Chapter 16

Another name of the valkyrijur is ON. valmeyjar (battle-maids), perhaps also the present Norw. valdöger, which Hallager 140b says is guardian-spirit. Again, they are called skialdmeyjar, hialmmeyjar, because they go forth armed, under shield and helmet (vera und hialmi, Sæm. 151ª 192b); nonnor Herjans, nuns of Oðinn 4b. The Edda bestows on the valkyrja the epithets: hvît 168b, hvît und hialmi (alba sub galea) 145b, biört 174b, sôlbiört, sunbright 167b, biartlituð 142ª, hialmvitr 157ª, gullvarið 167b, margullin mær 145ª, alvitr 164ª, all descriptive of beauty or helmet-ornaments. Helm and shield distinguish these helm and shield women as much as heroes, they ride on shield-service, under shield-roof, Sæm. 250b, and are called skialdmeyjar aldrstamar, or young shield-maidens of Atli's court. The legend of the Amazons (Herod. 4, 110-117. Jorn. cap. 6, 7, 8. Paul. Diac. 1, 15) seems to rest on similar yet different notions. A valkyr in Sæm. 167b is named suðrn (australis), apparently in the sense of biört, sôlbiört? Again at 151b, dîsir su'rnar (see Suppl.) (38)

One name is particularly attractive: ôskmeyjar, wish-maidens (Sæm. 212. Völs. saga cap. 2), given them, I think, because they are in Oðin's service, and Oðinn is called Oski, Wunsc. But there is something more: I find a confirmation of my opinion that Wuotan bore the name of Wunsc in his identity with Mercury, for Mercury carries the magic wand (caduceus), which is like our wishing rod, OHG. wunsciligerta (-yerde, yard). The likeness will come out more distinctly from a closer inspection of the two rods, which is yet to come; but if Wuotan and Wunsc, Oðinn and Oski are one, we may suppose that the thorn, the sleeping-thorn, which Oðinn put into the dress of the valkyrja Brynhildr (Sæm. 192ª), was likewise a wishing-thorn. It throws light on the nature of Brunhild and Chrimhild, that rocks are named after them, one called spilstein, Chriemhildespil (p. 370), which, does not find a meaning so well from spil (ludus) as from spille (spindle, fusus). For other stones have the name kunkel (distaff), and in French fairy-tales quenouille a la bonne dame; (39) Dornröschen (thorn-rosekin) pricked her finger with the spindle and fell into a deep sleep, as Brunhild did with the wishing-thorn. Spindles are an essential characteristic of all the wise-women of antiquity among Teutons, Celts and Greeks. (40) The walküre is a wunsch-kint, Wunsches kint, pp. 139, 142 (see Suppl.).

The name wünschelweib, which lasted down to a late time, shall be produced hereafter; here I call up from the poem of the Staufenberger a being by whom the connexion of valkyrs with fays is placed beyond doubt. To the knight there shows herself a maiden in white apparel (the hvît and biört above), sitting on a stone (line 224); she has watched over him in danger and war from his youth up, she was about him unseen (332-364); now she becomes his love, and is with him whenever he wishes for her (swenne du einest wünschest nâch mir, sô bin ich endelîchen bî dir 474). By superhuman power she moves swiftly whither she lists (wâr ich wil, dâ bin ich, den wunsch hât mir Got gegeben 497). Staufenberger, after being united to her in love, may do anything except take a wedded wife, else he will die in three days.

'er wünschte nâch der frouwen sîn,

bî im sô war diu schne fin.'

When he notwithstanding resolves on another marriage, she drives her foot through the floor, and he has to die (1016. 1066). According to this remarkable story, wunschweib or wünschelweib is one whose presence her lover can procure, by wishing it, whenever he longs for her,' names her name' as it were (p. 398): this is, though not a false, yet a later meaning substituted for the original one, which had reference to the god of wishing, the divine Wish. Old Norse legend will unfold to us more precisely the nature of these women.

