Valhalla Norway. Valhalla is a paradise for valiant warriors. Germano-Scandinavian mythology. Warriors of Odin Einherja - selected from the best

The word "Valhalla" can be translated from the ancient Icelandic language as "hall of the fallen" (warriors in battle). You can often encounter different spellings of the word "Valhalla". This is Valhalla, Valhalla, Valhalla. Any transcription is valid.

According to the legends of the ancient Scandinavians, Valhalla is the hall of Asgard, in which the god Odin rules. The owner of Valhalla asks the warriors if they died with dignity and takes the best into his squad, which will fight with him when Rognarok comes.

The Hard Road to Valhalla

The road to Valhalla is hard and only worthy warriors will find it. Not every warrior who fell in battle was worthy to enter Valhalla. Only the best got there. Some of the dead did not reach Valhalla, but were "redirected" to Folkvangr to Freya, which was considered not so honorable. The Vikings, who were lucky enough to get to Odin, became his personal guard (in some sources they are called ice warriors). In order for the road to Valhalla to lead the warrior to Odin, the Viking had to fall with a weapon in his hands. Mortally wounded soldiers asked their comrades to put a sword or an ax in their hands, otherwise the road to Valhalla would not open to him.

It should be mentioned separately that the weapon was a kind of guide to Valhalla. Without a sword or other weapon, the road to Valhalla will not open, and the warrior will forever wander in search of it.

The ice warriors of Valhalla have been fighting each other since morning until the only survivor remains. After that, all the fallen are resurrected, their wounds heal, and the severed limbs grow back. After the battle, the path of the heroes lies in the hall of Odin, where they are met by the owner of Valhalla himself. There, the brave feast until the evening, remembering their exploits and honoring today's winner. At night, the Vikings disperse throughout Valhalla, and charming maidens come to them, who please them until the morning. Some believe that warriors who have fallen into their paradise have fun with the Valkyries, but the beauties of the night are not at all.

Joining the ranks of Odin's warriors could be done in several ways:

The owner of Valhalla took the best fighters for himself, and the Vikings believed that Odin could specially send the Valkyries to the battlefield to prevent the heroes from fighting. If a warrior suddenly stumbled or missed, this meant that Odin wanted to quickly get him into his halls;
If a warrior lived to old age, he could commit ritual suicide by hanging himself from an oak tree. Thus he repeated the sacrificial suicide of Odin, who hanged himself to learn the wisdom of the runes;
The most severe was the third option - a courageous death through a specific execution, which was called the "bloody eagle". If the Viking endured such an execution without screams and groans, the entrance to Valhalla was considered open for him, and he could count on a place of honor between the ice warriors of Odin;
It is believed that there is no other way to Valhalla, but there was another cruel custom. The Vikings rarely let captured enemies die with dignity, but courageous warriors knew how to get into Valhalla in this case. They asked to open their stomachs and nail their intestines to a high post. Then the brave man walked around the pillar, winding guts around it and mocking his enemies. If he did not lose his composure and bravely endured the pain, the enemies burned his body, asking Odin to accept the valiant warrior.

How is Valhalla and the halls of Odin

The halls of Valhalla are a large banquet hall, but instead of a roof, it has the golden shields of Odin's (Einherjar) guards. The walls are made of huge copies of the heroes who feast in the hall. In the morning, leaving for battle, the soldiers dismantle the walls and roof, in fact, taking the halls with them.

In total, there are 540 doors in the banquet hall, 800 fighters should come out of each when Rognarok comes. In total, there should be 432,000 warriors ready to support the gods in the last battle with the giants.

Despite the fact that women in the culture of the Vikings occupied a rather privileged position and often fought on an equal footing with men, there is not a single mention in the Scandinavian sagas about where beautiful warriors go. The only woman mentioned in the sagas was Brunnhilde, who was exiled to earth as a punishment and deprived of her Valkyrie status. In the ancient sagas, she is not considered either a human or a Valkyrie.

In the very middle of Valhalla stands the throne of Odin, from which the stern god examines all the worlds with a single eye, so as not to miss the beginning of the end of the world.

