I've been happier since I discovered your channel. The knowledge you share with us feeds my inner mythology/archaelogy freak. Thank you!Greetings from Mexico, dear Arith!
In Albanian, we say of a brave and strong man, "He is strong like the fairy", in reference to our mythology or mountain fairies being almost invincible, except for the bravest of men. I believe the mythology around them did indeed originate from the strong women able to fight alongside men. We still value the concept, with famous female warrior as late as the 20th century.
I didn't know about this(Valkeries origins). I thought they were like angel warriors who'd pick the brave dead, or things like that. This is mind boggling but in a very serious note, also very interesting to me; I loved it. Once again thank you for this information Arith.
To the early warriors who died in battle, Valkyries must have been quite the nightmare, and the poor fellows were probably shouting "No! I don't want to go to Valhalla! Gods save me!" :o
Perfectly timed I'm working on a story that has 2 valkyre in it and this made me realize the way I want to write them is dead on. Sort of cold and uncaring but with a sense of its my job deal with it.
Been doing research on Elder Furthark, Hel and Freyja and it led me to this, thank you! ☺️ have loved going down the rabbit hole and watching all your vids!
8:00 I wonder if this tale had influence on Swan Lake? Swan Lake seems to follow a similar lore, with a sorcerer trapping magic females in swan forms, so perhaps it was inspired a bit by this 🤔. Also, loved hearing about the weaving, loom, and brutal battle magic. Fascinating!
Hi Arith. I want to preface this comment with one statement: You obviously don't formally engage yourself to only explore *Norse* mythology in your content. But this comment is specifically in relation with Norse mythology; I allow myself that because 1) Valkyrjar is a term in Old Norse and very, very vastly associated with the Norse pantheon and the edda 2) I believe you're open to other ideas and this is one of very few places I can discuss such things 3) Yes, this comment is so long it should be illegal I find the idea of the initial nature of valhalla in contemporary beliefs as a battlefield rather than a hall for the valorous dead, located in Asgard rather than the underworld or a proto-equivalent doubtful. I'd be interested in that potential evolution into paradise from something much grimmer, but can't find any solid material to further explore that idea. I only ever encounter Valhalla as we now know it or relatively similar. The only reference I do find is Rudolf Simek, who describes the evolution of valkyrjar as you have, but I personally would rather not blindly stand on his suggestion as fact. Far from me to claim better knowledge than a distinguished professor, I wouldn't dare, but he is an Austrian professor of German studies who explored German literature extensively. Considering the subtle nuances and the interwoven nature of all germanic mythologies, I find it unconvincing to use his work alone - as it's all I can find in that sense - to develop and speculate on the beliefs of iron-age Scandinavia and ignore the possibility of a bias stemming from a view of historical theology most German-oriented. This matter of Valhalla and its specific nature is specifically one of those nuanced points which I could imagine to have shifted greatly in image and signification with the evolution of Germanic culture, and as the "viking age" lasted a relatively short amount of time *and* that its end marked the beginning of a wave of christianisation in the germanic and norse world, I wouldn't think it unlikely that it had already acquired that "romantic" image by the start of that age; in other words, that the more grim and visceral view of death in battle had run its course, which is why that form of the notion doesn't appear in work such as Snorri's. A similar thought crosses my mind when you mention the Valkyrjar in Darraðarljóð: you say that valkyries only progressively earned their romanticized image and at first carried darker, crueller and perhaps more malevolent omens and duties. That would mean that the nearer we got to the disappearance of those beliefs, the more romantic valkyries would be. However, Darraðarljóð is a work from the 13th century - which is not only after christianisation, but after the end of the viking age, and even the events it describes are themselves at the very twilight of the viking age (that is, 50 years before its commonly accepted end) for one, and for two, take place in Caithness, and the battle before which the macabre weaving was described happened around Dublin. So, I feel that poem is rather shoddily rooted in Norse tradition, and I wouldn't take it to have much bearing on real-life beliefs of the region centuries before the poem was written, and potentially before the events it describes ever happened. My overall opinion in a nutshell: the most gripping content attesting to that specific view of Valkyrjar and Valhalla such as you describe them is heavily influenced by other Germanic cultures than the Norse variety, and so I hesitate on adopting it definitively. I find what we know of the Scandinavian lifestyle and worldview might lend itself better to a rather glorious and rutilant valhalla, and comforting spirits to lead fallen warriors into an enviable afterlife. Anyway, I hope you found someone else's opinion interesting - though I doubt it; and as always, I love your content.
Once again a fine presentation, my friend. I have, as my ringtone,Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries - with one exception, my landlord, he has Manamana by the Muppets. Can you guess why?
I have read a fascinating article about the grave that was found in old city of Birka, Sweden. The person was buried with two horses and a lot of weapon, that could belong to an elite soldier, and also a map with figures, which indicated that this person was not only an elite soldier but also a battle strategist. When DNA was revealed, it showed that this warrior was a female. And it took quite a time for scientists themselves to accept this fact that women in Scandinavia could be high ranked warriors.
