In Scandinavian, and later in Germanic mythology, Valhalla was called one of the halls, which was ruled by Odin. The etymology of the word Valhalla (also Valhalla or Valhalla, modern transcription allows all three options) quite clearly conveys the essence of the image. From Old Norse "Valhöll" is translated as "hall of the fallen." In Proto-Germanic, it is replaced by the word form "Wallhall" with a similar translation.

For the Vikings, Valhalla was a place that every warrior dreamed of going to. The souls of the valiantly fallen in battle were picked up by the Valkyries, and half of these souls went to Valhalla to Odin (the other half went to Folkvangr to Freya). The Vikings who got to Valhalla became Einheria, Odin's personal guard, the army of Asgard, which will oppose the giants at the hour of Ragnarok. At the same time, the warriors of Valhalla lead a life worthy of real Vikings. Every morning they put on armor and go to fight each other. By breakfast, their wounds are healed and the dead are resurrected. Then the heroes of Valhalla sit down at a large table and begin to feast. They drink honey, which is given by the goat Heidrun. Heidrun lives in Valhalla, eating leaves. And the warriors eat the meat of Sehrimnir's boar, which Andrhrimnir cooks every day, and every morning the boar comes to life again. At night, the einherias disperse around Valhalla, and beautiful maidens (not Valkyries!) come to them, who please them until the morning.

However, there was another way to get to Valhalla. If a warrior was brave, skillful and lucky, he might not have died in battle, having lived to old age. Then he committed ritual suicide - he hung himself on an oak tree, repeating the act of Odin's sacrifice. The third option is the "bloody eagle" execution. If a warrior accused of dishonor carried out the execution without making a single sound, he could also count on Valhalla.

The structure of Valhalla, the transformation of the image

As for the “hall of the fallen” itself, the halls of Valhalla are structurally one huge hall, the roof of which is the gilded shields of the Einherja. The walls of the hall are rows of spears with which the heroes of Valhalla fight. The hall has 540 doors, at the hour of Ragnarok, when Heimdal blows the horn of the Gjallarhorn, 800 warriors will come out of each door. In total, it turns out 432 thousand Einherjars. It is important to note here that in the Eddic texts there is not a single mention of where female warriors go after death. In general, the Scandinavian epic is quite stingy with similar images, because if, for example, remember Brynhild, then she was not an ordinary woman, but.

In the middle of Valhalla is Hlidskjalf, the throne of Odin, seated on which the Allfather can survey all worlds. However, this is a controversial issue, because in the "Vision of Gylvi" part of the "Younger Edda" it is said that Hlidskjalf is in the hall of Valaskjalva, whose relationship to Valhalla is unknown.

One way or another, but for the Vikings, Valhalla, no doubt, was perceived as a paradise, the only place worthy of the soul of a warrior. Over time, the myth of Valhalla, of the army of Odin's Einheryas, has undergone significant metamorphoses. The late Germanic tribes called the heroes of Valhalla not Einherjars. The army of dead warriors led by Odin was called Asgardraiden or the Wild Hunt, which, according to legend, appeared in the sky as a harbinger of a great war, discord and chaos.

In this context, one cannot fail to note the fact that the image of Valhalla has undergone significant changes in the era of the Christianization of the European north. In the works of the early Christian missionaries, Valhalla is associated with the Vikings not at all with paradise. Christians were afraid of bigotry northern warriors, their willingness to die in battle for a just cause. Therefore, the image of Valhalla was blackened, it was presented as hell. At the same time, the daily death of the Einherjars, followed by rebirth, was presented as the punishment of sinners. As it is not difficult to guess in such a context, he did not act as a great god at all.

However, northern peoples the Vedic tradition and the desire to get into Valhalla turned out to be stronger than the vile attempts of Christians to replace the original faith with a false religion. This can be judged at least by the fact that at the moment one of the state religions of Iceland is Asatru (or Trot), which literally means "faith in aces." And the Norwegian special forces still use the legendary battle cry "Till Valhall!", which literally means "To Valhalla!"

Gates of Valhalla

Speaking of Valhalla, it is impossible not to remember the gates of Valgrind. The mention of these gates is found only in one place in the Elder Edda (the song "Grimnir's Speech"), however, this image has caused serious controversy among Scandinavians, since the true purpose of the gate is unclear. In the Edda, Grimnir says that Valgrind is the gate of Valhalla that only the dead, chosen by Odin or Freya, can open. At the same time, the gates of Valhalla are unique, they have a complex locking mechanism that was created by the dark elves (those who also forged the Gungnir spear and the Skidbladnir ship). Those who are not worthy to open the gates of Valhalla by touching the castle will be bound forever.

