Lore · Norse · NRS·07
Valkyries and Ravens in Norse Mythology
Odin's servants of battle and death
[lore] In Norse mythology, both valkyries and ravens serve Odin's purpose on the battlefield. Valkyries (valkyrjur, "choosers of the slain") select warriors for Valhöll; ravens feed on the slain and return intelligence to Odin. The two figures occupy the same symbolic space — the decisive, death-selecting battlefield — but as distinct beings. The Poetic Edda and skaldic poetry are the primary sources.
Valkyries in Old Norse Sources
[lore] The term valkyrja (pl. valkyrjur) is Old Norse for "chooser of the slain" (valr = the battlefield dead; kjósa = to choose). They appear in:
- Vǫluspá (Prophecy of the Seeress, Poetic Edda): valkyries are among those present at the great events of mythological time
- Grímnismál (Sayings of Grímnir, Poetic Edda): a list of valkyrie names including Hrist, Mist, Skeggjöld, Skögul, Hildr, Þrúðr, Hlökk, Herfjöturr, Göll, Geirönul, Randgríðr, Ráðgríðr, and Reginleifr — they serve ale in Valhöll
- Sigrdrífumál: the valkyrie Sigrdrífa (possibly Brynhildr) teaches runic wisdom to Sigurðr
- Skaldic poetry uses valkyrja as a kenning base — "raven of the valkyrie" or "battle-valkyrie" in compound kennings
Valkyries are associated with riding over battlefields, selecting the slain, and serving the einherjar (warriors in Valhöll) with mead.1,2
Ravens on the Battlefield
[lore] In skaldic and Eddic poetry, ravens are omnipresent in battle descriptions:
- Kennings for warrior or sword: "feeder of ravens," "raven-blesser," "raven-gladdener" — a warrior who provides ravens with corpses to feed on is a great fighter
- The raven's feast: Battle is frequently described as a feast or banquet for ravens (and wolves and eagles — the "beasts of battle")
- Huginn and Muninn's intelligence: Odin's ravens bring him news of battles — they attend the fighting and report its outcome
Both ravens and valkyries are fundamentally battlefield figures — present at death, associated with Odin's will, and instruments of the same mythological machinery that sorts the worthy dead from those who go to Hel.1,3
The "Beasts of Battle" Formula
[lore] Old Norse (and Old English, and other Germanic) poetry uses a recurring convention: before or at a battle, ravens, wolves, and eagles appear to feast on the anticipated carnage. This is called the "beasts of battle" formula by scholars:
- Ravens represent the air; wolves the ground; eagles also the air (in some triads)
- Their appearance signals the onset of fighting and predicts many deaths
- This formula appears across Old English (Beowulf, The Battle of Maldon), Old Norse, and Old High German poetry
The formula is both a literary convention and a reflection of real ecological observation — ravens, wolves, and raptors do gather at large carcasses and would have been visible before and during large battles involving significant casualties.3
Valkyrie Bird Forms
[lore] Some valkyrie figures are associated with bird form, though raven and crow forms specifically are more prominent in Celtic material than in Old Norse:
- Some valkyries in later saga material appear in swan or other bird form (swan maiden motif)
- The overlap between valkyrie and battle-bird figure is clearer in Continental Germanic and Old English materials than in the Eddic sources themselves
- The Old Norse valkyrja concept may partly derive from earlier Germanic battle-spirit figures who could take bird form
Scholars including Ellis Davidson have discussed the relationship between valkyries, dísir (fate-women), and battle-birds across Germanic traditions, but the evidence for raven-shaped valkyries specifically in Old Norse sources is limited.4
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the connection between valkyries and ravens in Norse mythology?
Both valkyries and ravens are associated with Odin and the battlefield in Norse mythology. Valkyries (ON valkyrja, "chooser of the slain") selected warriors for death and conducted them to Valhöll. Ravens fed on the battlefield dead. Both serve Odin's purpose: valkyries by selection, ravens by being present at the carnage. Some scholars note that the valkyrie figure overlaps with the continental Germanic "battle raven" concept, though valkyries are distinct supernatural beings in Old Norse sources.
Sources
- Larrington, C. (trans.) (1996). The Poetic Edda. Oxford University Press. — Vǫluspá, Grímnismál, Sigrdrífumál.
- Faulkes, A. (trans.) (1987). Edda (Snorri Sturluson). Everyman. — Prose Edda; valkyrie lists and descriptions.
- Simek, R. (1993). Dictionary of Northern Mythology (trans. A. Hall). D. S. Brewer. — beasts of battle formula; valkyrie entries.
- Ellis Davidson, H. R. (1964). Gods and Myths of Northern Europe. Penguin. — valkyrie origins and relationship to Germanic battle-spirit figures.
[lore] named primary and secondary sources