It is worth noting that such a wild and harsh life was seen by the pagan Vikings as a real paradise, because their real life was a series of battles, murders and drunken fun.

What did Valhalla see in Christian times

It is very interesting what opinion about Valhalla were the first Christians who learned about the paradise of the harsh northern warriors. The first missionaries who visited the Scandinavians and learned aspects of their harsh religion were amazed to the core. Christians already considered the Vikings to be real demons, and having learned that their paradise resembles a Christian hell, they completely confirmed their opinion. The daily resurrection of soldiers in order to kill each other again the next day was interpreted by Christians as the torment of sinners in hell. Odin himself in this place was the embodiment of Satan.

The fearless warriors of the north, who rushed into battle against detachments of enemies several times superior to them and were not afraid of death, terrified civilized Europeans. And the elite of the Vikings - berserkers and ulfhednar - suggested thoughts of tamed demons from hell.

Despite the adoption of Christianity by the Norwegians, many pagans fled to Iceland, where the Asatru religion (which means faith in the Asses) has survived to this day. Modern Icelandic special forces soldiers still use the Viking battle cry "Till Valhall!", Which in our language means "To Valhalla!".

Gates of Valhalla

To enter Valhalla, dead heroes must unlock the gates of Valgrind. Their meaning is still not clear, although logically, they should lock Valhalla from unwanted visitors. This theory is also supported by the fact that one of the Scandinavian Eddas clearly says that only the dead can open the gates of Valgrind. The lock of this gate is one of the unique artifacts that were made by the dark elves.

These characters are the prototype of the dark elves, so widely replicated thanks to modern games. Although unlike games in which dark and light elves are close relatives, the Scandinavian Eddas say that dark elves have a completely different nature than light elves (elves).

The castle has magical powers, anyone unworthy to touch it will be bound forever when touched.

Some folklorists and publicists in Sweden (in particular Viktor Rydberg) believe that the name of the gates of Valhalla can be translated as “loudly clapping”. This statement is based on an ancient belief that connected the peals of thunder and the opening of the gates of Valgrind into one.

Warriors of Odin Einherja - selected from the best

In the culture of the ancient Scandinavians, one can find quite detailed descriptions of the heroes of Valhalla, the Einherii. Although great heroes were called this word, its exact meaning has been lost and no one knows what it really means.

Fighting against each other, the warriors of Odin hone their skills, as they will have to fight terrible giants during the last battle of the gods. Since the wounds of the eitherii always heal, they are immortal.

During the feast in the halls, the fallen heroes drink the magical mead that flows from the udder of the goat Heidrun. Scandinavian mythology does not give us an answer to the question of whether this drink is alcoholic, although knowing the life of the Vikings, it is not difficult to assume that they would be bored in paradise without drinking. The main dish at the feast is the meat of the huge boar Sehrimnir, which, in addition to being able to feed an unlimited number of warriors, is reborn every day.

Valhalla is a heavenly chamber for fallen warriors in German-Scandinavian mythology. Valhalla is located in Asgard (the world or city of the gods) and is a real paradise for the valiant Viking warriors who fought with honor and died with weapons in their hands.

In the paganism of the Slavs Ancient Russia we do not find an exact match with the concept of Valhalla. Perhaps the warriors who fought in battles in Russia had such an idea and even called the place that was prepared for them in the other world by some term, but today nothing is known about this, so Valhalla is a truly unique phenomenon that speaks about such a side of pagan culture that has not been preserved in other countries. In Russian paganism there are concepts of the Upper World, Rule. It is quite possible that Iriy was once presented to the Slavs as a place where the most worthy warriors get, but there is no reliable evidence for this, but the name "Perun's army" came across. Therefore, it is worth considering precisely the German-Scandinavian version of the structure of the Upper World of Asgard and, in particular, Valhalla (Valhalla, Valhalla).

