I'm dying and glad to bleed
Because I know today I will take my place with the heroes
In Valhalla of old
~Richard Wagner
Happy Art Thursday! Have you watched the Marvel movies with valkyries in them? I did, but I can't remember what they said about what valkyries are/do. From what I've just read, in Norse mythology valkyries escort the battle-dead to Valhalla (Odin's realm) or Fólkvangr (Freyja's realm). The goddess Freyja seems like the original valkyrie, which means "one who chooses the slain." Some sites say that valkyries choose which slain soldiers to bring to Odin or Freyja and others say they choose who will die in a battle, which seems like a bigger deal to me. Valhalla is the realm that we hear about, so valkyries are often portrayed bringing fallen soldiers to Valhalla.
A valkyrie speaks with a raven (1862)
woodcut engraved by Joseph Swain from art by Frederick Sandys
Valkyries carrying the battle-dead to Valhöll
Johannes Gehrts (1855–1921)
The Rhinegold and the Valkryie
Arthur Rackham
Ride of the Valkyries:
Wow...nothing like Ride of the Valkyries to wake you up in the morning!
ReplyDeleteThis was a fantastic video...of a fantastic staging and fantastic singing. Valkyries flying in and then gathering the dead soldiers and sending them to Valhalla.
I vividly remember a scene in the movie Apocalypse Now when Robert Duval rides toward battle with Ride of the Valkries blaring from speakers from a helicoptor.
And Arthur Rackham's piece is exquisite.
Thanks for today's Art Thursday...and the good information you provided.