Thank you Arit! Very beautiful video, and very interesting this energy of Sowelu helping to go up and down the tree of life, to contact the deep roots and then the high skies ( mayby then in norse mitology its energy is connected with the squirrel Ratatorsk)). I can see a very similar concept in the energy of the kundalini rising from the first chakra to reach the crown chakra. Seven steps that our soul runs across the 7 chakras up and down in our life, wich are connected with the cycles of Saturn ( every 7 years), that in the Vedic astrology is connected with the first chakra, meanwhile the 7° chakra is connected with the center of the Galaxy. Would love to go deeper into these concepts with your opinion. Anoter question I have is about runes used by nazi, will you ever make a video about it? I am not a fanatic at all eheh... just because I am a resercher and like to go deeper in human creations and uses of runes! Thank you my dear friend for all the generosity you put into your extremely interesting work!
On Darradarljóð: In 2016 there was an excavation on the Iron Age/early medieval terpmound of Marsum (Westergo, Friesland). During this dig, a cluster of clay loom-weights were discovered, either from the early middle ages or possibly earlier. Some of them actually had the rough shapes of skulls (hollow eyes). A nearby filled up well resulted in the find of a lot of pottery and animal bones, and two wooden phalluses. The latter received attention, the looms were just seen as 'curious'. Having read Njál's Saga, the Poem of the twelve women sent shivers down my spine.... Could the loomweights have been used in a war ritual? In the sixth to eight century the elite of Westergo and other Frisian central places were just as warlike as in Scandinavia. For two centuries they kept the Franks from their backs after all. If only those 'heads' could talk...
Like the "washer of the ford" the Banshee for warriors in Celtic lore, who would be washing the armor/clothing of the warriors who would be killed in the battle
This makes so much more sense to me than the more modern, christianized version. I think it also serves as a warning that women are not weak and only creators, we can cause distruction as well.
Certainly. Gender roles and the weakening of the role of women in our societies was a religious production that we are still suffering the consequences of today. But things eventually change in this new era of awakening :)
Boa noite, muito obrigada por todas as informações, posso tirar uma dúvida? A Filha de Thor, Thrud é uma Valquíria. Que está ligada a cura e a fertilidade. Você poderia falar mais um pouco sobre ela? Meu Culto é também a Ela.
Also it seems you overlooked the potential link between the disir and the Valkyries or the idea that Valkyries would starch themselves to specific heroes
I don't see how they can't simultaneously be "demons" of death and also beneficent psychopomps. In all indo European pagan religions the fulfillment of the duty of the warrior and the asceticism and self sacrifice associated is always one of the highest paths to higher levels of the cosmos. Death is only bad if you lived life poorly and without self sacrifice. Also the Valkyries being associated with swans is interesting if you look at swan symbolism in Northern Europe. Swans are psychopomps that mirrors the ship burial carrying the dead across the sea to the land of youth or what have you. I think that you cannot divorce any pagan religion from Kshatriya dharma, the duty of the warrior. Death in self sacrifice also doesn't necessarily mean dying in battle. There was lots of ritual death in pagan societies, all were greatly respected. Yes even practices like suttee are pagan at heart. I am sorry if it's hard to reconcile this with modern notions of self preservation and pacifism.
Arith Härger I'm not sure if they would be offended by this image or consider it a usable weakness. Anyway, I've been working 6 days a week since the start of November, so my apologies for disappearing.
@@timeaesnyx Yes I was wondering where you went, but no worries I understand it perfectly. I too work everyday and sometimes more than 12h a day, unfortunately :/ but since you are here, happy celebrations and a wonderful winter solstice! :)
“All my friends are Heathens, Take it slow….. Wait before you ask them who they know….. Please don’t make, any sudden moves….. You don’t know, the half of the abuse………” -Twenty One Pilots
VALQUIRIA:- NA MITOLOGIA ESCANDINAVA, CADA UMA DAS VIRGENS FILHAS DE ODIN - DEUS DA GUERRA.Tinham por missão o incitamento aos heróis em combate e transportar ao paraíso de seu pai (VALHALA) os que morriam a combater. Lá lhes seria ministrado o hidromel que os restituía à vida sem qualquer sinal de ferimento.( investigação minha, amigo Arith Harger. Abraço grande!
the milk from sigradifa's breast will rebirth the beating heart in a warriors chest. the fearsome love of fearsome death will banish dread with every breath. odin father and my friend. bring me home to your den. sigradifa bear me high. release my soul on the funeral pyre harharhar. thank yew arith
I have decided that I want to have a tattoo (first of many) of the symbol of the Valkyrie to begin my personal tribute to the Norse blood that I have always been told I have. So tell me, if I put that symbol on me, have I marked myself for death? Also, is it inappropriate for a westerner to have Norse tattoos, even if they’re ancestry eventually comes from those roots?
Ask anyone in this channel if they think I have a Christian mindset. It seems to me you are the one with a Christian mindset because you clearly deny valkyries as demons because you think the concept of "demon" is something evil just like in Christianity. You even watched the video? Or are you judging by the title alone? I clearly state in the very beginning "demons" not in a Christian sense. Pagan societies had demons in their mythologies and folklore, but not every demon was considered evil. Demon in the sense of spiritual entity with certain qualities that makes it a demon. Thank you.
@@ghostorbs7409 I'm not refering to any daemon or the Greek concept of "daimon". Simply in the sense of spirit or divine power, in this case Valkyries being the personification of Odin's parts of his self, mainly projections of Hamr and Fylgja, as well as Hugr and Minni.
