Valhalla

In Norse mythology, Valhalla (/vælˈhælə, vɑːlˈhɑːlə/; from Old Norse: Valhǫll "Hall of the Slain") is a majestic, enormous hall in Asgard, ruled by the god Odin. Half of those who die in battle travel to Valhalla after their death, where they are led by Valkyries to be with Odin, while the other half are chosen by the goddess Freyja for the field of Fólkvangr. In Valhalla, the fallen warriors join the masses of those who have died in battle (known as the Einherjar) and various legendary Germanic heroes and kings, preparing to assist Odin during the events of Ragnarök. In front of the hall stands the golden tree Glasir, and the hall's ceiling is covered with golden shields. Around Valhalla, various creatures live, such as the stag Eikþyrnir and the goat Heiðrún, which stand on Valhalla and eat the foliage of the tree Læraðr.

Valhalla is mentioned in the Poetic Edda, which was compiled in the 13th century from earlier transmitted sources, in the Prose Edda (written by Snorri Sturluson in the 13th century), in the Heimskringla (also written by Snorri Sturluson in the 13th century), and in stanzas of an anonymous 10th-century poem commemorating the death of Eric Bloodaxe, known as Eiríksmál, compiled in Fagrskinna. Valhalla has inspired countless artworks, publication titles, and elements of popular culture and has become synonymous with a martial (or other) hall of the chosen dead. The name is rendered in modern Scandinavian languages as Valhöll in Icelandic, Valhall in Swedish and Norwegian, Valhøll in Faroese, and Valhal in Danish.

Etymology
The modern English noun "Valhalla" derives from the Old Norse Valhǫll, a compound noun composed of two elements: the masculine noun valr ("the slain") and the feminine noun hǫll ("hall"). The form "Walhalla" originates from an attempt to clarify the grammatical gender of the word. Valr has correspondences in other Germanic languages, such as Old English wæl ("the slain, slaughter, massacre"), Old Saxon wal-dād ("murder"), and Old High German "Schlachtfeld, Blutbad" ("battlefield, bloodbath"). All of these forms come from the Proto-Germanic masculine noun walaz. Among related Old Norse terms, valr also appears as the first element of the noun valkyrja ("chooser of the slain, Valkyrie").

The second element, hǫll, is a common Old Norse noun. It is related to the modern English "hall" and has the same meaning. Both derive from Proto-Germanic *xallō or *hallō, meaning "covered space, hall," from the Proto-Indo-European root *kol-. As philologists such as Calvert Watkins note, the same Indo-European root gave rise to the Old Norse hel, a proper name used both for another realm in the afterlife and for a supernatural female being as its overseer, as well as the modern English noun "hell." In Swedish folklore, some mountains traditionally considered the dwellings of the dead were also called Valhall. Many researchers believe that the element hǫll derives from hallr, "rock," and referred to an underworld, not a hall.

References
Poetic Edda
Valhalla is extensively referenced in the Poetic Edda in the poems Grímnismál and Helgakviða Hundingsbana II, while it is less directly mentioned in stanza 32 of Völuspá, where the death of the god Baldr is referred to as the "woe of Valhalla," and in stanzas 1 to 3 of Hyndluljóð, where the goddess Freyja expresses her intention to ride with Hyndla to Valhalla to aid Óttar, and again in stanzas 6 to 7 during a dispute between the two.

Grímnismál
In stanzas 8 to 10 of Grímnismál, the god Odin (in the guise of Grímnir) announces that Valhalla lies in the realm of Glaðsheimr. Odin describes Valhalla as shining and golden, and it "rises peacefully" when viewed from afar. From Valhalla, Odin selects the fallen in battle each day. Valhalla has spear shafts as rafters, a roof covered with shields, chainmail scattered over the benches, a wolf hangs before the west gate, and an eagle hovers above it.

In stanzas 22 to 24, Odin gives more details about Valhalla: the sacred gates of the old gate Valgrind stand before Valhalla, Valhalla has five hundred and forty gates, so that eight hundred men can pass through at once (from which the Einherjar will pour out to fight the wolf Fenrir at Ragnarök). In Valhalla, there is Thor's hall Bilskirnir, and in it, there are five hundred and forty rooms, and of all the halls in Valhalla, Odin considers his son's to be the largest. In stanzas 25 to 26, Odin explains that the goat Heiðrún and the stag Eikþyrnir stand on the peak of Valhalla and graze on the branches of the tree Læraðr. Heiðrún's udders produce barrels of mead, an incomparable drink, and Eikþyrnir's antlers drip liquid into the spring Hvergelmir, from which all waters flow.