The world for warriors who fell in battle is divided into two parts. Some end up in Valhalla (Palace of the Fallen), while others end up in Folkwang (People's Field). Folkwang is run by the goddess of war and love, Freya. Folkwang was also a place of honor for warriors, as it was considered a paradise for the strongest and most courageous. By the way, the best women also got here, and not only warriors. However, it was Valhalla that enjoyed the greatest respect among the warriors. Valhalla is ruled by God Odin. The Supreme God, as well as the father and leader of the Ases (gods) Odin, sits in the Palace of the Fallen on a throne called Hlidskjalf. From this throne he can see all the worlds and all human affairs. Therefore, deceiving Odin will not work. He sees all the battles and how bravely warriors fight and how fearlessly they die. After another battle, Odin selects the most daring warriors and sends the Valkyries after them.

Valkyries, which translates from Old Norse as “choosers of the slain,” are spirits or goddesses who hover over the battlefield on winged horses and pick up fallen warriors to deliver them to Valhalla. The image of the Valkyries goddesses is undoubtedly very interesting, but we will deal with this in one of the following articles. Maiden warriors, who, according to various ideas, number nine or thirteen, collect souls and see off their world dead soldiers to Odin. Here the warriors enter the Palace of Eternal Pleasures.

There is detailed information about what is happening in Valhalla. God Odin does not just gather the best warriors so that they feast every day and indulge in various pleasures. Bold and fearless warriors here they are preparing for the decisive battle, which is known as Ragnarok (the death of the gods and the whole world). Valhalla itself looks like a huge hall that can accommodate a large number of people. This hall has 540 doors, through each of which 800 warriors will emerge on the day of the decisive battle. If you do a simple multiplication, it turns out that there are 432 thousand warriors in Valhalla. The roof of Valhalla consists of gilded shields, which is supported by stakes.

The warriors of Valhalla are called Einherjars. Every day from early morning, the Einherjars don armor, train, and fight to the death. However, there is no death here, and therefore the warriors are resurrected and go hunting for the boar Sehrimnir. After a successful hunt, the boar is boiled in his cauldron by the "cook of Valhalla" Eldhrimnir (Andhrimnir). The boar also does not die, and after the meal it rises again until the next day. Warriors sit down to feast, drink honey, which is milked by the goat Heidrun. Goat Heidrun lives on the roof of Valhalla and feeds on the leaves of the World Tree Yggdrasil. After the meal, beautiful maidens come to the warriors.

Getting here was main dream any warrior and viking. The place of pleasures and pleasures that will last until the very end of the world could only be reached by being truly brave and fearless. Each Viking, according to these beliefs, had to fight without sparing his strength, and at each battle he had to fight as if for the last time, and die without shame and fear, and always with a sword in his hands. The real grief was the death of a warrior who at the very last moment lost or dropped his sword. Then, according to legend, he could not become one of the Einherjars and could no longer meet with God Odin to participate in the very last battle.

VALHALLA.
Val (b) halla, Val (b) galla (ancient Iceland. Valh?ll) in German-Scandinavian mythology - a heavenly chamber in Asgard ("hall of the slain" in the chamber of Odin) for those who fell in battle, Paradise for valiant warriors.

Valhalla was located in Asgard next to the ash tree Yggdrasil. It is surrounded by the full-flowing stream Tund, which the Einherjars cannot cross.
On its roof are the deer Eikturmir and the goat Heidrun, eating the leaves of the World Tree Yggdrasil (a gigantic ash (or yew), in the form of which the Scandinavians imagined the universe). It belonged to the supreme god Odin and was part of the complex of his palace, which was called Gladsheim.

Doors five hundred
and forty, as I remember, -
Valhalla has:
at the door every eight
hundreds of warriors
goes to battle with the wolf

Eliseeva L. A.

Odin rules Valhalla. He selects half of the soldiers who fell in battle, and the Valkyries deliver them to the chamber. The other half of the fallen goes to Folkwang ("People's Field") to the goddess Freya.

Einheria enter Valhalla after death. These are the chosen people, marked by military prowess and who died a death worthy of a warrior. During their lifetime, they already enjoyed the special patronage of the supreme God Odin, and when they died, the Valkyries took them away and transferred them to Valhalla. There they spend their time in feasts and battles.