The Swedish publicist and folklorist Viktor Rydberg believed that the word Valgrind (“Þrymgjöll”) is translated from Old Norse as “clapping loudly”. Probably, this can be a figurative naming of thunder peals. However, Rydberg also found an analogy between the Scandinavian myth of the dark elves who created the castle for the gates of Valhalla and the ribhu trinity mentioned in the Rigveda. Rydberg thus assumed that both religions were based on a common Indo-European mythological basis.

It is curious to note that Walhalla is also a historical site located near Regensburg, on the right bank of the Danube. It is small architectural complex, in which there are busts of the great Germans, not only warriors, but also monarchs, scientists, cultural and art figures. The building of Valhalla was built in early XIX century by order of Ludwig I, King of Bavaria. In fact, the German Valhalla, designed by Leo von Klinze, repeats the shape and dimensions of the Parthenon of the Athenian acropolis. There are currently 96 busts and 193 memorials in Valhalla. Among them there are Russian figures who have German roots, for example, Catherine the Great.

The heavenly chamber in Asgard, where the soldiers who fell in battle go after death and where they continue their former heroic life.

Legend has it that Valhalla is a gigantic hall hung with sword-pointed shields. This hall has 540 doors and 800 warriors will come out through each at the call of the god Heimdall during the last battle - Ragnarok. The warriors who live in Valhalla are called Einherii. Every day in the morning they put on armor and fight to the death, and then they rise and sit down at a common table to feast, surrounded by Valkyries. They eat the meat of the boar Sehrimnir, who is slaughtered every day and every day he is resurrected. Einheria also drink honey, which is milked by the goat Heidrun, standing in Valhalla and chewing the leaves of the World Tree Yggdrasil. Instead of fire, Valhalla is illuminated by the brilliance of swords.

see also

Notes

Literature

• // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1891. - T. V. - S. 399.
• Valhalla // Brasos - Vesh. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1971. - S. 273. - (Great Soviet Encyclopedia: [in 30 volumes] / ch. ed. A. M. Prokhorov; 1969-1978, v. 4).
• Kuskov O. L. . Jupiter and Saturn systems: Formation, composition and internal structure/ Kuskov O. L., Dorofeeva V. A., Kronrod V. A., Makalkin A. B.; Rep. ed. ak. M. Ya. Marov. - M.: Ed. LKI, 2009. - 576 p. - ISBN 978-5-382-00986-5.
• Grimnir's speeches // Elder Edda [Text]: Old Icelandic songs about gods and heroes / trans. A. I. Korsuna; ed., entry. Art. and comment. M. I. Steblin-Kamensky. - St. Petersburg. : Nauka, 2015. - 259 p. - (Literary monuments / Russian academician of sciences). - Repr. reproduction ed. 1963. - ISBN 978-5-02-038253-4.
• The Elder Edda: The Icelandic Epic. - St. Petersburg. : Azbuka, 2011. - S. 87, 415. - 464 p. - ISBN 978-5-389-02679-7.
• Valhalla / A. D. Shcheglov // The Greater Caucasus - the Great Canal [Electronic resource]. - 2006. - S. 559. - (Great Russian encyclopedia: [in 35 volumes] / ch. ed. Yu. S. Osipov; 2004-2017, v. 4). - ISBN 5-85270-333-8.
• Buisson, Ludwig. Der Bildstein Ardre VIII auf Gotland: [German] ]// Abhandlungen der Akademie der Wissenschaften in Göttingen, Philologisch-historische Klasse, Dritte Folge. - Göttingen, 1976. - No. 102. - ISSN 0930-4304.
• Die Geschichte vom starken Grettir, dem Geächteten: [German] ]/ Übertragen von Paul Herrmann. - Düsseldorf, Koln, 1963. - Bd. 5. - (Sammlung Thule).
• Greeley, R.; Klemaszewski, J.E.; Wagner L.; et al. Galileo views of the geology of Callisto // Planetary and Space Science (English) Russian: journal. - 2000. - Vol. 48, no. 9 . - P. 829-853. -

Val (b) halla, Val (b) galla (ancient Iceland. Valh?ll) in German-Scandinavian mythology - a heavenly chamber in Asgard ("hall of the slain" in the chamber of Odin) for those who fell in battle, Paradise for valiant warriors.

Valhalla was located in Asgard next to the ash tree Yggdrasil. It is surrounded by a full-flowing stream of Tund, which the Einherjars cannot cross.
On its roof are the deer Eikturmir and the goat Heidrun, eating the leaves of the World Tree Yggdrasil (a gigantic ash tree (or yew), in the form of which the Scandinavians imagined the universe). It belonged to the supreme God Odin and was part of the complex of his palace, which was called Gladsheim.

According to legend, Valhalla is a giant hall with a roof of gilded shields, which are supported by spears. This hall has 540 doors and 800 warriors will come out through each at the call of God Heimdallad for the last battle of Ragnarok. Instead of fire, Valhalla was illuminated by shining swords.

