As we can see here the animal fylgja normally precedes the arrival of a person. We also see from this quote that the certain fylgjur were considered to be fylgjur of high born, noble or exceptional people. Geitir knows that Þorsteinn is of higher birth than what was thought because his animal fylgja is a bear, which was considered to always be the animal fylgja of nobles. A person's animal fylgja usually reflected their personality. A very sly or sneaky person might have a fox for an animal fylgja. People of noble birth or exceptional people normally had animal fylgjur that were considered noble animals, such as the bear, elk, eagle or bull. Unimportant or lowborn people's animal fylgja's usually depended on their activities. In Þorsteins Saga Vikingssonar (XII) a group of attacking men are represented as a pack of wolves, their leader, Jökull is represented as a red-cheeked bear. To those who had the second sight, the animal fylgja of a person would precede them long before the person themselves would appear. In Harald's Saga when an old woman who has second sight asks her foster-son if any strangers have arrived that day, he says no. She replies, “I did not expect you would lie to me, for I recognize the fylgjur of Auðun illskáld your kinsman here, and the arrived early in the day. (43) Likewise was the coming of Olaf Tryggvason known to those with second sight because of the bright fylgjur that were before him, (44) and in Njál's Saga (XXIII) Höskuldr has a dream of a white bear which stands

One commonality that the animal fylgja does share with fylgjur and dísir is that the to see one's animal fylgja usually signified that one was fey. In Njál's Saga (XLI) Þórðr saw a goat covered in blood. Njál could not see the goat and interprets it to be Þórðr's fetch and that it means he is fey. Although the animal fylgja could be seen normally like this it was more common to see it in a dream, but the meaning was the same. In Ljósvetninga Saga (XXI) Guðmundr is symbolized by a splendid Ox and the dream foretells his death. (45)

Another term that seems to have been applied to dísir is hamingja, which loosely translated means 'luck'. Zoëga gives the meaning as 'luck' and 'guardian spirit'. One of his definitions for dís is 'female guardian spirit'. So it is easy to see that Zoëga considered hamingja and dísir to be the same. Davidson also states: “One of the terms used to describe such a guardian is also used generally to mean “luck”, and is regarded as a most important element in the make-up of the individual.” (46) In Hallfreðdor Saga the “hamingja” of a man brings nothing but ill luck to him. This is reminiscent of the violent woman described in Gísli's Saga. (47) More support for hamingja and dísir being the same is in Víga Glúm's Saga where hamingja is described as wearing armor. This is, again, exactly how dísir and valkyrjar are described.

Again like fylgjur and dísir, hamingja is connected with battle. In Vatnsdæla Saga (II) Ketill tells his son, “You are now at an age to prove what hamingja will be granted to you.” and in Bárðar Saga (XVI) Getr says before a battle, “Now it is hamingja which will decide.” King Harald Harðraði decides to attack a serpent because he has the best trust in his own luck and hamingja. (48) And from Fornaldar Sögur: Hálf's Saga (XV):

 Dead must be

 All your dísir

 Luck is gone, I say,

 From Hálfr's warriors,

 I dreamed this morning

 That our powers

 Vanquished yours

 When they met together. (49)

Although it is obvious that from some of the descriptions of hamingja that it is identical to the dísir in function there are others descriptions, which seem to imply an impersonal quality attached to a person. In the description of Víga Glúm's Saga the description of hamingja is exactly as we would think of the dísir or valkyries. I think it would be safe to say that Víga Glúm's hamingja is a dís. But in Vatnsdæla Saga, Bárðar Saga and in the case King Harald Harðraði, hamingja seems to be more of an impersonal quality much akin to luck. That it is not exactly luck is shown in the quote about King Harald Harðraði because he trusts in both his luck and his hamingja. From this we can see that hamingja was not considered the same as luck. Perhaps we could replace King Harald Harðraði's luck and hamingja with luck and dísir. If there are indeed two types of hamingja, that is the dísir going under the name of hamingja and an impersonal force or quality akin to luck called hamingja, the delineations are not as clear as the delineations between fylgja and animal fylgja.

Like dísir, hamingja was passed along to another person once the person it was attached to had died. Generally this was done in two ways. One was with the person it was attached to passing it on to another, generally a family member, just before or after his death. In Fornaldar Sögur the dead king Hreggviðr comes out of his howe to meet with his son-in-law, telling him he wishes to “turn towards him all the valor and the hamingja which formerly had followed the dead king.” The second way was to name a child after a deceased ancestor. In doing so the child was thought to receive the hamingja of the deceased ancestor. In Vatnsdæla Saga (VII) a boy is named after his father in the hopes that hamingja would follow and in Finnboga Saga (XXXVI) a dying man begs his son to name a child after him so that hamingja would follow. (50) In Víga Glúm's Saga (IX) we find a description of hamingja being transferred that sounds somewhat similar to the transfer of dísir.

“It is told that one night Glúmr had a dream. He thought he was standing outside the house, and looking towards the firth. He thought he saw a woman walking across the country, and coming towards Þverá. She was so huge that her shoulders touched the mountains on each side. He thought he went out of the homestead to meet her, and asked her to his house. And after that he awoke. All thought this dream strange, but he said, “This is a great and remarkable dream, and I would read it thus: Vigfúss my grandfather must be dead, and the woman who was higher than the mountains as she walked must be his hamingja, for he was nearly always above other men in honor; his hamingja now must be seeking an abode where I am. It is later that a ship brings news of his grandfather's death.” (51)

Hamingja was not connected with courage or bravery. One could be brave but without hamingja. In Þorskfirðinga Saga (XVI) Þórir says “He has shown himself possessed of more valor than hamingja,” and in Grettir's Saga (LXXVIII) when describing Grettir and his brother a witch says of them, “They are brave but without hamingja.”

