Einherjer

In Norse mythology, the Einherjar (singular: Einheri), which literally translates to "Army of One" or "those who fight alone," are the warriors who have fallen in battle and are brought to Valhalla by the Valkyries. In Valhalla, the Einherjar sustain themselves on the nightly resurrected boar Sæhrímnir, and the Valkyries bring them mead, which comes from the udder of the goat Heiðrún. The Einherjar prepare daily for the events of Ragnarök, when they will march out to a massive battle on the field of Vígríðr.

The tradition of the Einherjar is described in several sources, including the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier sources, The Prose Edda, written by Snorri Sturluson in the 13th century, the poem Hákonarmál (by the 10th-century skald Eyvindr skáldaspillir), which is collected in the Heimskringla, and a stanza from an anonymous 10th-century poem commemorating the death of Eric Bloodaxe, known as Eiríksmál, which is gathered in the Fagrskinna.

There is an etymological connection between the Einherjar and the Harii (a Germanic tribe or figures from early Germanic folklore attested in the 1st century CE). Scholars have linked the Einherjar with the eternal battle of Hjaðningavíg and the Wild Hunt. The Einherjar have been the subject of artworks and poems throughout history.

Sources

• Poetic Edda