The warriors who live in Valhalla are called einherii. Every day in the morning they put on armor and fight to the death, and after that they rise and sit down at the common table to feast. They eat the meat of the boar Sehrimnir, who is slaughtered every day and every day he is resurrected. Einherias drink honey, which is milked by the goat Heidrun.

In order to oust pagan cultures, Christianity and the baptists identified Valhalla with hell. Ases were identified with demons, einheria (heroes) - with great sinners, the principle of endless bloody slaughter and the daily feast after the resurrection from the dead (and the regrowth of severed limbs) - were identified with the infinity of hellish torments.

Gladsheim is the fifth
it's full of gold
Valhalla shines;
there Hroft collects
brave warriors,
killed in battle.
It's easy to guess
where is Odin's house,
looking at the chambers
rafters there - spears,
and the roof - shields
and armor on the benches.
It's easy to guess
where is Odin's house,
looking at the chambers: Hall of Valhalla. Illustration for the "Prose Edda". 1760
the wolf is out there to the west
hanging from the door
an eagle soars from above.

Elder Edda "Speech of Grimnir" (8-10)

Valhalla, as a heavenly kingdom for the elect, apparently differentiated relatively late from the underworld kingdom of the dead (Hel). In the "Speech of Grimnir" ("Elder Edda") Valhalla is correlated with Gladsheim ("dwelling of joy"), and in the "Younger Edda" the dwelling in which Odin and "all people worthy and righteous" (Christian influence) live is called Gimle ("protection from fire") or Vingolf ("abode of bliss").

The commander of one of the companies of the Norwegian motorized infantry battalion "Telemark" inspires his soldiers before attacking the positions of the Taliban with the battle cry "Til Valhalla!" (To Valhalla!) Literally: "You are predators, the Taliban are your prey. To Valhalla! To Valhalla! To Valhalla!"

Valhalla is a heavenly chamber for fallen warriors in. Valhalla is located in Asgard (the world or city of the gods) and is a real paradise for the valiant Viking warriors who fought with honor and died with weapons in their hands.

In the paganism of the Slavs of Ancient Russia, we do not find an exact match with the concept of Valhalla. Perhaps the warriors who fought in battles in Russia had such an idea and even called the place that was prepared for them in the other world by some term, but today nothing is known about this, so Valhalla is a truly unique phenomenon that speaks about such a side of pagan culture that has not been preserved in other countries. In Russian paganism there are concepts of the Upper World, Rule, Navi and (Slavic Paradise). It is quite possible that Iriy once seemed to the Slavs to be the place where the most worthy warriors go, but there is no reliable evidence of this. Therefore, it is worth considering precisely the German-Scandinavian version of the structure of the Upper World of Asgard and, in particular, Valhalla (Valhalla, Valhalla).

The world for warriors who fell in battle is divided into two parts. Some fall into Valhalla (Palace of the Fallen), while others fall into the Folkwang (People's Field). Folkwang is run by the goddess of war and love, Freya. Folkwang was also a place of honor for warriors, as it was considered a paradise for the strongest and most courageous. By the way, the best women also got here, and not only warriors. However, it was Valhalla that enjoyed the greatest respect among the warriors. Valhalla is ruled by the god Odin. The supreme god, as well as the father and leader of the aces (gods) Odin, sits in the Palace of the Fallen on a throne called Hlidskjalf. From this throne he can see all the worlds and all human affairs. Therefore, deceiving Odin will not work. He sees all the battles and how bravely warriors fight and how fearlessly they die. After another battle, Odin selects the most daring warriors and sends the Valkyries after them.

Valkyries, which translates from Old Norse as “choosers of the slain,” are spirits or goddesses who hover over the battlefield on winged horses and pick up fallen warriors to deliver them to Valhalla. The image of the Valkyries goddesses is undoubtedly very interesting, but we will deal with this in one of the following articles. Maiden-warriors, who, according to various ideas, number nine or thirteen, collect souls and escort their world of dead warriors to Odin. Here the warriors enter the Palace of Eternal Pleasures.