Like dísir, hamingja could be borrowed or lent out. In Flateyjarbók, King Mottull of Finmark offers to lend his hamingja to Þórir as he goes against King Olaf, and in Fornmanna Sögur, King Harald was mad as his skalds and sent them on an expedition that would most likely mean their death. On their departure when going to salute him they begged him to lend them his hamingja, which he did. Olaf Trygggvasson's men asked for the same thing for a mission they had to undertake in Óláf's Saga Tryggvasonar. (52)

The valkyrjar could be considered the parallel of the dísir in many ways but I think there are enough differences between the two to justify that they are not the same beings as some scholars suppose. As was pointed out to me there are no cases in the lore of the valkyrjar being worshipped as there are with the dísir. Additionally there are no sources in the lore linking dísir to Othinn as there are with the valkyrjar who are specifically said to be Othinn's maids. Neither are there any cases, to my knowledge, of Valkyrjar being passed along to an ancestor as the dísir are. There is the case of the valkyrja Svava but this is not quite the same as she is reborn as Kara and doesn't really attach herself to a new person in the manner of the dísir.

The word valkyrie comes from the Old Norse word valkyrja (pl. valkyrjar). According to Simek the word is derived from the Old Norse valr, meaning 'the corpses of the battle field' and kjósa, meaning 'to choose,' thus meaning 'choosers of the slain.' (53) Another name of the valkyrjar is the Old Norse Valmeyjar, which translated means 'battle-maids', and perhaps also the present Norw. valdöger, which Hallager says is guardian-spirit. There is also skjaldmeyjar aldrstamar, or young shield-maidens of Atli's court. Another is oskmeyjar, wish-maidens (The Poetic Edda and Volsunga Saga), and swan-maidens. (54) Valkyrjar appear in Anglo-Saxon lore as well under the name of Walcyrge. (55)

The valkyrjar are primarily connected with Othinn. They choose the slain of battles in his name and bear horns for the einherjar in Vahöll. In the Prose Edda we hear of them accompanying Othinn to Baldr's funeral. (56) In Grimnismal 37 we are told that they bear the mead hors for Othinn and the einherjar in Vahöll. (57) Darraðarljóð says that the Valkyries have the power to choose the slain, although Davidson points out that the expression kjósa val itself is difficult to interpret since it might mean to decide either (a) who is to fall in battle or (b) who out of those slain may enter Valhöll. (58)

One of the most interesting comments on the valkyrjar concerns the youngest norn Skuld. In Gylfaginning XXXVI we find the Snorri saying the following, after he quotes a list of names:

“These are called Valkyrs: them Odin sends to every battle; they determine men's feyness and award victory. Gudr and Róta and youngest Norn, she who is called Skuld, ride ever to take the slain and decide fights.”

This is a very important bit of lore because we see, without doubt, the norn Skuld acting also in the role of valkyrja. There is no place any mention of the other two norns acting as valkyrjar and we may be able to postulate why this is. Grimm asks, “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?” (59) But there may be another more important reason for this. The word Skuld connotes obligation more strongly than choice. Together, therefore, the norns emblemize the actions that have taken place, those that are in process of happening, and those that, of necessity, must occur. (60) This I think is the strongest clue as why it is specifically Skuld who works also as a valkyrja. As noted, the norn Urdhr's domain is that which has happened and Verdandi's domain is that which is happening. Skuld's domain is normally translated as that which will be or the future but this may not be the best way to translate it. Perhaps a more descriptive translation should be 'that which should be'. This is not in the sense of what should be, as in what probably will happen, but what must happen because of the events that have proceeded. Each event has its roots in what has happened and is influenced in what is happening. So what must happen is a result of what has happened and what is happening. With this in mind then it is not surprising that Skuld would fair to the battles in order to make sure what must happen, does happen. This I think shows a very strong light on what exactly the concept of wyrd was in the Germanic mind set. Not fatalistic as much as cause and effect.

 43. Ibid., p. 128-129. Back

44. Fornmanna Sögur: Óláf Saga Tryggvasonar I (LVII). Back

45. The Road to Hel: A Study of the Conception of the Dead in Old Norse Literature by Hilda Roderick Ellis (Davidson) 1968, p. 128. Back

46. Ibid., p. 138. Back

47. Ibid., p. 131. Back

48. Ibid., p. 132. Back

49. Ibid., p. 134. Back

50. Ibid., p. 132. Back

51. Ibid., p. 131. Back

52. Ibid., p. 132. Back

53. A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic Geir T Zoëga 1910, p. 349. Back

54. Grimm's Teutonic Mythology by Jacob Grimm 1883. Back

55. The Road to Hel: A Study of the Conception of the Dead in Old Norse Literature by Hilda Roderick Ellis (Davidson) 1968. Back
       56. Scandinavian Classics Vol 5 The Prose Edda translated by Arthur Gilchrist Brodeur, 1923, p. 73. Back

57. Grimnismal 37

Hrist and Mist the horn shall bear me,

Skeggjold and Skogul;

but Hild and Thruth, Hlokk and Herfjotur,

Goll and Geironul,

Randgrith and Rathgrith and Reginleif,

to the einherjar ale shall bear. Back

58. The Road to Hel: A Study of the Conception of the Dead in Old Norse Literature by Hilda Roderick Ellis (Davidson) 1968, p. 67. Back

59. Grimm's Teutonic Mythology by Jacob Grimm 1883. Back

60. Old Norse Images of Women by Jenny Jochens 1996, p. 40. Back