(European mythology)
In Germanic mythology, the personal attendants of Odin, father of the slain. They rode over the battlefields of the world to choose those who must die. One of the soldiers in the army of Harald Hardradi, King of Norway, dreamed of a Valkyrie shortly before his side were defeated by King Harold at Stamford Bridge in September 1066. He thought he was on the King's ship, and saw a great witch wife standing on the island, with a fork in one hand to rake up the dead and a trough in the other to catch the blood. In the Eddas, Icelandic epics of the ancient gods, the Valkyries became woman warriors who were equally at home serving drink in the hall or riding out armed for battle. Their main task was bringing back to Valhalla, the hall of the slain, the souls of fallen champions, einherjar, the adopted sons of Odin Valfodr.