Helgakviða Hundingsbana II
In stanza 38 of Helgakviða Hundingsbana II, the hero Helgi Hundingsbane dies and travels to Valhalla. Stanza 38 describes Helgi's glory there:

So was Helgi beside the chiefs
like the brightly growing ash beside the thorn bush
and the young stag, drenched in dew,
surpassing all other animals
and whose antlers shine even against the sky.

Following this stanza, prose states that a burial mound was made for Helgi. After Helgi arrived in Valhalla, he was asked by Odin to settle matters with him. In stanza 39, Helgi, now in Valhalla, has his former enemy Hunding, who is also in Valhalla, perform menial tasks: fetching footbaths for all the men there, lighting fires, tying up dogs, watching horses, and feeding pigs before he can sleep. In stanzas 40 to 42, Helgi returns with a company of men from Valhalla to Midgard. An unnamed maid of Sigrún, Helgi's Valkyrie wife, sees Helgi and his large band of men riding into the mound. The maid asks whether she is deceived, whether Ragnarök has begun, or whether Helgi and his men have been allowed to return.

In the following stanzas, Helgi responds that none of this has happened, and so Sigrún's maid returns home to Sigrún. The maid tells Sigrún that the mound is open and that Sigrún should go to Helgi. Helgi has asked her to come and tend his wounds once they open and bleed. Sigrún enters the mound and finds Helgi covered in blood, his hair thick with hoarfrost. Overjoyed at the reunion, she kisses him before he can remove his chainmail and asks how she can heal him. Sigrún makes him a bed, and the two sleep together in the sealed burial mound. Helgi wakes and declares that he must "ride the blood-red roads to bring the pale horse onto the path of the heavens" and return before the rooster Salgófnir crows. Helgi and his band of men ride away, and Sigrún and her maid return to their house. Sigrún orders her maid to wait at the mound for him the next night, but when the maid arrives at dawn, she finds that he is still on his way. The prose narrative at the end of the poem reports that Sigrún dies of grief, but it is believed that the two will be reborn as Helgi Haddingjaskati and the Valkyrie Kára.

Prose Edda
Valhalla is referenced in the books Gylfaginning and Skáldskaparmál of the Prose Edda.

Gylfaginning
Valhalla is first mentioned in chapter 2 of Gylfaginning of the Prose Edda, where it is described partly in euhemerized form. In this chapter, King Gylfi, in the guise of an old man named Gangleri, travels to Asgard to find the source of the gods' power.

In the narrative, it is said that the Æsir had foretold his arrival and prepared great illusions for him. As Gangleri enters the fortress, he sees a hall so high that he can barely look over it, noticing that its roof is covered with golden shields, as if they were shingles. Snorri quotes a stanza from the skald Þjóðólfr of Hvinir (circa 900). As he continues, Gangleri sees a man at the door of the hall, juggling short swords and holding seven in the air at once. The man, among other things, says that the hall belongs to his king and adds that he can take Gangleri to the king. Gangleri follows him, and the door closes behind him. Around him, he sees many living quarters and crowds of people, some playing games, others drinking, and still others fighting with weapons. Gangleri sees three thrones and three figures sitting upon them: The High One sits on the lowest throne, the Just-as-High One on the next highest, and the Third on the highest. The man who leads Gangleri tells him that the High One is the king of the hall.

In chapter 20, Dritter (the Third) explains that Odin populates Valhalla with the Einherjar: those who have fallen in battle and become Odin's adopted sons. In chapter 36, High explains that Valkyries serve drinks and tend to the tables in Valhalla, and stanzas 40 to 41 of Grímnismál are quoted in reference. High continues, saying that Valkyries are sent by Odin to every battle; they choose who will die and determine the victory.

