What is Valhalla? All about Valhalla

If you play various video games or watch movies and series about Norse mythology, you have probably heard the word Valhalla. In movies and TV shows, Viking warriors dare to die on the battlefield to enter Valhalla. This makes us think that Valhalla is some kind of paradise, but the reality is a little different. We have written for you in this list what you need to know about Valhalla. Let’s dive into the details without wasting time.

You can also check out this content: “Plot, Cast, Episodes: Vikings: What You Need to Know About Valhalla”

What religion does Valhalla’s faith belong to?

The word Valhalla describes the sky in Norse mythology. The Vikings had their own religion before they became Christians, and they thought that brave warriors who died in battle went to Valhalla.

You can also check out this content: “8 Informative Articles on the Viking Documentary Series”.

What is Valhalla?

Valhalla is a very large room with 540 doors located in Asgard and ruled by Odin. Warriors who died in battle are included here. The people of Valhalla are collectively known as the Einherii. It is the plural of Einheri, which literally means “one man army”, so the warriors here are the bravest and most ruthless. Even if they have passed through the realm of the dead and the living, this is not the end for them. In fact, the Einherjars have an important job to do. They must prepare for the events of Ragnarok. Ragnarok, another famous but obscure Scandinavian concept, is reminiscent of the apocalypse or the end of the world. Often meaning “the ultimate fate of the gods”, a number of events are predicted, including natural disasters and the flooding of the Earth.

Who can enter Valhalla?

There is some disagreement among scholars as to exactly how to get to Valhalla. However, a “glorious death” is often thought to be the main factor. You cannot fall on your own sword or wait for someone to destroy you during a battle. Instead, you must fight very bravely. But even that may not be enough. Only half of those killed on the battlefield end up in Valhalla. We’ll talk about the rest later, but for now let’s get acquainted with the Valkyries.

Valkyrie roughly translates to “he who chooses the slain”. The Valkyries select brave and experienced warriors who die gloriously on the battlefield and send them to Wallach to fight alongside Odin. Of course, this is all for the sake of Ragnarok.

What does Valhalla look like?

The roof of Valhalla is made of shields and has spears on the rafters. Bib chairs surround the many banquet tables in the spacious hall. Its gates are guarded by wolves, and eagles fly above it. Outside the hall stands a golden tree named Glasir, which is considered one of the most beautiful in the world. Here is the honey goat Heidrun and the deer Eikfirnir, whose antlers drip into the spring from which all the waters of the world flow. They both live on the roof of Valhalla and graze on the branches of a tree named Lerad. Although no one knows how big this place is, it is said to be huge. Thor has a palace of 540 rooms in Valhalla.

The warriors of Valhalla fight each other all day and perform countless feats. But every evening all their wounds heal and they make a full recovery. Of course, all these wars make them hungry. Dinners also never disappoint them. The giant boar Serimnir is big enough to feed all the warriors and regenerates at night. The Heiðrún goat, whose udder can produce an infinite amount of the finest honey known to man, satisfies their drinking needs.

Where do the rest of the warriors who died go?

If the most skillful and powerful warriors go to Valhalla, then where do the rest of the dead go? If there is an afterlife for the best warriors, then there must be a place for the rest of the people, right?

With the exception of the warriors who went to Valhalla, half of the rest goes to live with the goddess Freya in Folkvangr. It is a beautiful meadow on which the Sessrumnir Hall is located. While Freya is often associated with love and fertility, she is also associated with war. He is said to lead the eternal war of Hjaðningavíg, where those who die daily after battle are resurrected to fight again.

The next place for the dead was Hel or Helheim. Helheim should not be confused with Hell in the context of contemporary Christianity. Although the words are related, Helheim is a kingdom ruled by the goddess Hel, divided by a swift and impassable river. Those who did not die in the war, for example, the old and the crippled, go to Hel. But even the god Balder, who was killed after he was deceived by Loki, ended up in Helheim.

Apart from these three, there is some evidence from the Rana where sailors who died at sea went. Finally, there is Helgafjell, a peaceful mountain where people are reunited with their loved ones. It is difficult to understand how these places are related to each other. All of them can be parts of the same kingdom, or they can be different.

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