In Valhöll the occupation of the ôskmeyjar or valkyrjur was to hand the drinking-horn to the gods and einherjar, and to furnish the table. Here comes out their peculiar relation to Freyja, who 'chooses val' like them, is called Valfreyja (p. 305), (41) and pours out at the banquet of the Ases (at gildi Asa), Sn. 108. Exactly in the same way did Göndul, sitting on a stôl î rioðrinu (in the niuriute, clearing), offer the comers drink out of a horn (Fornald. sög. 1, 398. 400); and with this agree the deep draughts of the modern folk-tale: a beautifully dressed and garlanded maiden from the Osenberg offers the count of Oldenburg a draught in a silver horn, while uttering predictions (Deutsche saga, no. 541). Svend Fälling drank out of the horn handed him by elf-women, and in doing so, spilt some on his horse, as in the preceding story (Thiele 2, 67); I have touched (p. 372) on the identity of Svend Fälling with Siegfried, whose relation to the valkyr Brunhild comes out clearly in the Danish story. In a Swedish folk-song in Arvidsson 2, 301, three mountain-maids hold out silver tankards in their white hands. Quite in harmony are some Norwegian traditions in Faye p. 26-8-9. 30; and additional Danish ones in Thiele 1, 49. 55. 3, 44 (see Suppl.).

Still more to the purpose is the office of the valkyrs in war. Not only 'kiosa val, kiosa feigð,' (42) but 'râða vîgum' or 'sigri,' therefore the deciding of battle and victory, is placed in their hands, Sn. 39. They are said to be 'görvar (alert) at rîða grund,' 'görvar at rîða til goðþioðar,' Sæm. 4b. Rooted in their being is an irresistible longing for this warlike occupation; hence the Edda expresses their most characteristic passion by the verb 'þrâ' (desiderant), Sæm. 88b, 'þrâðo' (desiderabant) or 'fýstoz' (cupiebant), 134ª: it is their own longing, striving and wishing that has swung itself round into that wishing for them. Usually nine valkyrjur ride out together, Sæm. 142, 162; their lances, helmets and shields glitter 151ª. This nineness is also found in the story of Thiðrandi (see p. 402), to whom nine dîsir appear first in white raiment, then nine others in black. Sæm. 44-5, and after him Sn. 39, enumerate thirteen of them: Hrist, Mist, Skeggöld, Skögul, Hildr, Thrûðr, Hlöck, Herfiötr, Göll, Geirahöð (al. Geirölul), Randgrîð, Râdgrîð, Óðinssen; but Sæm. 4b only six: Skuld, Sk-gul, Gunnr, Hildr, Göndul, Geirskögul. (43) The prose of Sn. 39 distinguishes three as strictly val-choosers and mistresses of victory: Guðr, Rota and Skuld 'norn en ýngzta'. The celebrated battle-weaving song of the Nialssaga names the following: Hildr, Hiörþrimul, Sangrîðr (l. Rangrîðr), Svipul, Gunnr, Göndul; the Hâkonarmâl: Göndol, Skögol Geirskögol; the Krâkumâl (ed. Rafn, p. 121) only Hlöck and Hildr. Several of these names are of extraordinary and immediate value to our investigation, and not one of the remainder ought to be left out of sight in future study (see Suppl.).

Skuld, for instance: we gather from it the affinity of norns and valkyrs, and at the same time the distinction between them. A dîs can be both norn and valkyr, but the functions are seperate, and usually the persons. The norns have to pronounce the fatum, they sit on their chairs, or they roam through the country among mortals, fastening their threads. Nowhere is it said that they ride. The valkyrs ride to war, decide the issue of the fighting, and conduct the fallen to heaven; their riding is like that of heroes and gods (pp. 327. 392), mention is made of their horses: skalf Mistar marr (tremuit Mistae equuns), Sæm. 156ª; margullin mær (aureo equo vecta virgo), 145ª; when the steeds of the valkyrs shake themselves, dew drips from their manes into the valleys, and fertilizing hail falls on trees 145ª, b, with which compare the 'destillationes in comis et collis equorum' of the wise-women (p. 287); the name Mist, which elsewhere means mist, may have indicated a like phenomenon. Of the norns, none but Skuld the youngest (p. 405) can be a valkyrja too: were Urðr and Verðandi imagined as too aged or too dignified for the work of war? did the cutting, breaking, of the thread (if such an idea can be detected in the North) better become the maiden practised in arms?

Two other valkyrs, Hlöck and Herfiötr, have been claimed above (p. 401) as idisî, and interpreted as restrainers of the fight. In the Kormakssaga there also occurs Hlökk gen. Hlakkar, for bellona.  
 



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