''Sigrdrífumál''====
[[File:Ring48.jpg|upright|thumb|[[Brünnhilde]] wakes and greets the day and [[Siegfried]], illustration of the scene of [[Wagner's Ring]] inspired by the [[Sigrdrífumál]], by [[Arthur Rackham]] (1911).]]
In the prose introduction to the poem ''[[Sigrdrífumál]]'', the hero [[Sigurd]] rides up to Hindarfell and heads south towards "the land of the [[Franks]]". On the mountain Sigurd sees a great light, "as if fire were burning, which blazed up to the sky". Sigurd approaches it, and there he sees a ''skjaldborg'' with a banner flying overhead. Sigurd enters the ''skjaldborg'', and sees a warrior lying there—asleep and fully armed. Sigurd removes the helmet of the warrior, and sees the face of a woman. The woman's [[corslet]] is so tight that it seems to have grown into the woman's body. Sigurd uses his sword [[Gram (mythology)|Gram]] to cut the corslet, starting from the neck of the corslet downwards, he continues cutting down her sleeves, and takes the corslet off of her.<ref name="THORPE180">Thorpe (1907:180).</ref>

The woman wakes, sits up, looks at Sigurd, and the two converse in two stanzas of verse. In the second stanza, the woman explains that Odin placed a sleeping spell on her she could not break, and due to that spell she has been asleep a long time. Sigurd asks for her name, and the woman gives Sigurd a [[drinking horn|horn]] of [[mead]] to help him retain her words in his memory. The woman recites a heathen [[prayer]] in two stanzas. A prose narrative explains that the woman is named [[Sigrdrífa]] and that she is a valkyrie.<ref name="LARRINGTON166-167">Larrington (1999:166–167).</ref>

A narrative relates that Sigrdrífa explains to Sigurd that there were two kings fighting one another. Odin had promised one of these—Hjalmgunnar—victory in battle, yet she had "brought down" Hjalmgunnar in battle. Odin pricked her with a sleeping-thorn in consequence, told her she would never again "fight victoriously in battle", and condemned her to marriage. In response, Sigrdrífa told Odin she had sworn a great oath that she would never wed a man who knew fear. Sigurd asks Sigrdrífa to share with him her wisdom of all worlds. The poem continues in verse, where Sigrdrífa provides Sigurd with knowledge in inscribing [[runic alphabet|runes]], mystic wisdom, and prophecy.<ref name="LARRINGTON167">Larrington (1999:167).</ref>