There is detailed information about what is happening in Valhalla. God Odin does not just gather the best warriors so that they feast every day and indulge in various pleasures. Bold and fearless warriors are preparing for the decisive battle, which is known as Ragnarok (the death of the gods and the whole world). Valhalla itself looks like a huge hall that can accommodate a large number of people. This hall has 540 doors, through each of which 800 warriors will emerge on the day of the decisive battle. If you do a simple multiplication, it turns out that there are 432 thousand warriors in Valhalla. The roof of Valhalla consists of gilded shields, which is supported by stakes.

Warriors inhabitants of Valhalla are called einherchians. Every day from early morning, the Einherjars don armor, train, and fight to the death. However, there is no death here, and therefore the warriors are resurrected and go hunting for the boar Sehrimnir. After a successful hunt, the boar is boiled in his cauldron by the "cook of Valhalla" Eldhrimnir (Andhrimnir). The boar also does not die, and after the meal it rises again until the next day. Warriors sit down to feast, eat boar meat and drink honey, which is milked by the goat Heidrun. Goat Heidrun lives on the roof of Valhalla and feeds on the leaves of the World Tree Yggdrasil. After the meal, beautiful maidens come to the warriors.

Getting here was the main dream of any warrior and Viking. The place of pleasures and pleasures that will last until the very end of the world could only be reached by being truly brave and fearless. Each Viking, according to these beliefs, had to fight without sparing his strength, and at each battle he had to fight as if for the last time, and die without shame and fear, and always with a sword in his hands. The real grief was the death of a warrior who at the very last moment lost or dropped his sword. Then, according to legend, he could not become one of the Einherjars and could no longer meet with the god Odin to participate in the very last battle.

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He selects half of the soldiers who fell in battle, and the Valkyries deliver them to the chamber. The other half of the fallen goes to Folkvangr (en: Fólkvangr "People's Field") to the goddess Freya.

According to legend, Valhalla is a giant hall with a roof of gilded shields, which are supported by spears. This hall has 540 doors and 800 warriors will come out through each at the call of the god Heimdall during the last battle - Ragnarok. The warriors who live in Valhalla are called einherii. Every day in the morning they put on armor and fight to the death, and after that they rise and sit down at the common table to feast. They eat the meat of the boar Sehrimnir, who is slaughtered every day and every day he is resurrected. Einheria also drink honey, which is milked by the goat Heidrun, standing in Valhalla and chewing the leaves of the World Tree Yggdrasil. And at night, beautiful maidens come and please the warriors until the morning.

In order to oust pagan cultures, Christianity and the baptists of the North of Europe identified Valhalla with hell. Aces were identified with demons, einheria (heroes) - with great sinners, the principle of endless bloody slaughter and the daily feast after the resurrection from the dead (and the regrowth of severed limbs) - identified with the infinity of hellish torments.

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Literature

Ludwig Buisson: Der Bildstein Ardre VIII auf Gotland. Reihe: Abhandlungen der Akademie der Wissenschaften in Göttingen, Philologisch-historische Klasse, Dritte Folge Nr. 102. Göttingen 1976
Grettis saga: Die Geschichte vom starken Grettir, dem Geächteten. In: Sammlung Thule Bd. 5 Düsseldorf, Koln 1963.
Gutalag och Gutasaga, utg. af Hugo Pipping, København 1905-1907 (Samfund 33)
Sogubrot af Fornkonungum. In: Sogur Danakonunga, udg. av C. af Petersens och E. Olson, København 1919-1925 (Samfund 46.1). Dänische Obersetzung: C. Ch. Rafn, Nordiske Kaempe-Historier, bd. III (1824).
Saxo Grammaticus, Gesta Danorum, rec. et ed. J. Olrik et H. Ræder, Bd. I (1931), Lib. VII, c.X.; lib. VIII, c.IV.
H. Uecker: Die altnordischen Bestattungsriten in der literarischen Überlieferung(Diss. München 1966).
The Elder Edda: The Icelandic Epic. - S.P.: Azbuka, 2011. - p. 87, 415. - ISBN 978-5-389-02679-7 /

Links

// Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.