In chapter 38, Gangleri asks, "You say that all the people who have fallen in battle since the beginning of the world are now with Odin in Valhalla. How does he feed them? I think the number there must be great." High responds that this is indeed true, a great number is already in Valhalla, but still, this number will not be enough before "the wolf comes." High describes that there is always plenty to eat in Valhalla because they feast on Sæhrímnir (here described as a wild boar), and this animal is cooked every day and fully replenished every night. Grímnismál stanza 18 is retold. Gangleri asks whether Odin eats the same food as the Einherjar, and High answers that Odin needs no food—Odin only drinks wine—and that he gives his food to his wolves Geri and Freki. Grímnismál stanza 19 is retold. High also says that at sunrise, Odin sends his ravens Huginn and Muninn from Valhalla to fly across the whole world, and that they return in time for the first meal.

In chapter 39, Gangleri inquires about the food and drinks the Einherjar consume and asks if there is only water there. "Of course," answers High, "there are foods and drinks in Valhalla that are suitable for kings and jarls, for the mead drunk in Valhalla is made from the udders of the goat Heiðrún, which in turn feeds on the leaves of the 'famous tree' Læraðr." The goat produces so much mead in one day that it fills a huge vat, large enough for all the Einherjar in Valhalla to quench their thirst from it. High describes the stag Eikþyrnir standing on the roof of Valhalla, grazing on the branches of Læraðr. From its antlers, so much moisture drips that it falls into the well Hvergelmir and forms numerous rivers.

In chapter 40, Gangleri reflects that Valhalla must be quite crowded, to which High replies that Valhalla is massive and remains spacious despite the great number of residents, and then quotes Grímnismál stanza 23. In chapter 41, Gangleri says that Odin seems to be quite a powerful lord commanding a sizable army, but he wonders how the Einherjar pass the time when they are not drinking. High replies that every day, after they have dressed and put on their armor, they go out into the yard and engage in duels for fun. Then, before eating, they return home to Valhalla and drink. High quotes Vafþrúðnismál, stanza 41. In chapter 42, High describes that the gods "at the very beginning, when they settled," founded Asgard and then built Valhalla. The death of the god Baldr is described in chapter 49, where the mistletoe with which Baldr was killed grows to the west of Valhalla.

Skáldskaparmál
At the beginning of Skáldskaparmál, a partially repeated narrative recounts how Ægir visits the gods in Asgard and brings out shimmering swords, which serve as the only light source while they drink. There, many gods celebrate a feast, there is plenty of strong mead, and the hall has wall panels covered with beautiful shields. This place is confirmed as Valhalla in chapter 33.

In chapter 2, a quote from the anonymous 10th-century poem Eiríksmál is cited (see the Fagrskinna section below for more details and another translation from a different source):

"What is this dream, Odin? I dreamed that I rose before dawn to clean Val-hall of slain men. I woke the Einherjar and ordered them to rise, to spread the benches, to clean the beer cups, and for the Valkyries to serve wine for the arrival of a prince."

In chapter 17 of Skáldskaparmál, the giant Hrungnir, in rage, lands before the gates of Valhalla while attempting to catch up with and attack Odin on his horse Sleipnir. The Æsir invite him for a drink. Hrungnir enters, demands a drink, and becomes drunk and quarrelsome, declaring that he will remove Valhalla and bring it to the land of the Jötnar, Jötunheimr. Eventually, the gods grow weary of his boasting and summon Thor, who appears. Hrungnir declares that, as a guest under the protection of the Aesir, he cannot be harmed in Valhalla. After an exchange, Hrungnir challenges Thor to a duel at the place Griotunagardar, where Hrungnir dies.

In chapter 34, the tree Glasir is described as standing before the gates of Valhalla. The tree is described as having red-golden leaves and being the most beautiful tree among gods and men. A quote from the 9th-century skald Bragi Boddason's work confirms this description.

Heimskringla
Valhalla is mentioned in euhemerized form and as part of the remaining Norse pagan belief in Heimskringla. In chapter 8 of the Ynglinga Saga, the "historical" Odin is described as issuing burial laws for his land. These laws include that all the dead should be burned on a funeral pyre with their belongings, and their ashes should be carried out to sea or buried in the earth. The dead would then arrive at Valhalla with everything they had on their pyre and everything they had hidden in the earth. Valhalla is also mentioned in the phrase "to visit Odin" in a work by the 10th-century skald Þjóðólfr of Hvinir, which describes King Vanlandi's journey to Valhalla after his death.

