Who were the Valkyries?



The Vikings or Northman were a breed of people whose culture was built on their love of  farming and battle. The viking warriors' idea of heaven was the great legendary hall of Valhalla where each day they would fight and feast everyday in their afterlife waiting for the penultimate battle- Ragnarok.



Not everyone would be granted passage to Valhalla after death. To be able to enter they must have died in battle, and be chosen by the Valkyries, Odin's battle maidens. In the ancient Norse tales it has also been suggested the Valkyries also possessed the rather sinister ability to choose who would die in battle and join them.

The Valkyries were said to be noble and beautiful creatures with long flowing corn blonde hair with skin as white as the moon. They charged into battle on steeds of clouds armed with flashes of lightning. It is aid they always appeared in groups of nine, a magical number. After the last battle cry they would swoop down along with the ravens and handpick fallen warriors to bring back to Valhalla.



Tales of long ago speak of Valkyries who would often visit secluded lakes to bathe their feather wings in. If a mortal man managed to sneak up on them and steal their wings the Valkyrie would be subject to their will, unable to take off back to Valhalla without their wings. They often became their wives. However like in many tales once the Valkyries found their  hidden wings  they would take off and never be seen by their mortal husbands again.

About the Author

S.J.Budd is a writer of all things weird and creepy. Previously her tales have been featured on Deandman's Tome,  Sanitarium Magazine, Dark Gothic Resurrected, Liquid Imagination, Aphotic Realm, Aurora Wolf, Aphelion, Blood Moon Rising Magazine, The Wild Hunt, Danse Macabre, Shadows at the Door, Inner Sins, Bewildering Stories, Siren's Call and many more.
She lives at www.sjbudd.co.uk  and  @sjbuddj 
Spells and Persuasions, her debut collection of short stories of horror and dark fantasy is available now in paperback and kindle from Amazon


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