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An excerpt characterizing Valhalla

On May 29, Napoleon left Dresden, where he stayed for three weeks, surrounded by a court made up of princes, dukes, kings, and even one emperor. Before leaving, Napoleon treated the princes, kings and the emperor who deserved it, scolded the kings and princes with whom he was not completely satisfied, presented his own, that is, pearls and diamonds taken from other kings, to the Empress of Austria and, tenderly embracing the Empress Marie Louise, as his historian says, he left her with a bitter separation, which she - this Marie Louise, who was considered his wife, despite the fact that another wife remained in Paris - seemed unable to endure. Despite the fact that diplomats still firmly believed in the possibility of peace and worked diligently towards this goal, despite the fact that Emperor Napoleon himself wrote a letter to Emperor Alexander, calling him Monsieur mon frere [Sovereign brother] and sincerely assuring that he did not want war and that he would always love and respect him - he rode to the army and gave new orders at each station, aimed at hastening the movement of the army from west to east. He rode in a road carriage drawn by a six, surrounded by pages, adjutants and an escort, along the road to Posen, Thorn, Danzig and Koenigsberg. In each of these cities, thousands of people greeted him with awe and delight.
The army moved from west to east, and variable gears carried him there. On June 10, he caught up with the army and spent the night in the Vilkovis forest, in an apartment prepared for him, on the estate of a Polish count.
The next day, Napoleon, having overtaken the army, drove up to the Neman in a carriage and, in order to inspect the area of the crossing, changed into a Polish uniform and drove ashore.
Seeing on the other side the Cossacks (les Cosaques) and the spreading steppes (les Steppes), in the middle of which was Moscou la ville sainte, [Moscow, the holy city,] the capital of that, similar to the Scythian, state, where Alexander the Great went, - Napoleon, unexpectedly for everyone and contrary to both strategic and diplomatic considerations, ordered an offensive, and the next day his troops began to cross the Neman.
On the 12th, early in the morning, he left the tent that had been pitched that day on the steep left bank of the Neman, and looked through the telescope at the streams of his troops emerging from the Vilkovissky forest, spilling over three bridges built on the Neman. The troops knew about the presence of the emperor, looked for him with their eyes, and when they found a figure in a frock coat and hat separated from the retinue on the mountain in front of the tent, they threw their hats up, shouted: “Vive l" Empereur! [Long live the emperor!] - and alone for others, without being exhausted, flowed out, all flowed out of the huge forest that had hidden them hitherto, and, upset, crossed over three bridges to the other side.
- On fera du chemin cette fois ci. Oh! quand il s "en mele lui meme ca chauffe… Nom de Dieu… Le voila!.. Vive l" Empereur! Les voila donc les Steppes de l "Asie! Vilain pays tout de meme. Au revoir, Beauche; je te reserve le plus beau palais de Moscou. Au revoir! Bonne chance… L" as tu vu, l "Empereur? Vive l" Empereur!.. preur! Si on me fait gouverneur aux Indes, Gerard, je te fais ministre du Cachemire, c "est arrete. Vive l" Empereur! Vive! vive! vive! Les gredins de Cosaques, comme ils filent. Vive l "Empereur! Le voila! Le vois tu? Je l" ai vu deux fois comme jete vois. Le petit caporal ... Je l "ai vu donner la croix al" un des vieux ... Vive l "Empereur! here they are, Asian steppes... But a bad country. Goodbye, Boche. I'll leave you the best palace in Moscow. Goodbye, I wish you success. Have you seen the emperor? Hooray! If they make me governor in India, I will make you minister of Kashmir... Hooray! Emperor here he is! See him? I saw him twice since you. Little corporal... I saw how he hung a cross on one of the old men... Hurrah, emperor!] - said the voices of old and young people, of the most diverse characters and positions in society. all the faces of these people had one common expression of joy at the start of the long-awaited campaign and delight and devotion to the man in the gray frock coat standing on the mountain.