In chapter 32 of the Hákonar Saga Góða, Haakon I of Norway receives a pagan burial meant to send him on his way to Valhalla. Verses from Hákonarmál are cited to support this, which also contain references to Valhalla.

Fagrskinna
In chapter 8 of Fagrskinna, a prose narrative recounts how Gunnhild, the mother of kings, had a poem written about her husband Eric Bloodaxe after his death. The composition, by an anonymous 10th-century author, is called Eiríksmál and describes the arrival of Eric Bloodaxe and five other kings in Valhalla after their death. The poem begins with comments from Odin (Old Norse Óðinn):

"What is this dream," said Odin,
in which, just before dawn,
I thought I had cleared Valhǫll,
because it was full of slain men?
I woke the Einherjar,
ordered the Valkyries to rise,
to spread the bench,
and clean the cups,
to serve wine,
as for the arrival of a king,
here to me I expect
the coming of heroes from the world,
certain Great Ones,
so glad is my heart."

The god Bragi asks where a thunderous sound comes from and says that the benches in Valhalla creak—as if the god Baldr had returned to Valhalla—and that it sounds like the movement of thousands. Odin responds that Bragi knows exactly that the sounds are for Eric Bloodaxe, who is soon to arrive in Valhalla. Odin orders the heroes Sigmund and Sinfjötli to rise to greet Eric and invite him into the hall if it is indeed him.

Sigmund asks Odin why he would expect Eric more than any other king, to which Odin replies that Eric has stained his bloodied sword with many other lands. Eric arrives, and Sigmund greets him, saying he is welcome to come into the hall and asking which other princes he has brought with him to Valhalla. Eric replies that five kings are with him, that he will name them all, and that he himself is the sixth.

Modern Influence
The concept of Valhalla continues to influence modern popular culture. Examples include the Walhalla Temple, which Leo von Klenze built between 1830 and 1847 for Ludwig I of Bavaria near Regensburg, Germany, and the Walhalla Museum in Tresco Abbey Gardens, built around 1830 by August Smith to house ship figures from shipwrecks near the Isles of Scilly, England.

References to Valhalla can be found in literature, art, and other forms of media. Examples include K. Ehrenberg’s charcoal drawing Feast in Valhalla (with Einherjar entering) (1880), Richard Wagner’s depiction of Valhalla in his opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen (1848-1874), the Germanic-Neopagan magazine Walhalla (1905-1913), the comic series Valhalla (1978-2009) by Peter Madsen, and the subsequent animated film (1986). Valhalla is also the name of a ride at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, UK.

Before Hunter S. Thompson became a Gonzo journalist of the counterculture, he lived in Big Sur, California, while writing his novel The Rum Diary. He wrote: "Big Sur is sort of like Valhalla—a place many people have heard of, but very few can say anything about" (Proud Highway: Saga of a Desperate Southern Gentleman, Chapter 20).

In the 2015 film Mad Max: Fury Road, the War Boys sect believes that a heroic death in service of the dictator Immortan Joe will bring them to Valhalla.

A video game titled Assassin's Creed Valhalla was released in November 2020. In the Apex Legends video game, there is a character named Bloodhound who often references Valhalla and the Allfather, a common title for the Norse god Odin.

Elton John’s first album Empty Sky (1969) features a song called "Valhalla." Led Zeppelin’s "Immigrant Song" from their third album Led Zeppelin III (1970) contains the following reference to Valhalla: "To fight the horde, singing and shouting: Valhalla, I am coming." The third album by Australian band Skeggs, Rehearsal (2021), includes a song titled "Valhalla."

On the 2020 album Red, White, and the Blues: A Long and Hard Ride over Treacherous Terrain, John R. Hall (author, blogger, magician) uses Valhalla as a literary vehicle numerous times in the book’s text. The most notable uses are in the book’s foreword and afterword. In "Sursum Corda" (the book’s foreword), Hall writes: "I did my best to capture the almost inexplicable, Zen-like state of being I experienced on my motorcycle. All I can offer the reader is that I caught a glimpse of Valhalla, and Odin assured me that I will dine with him or Freyja after my inner battle is done and this soldier’s body is laid down." On the last text page of the book (before the section with the notes), Hall writes: "Valhalla! A man can only die once" (Henry IV, Part 2). "I am ready ... now all family matters are settled."