Doors five hundred
and forty, as I remember, -
Valhalla has:
at the door every eight
hundreds of warriors
goes to battle with the wolf

Eliseeva L. A.

Odin rules Valhalla. He selects half of the soldiers who fell in battle, and the Valkyries deliver them to the chamber. The other half of the fallen is sent to Folkwang ("People's Field") to the Goddess Freya.

Einheria enter Valhalla after death. These are the chosen people, marked by military prowess and fallen by death, "worthy of a warrior." During their lifetime, they already enjoyed the special patronage of the supreme God Odin, and when they died, the Valkyries took them away and transferred them to Valhalla. There they spend their time in feasts and battles.

The warriors who live in Valhalla are called einherii. Every day in the morning they put on armor and fight to the death, and after that they rise and sit down at the common table to feast. They eat the meat of the boar Sehrimnir, who is slaughtered every day and every day he is resurrected. Einherias drink honey, which is milked by the goat Heidrun.

In order to oust pagan cultures, Christianity and the baptists identified Valhalla with hell. Aces were identified with demons, einherias (heroes) with great sinners, the principle of endless bloody slaughter and the daily feast after the resurrection from the dead (and the regrowth of severed limbs) were identified with the infinity of hellish torments.

Gladsheim is the fifth
it's full of gold
Valhalla shines;
there Hroft collects
brave warriors,
killed in battle.
It's easy to guess
where is Odin's house,
looking at the chambers
rafters there - spears,
and the roof - shields
and armor on the benches.
It's easy to guess
where is Odin's house,
looking at the chambers
the wolf is out there to the west
hanging from the door
an eagle soars from above.

Elder Edda "Speech of Grimnir" (8-10)

Valhalla, as a heavenly kingdom for the elect, apparently differentiated relatively late from the underworld kingdom of the dead (Hel). In the "Speech of Grimnir" ("Elder Edda") Valhalla is correlated with Gladsheim ("dwelling of joy"), and in the "Younger Edda" the dwelling in which Odin and "all people worthy and righteous" (Christian influence) live is called Gimle ("protection from fire") or Vingolf ("abode of bliss").

Valhalla is a heavenly chamber for fallen warriors in. Valhalla is located in Asgard (the world or city of the gods) and is a real paradise for the valiant Viking warriors who fought with honor and died with weapons in their hands.

In the paganism of the Slavs Ancient Russia we do not find an exact match with the concept of Valhalla. Perhaps the warriors who fought in battles in Russia had such an idea and even called the place that was prepared for them in the other world by some term, but today nothing is known about this, so Valhalla is a truly unique phenomenon that speaks about such a side of pagan culture that has not been preserved in other countries. In Russian paganism there are concepts upper world, Rule, Navi and (Slavic paradise). It is quite possible that Iriy once seemed to the Slavs to be the place where the most worthy warriors go, but there is no reliable evidence of this. Therefore, it is worth considering precisely the German-Scandinavian version of the structure of the Upper World of Asgard and, in particular, Valhalla (Valhalla, Valhalla).

The world for warriors who fell in battle is divided into two parts. Some fall into Valhalla (Palace of the Fallen), while others fall into the Folkwang (People's Field). Folkwang is run by the goddess of war and love, Freya. Folkwang was also a place of honor for warriors, as it was considered a paradise for the strongest and most courageous. By the way, the best women also got here, and not only warriors. However, it was Valhalla that enjoyed the greatest respect among the warriors. Valhalla is ruled by the god Odin. The supreme god, as well as the father and leader of the aces (gods) Odin, sits in the Palace of the Fallen on a throne called Hlidskjalf. From this throne he can see all the worlds and all human affairs. Therefore, deceiving Odin will not work. He sees all the battles and how bravely warriors fight and how fearlessly they die. After another battle, Odin selects the most daring warriors and sends the Valkyries after them.

Valkyries, which translates from Old Norse as “choosers of the slain,” are spirits or goddesses who hover over the battlefield on winged horses and pick up fallen warriors to deliver them to Valhalla. The image of the Valkyries goddesses is undoubtedly very interesting, but we will deal with this in one of the following articles. Maiden-warriors, who, according to various ideas, number nine or thirteen, collect souls and escort their world of dead warriors to Odin. Here the warriors enter the Palace of Eternal Pleasures.

There is detailed information about what is happening in Valhalla. God Odin does not just collect the most best warriors so that they feast every day and indulge in various pleasures. Bold and fearless warriors are preparing for the decisive battle, which is known as Ragnarok (the death of the gods and the whole world). Valhalla itself looks like a huge hall that can accommodate a large number of people. This hall has 540 doors, through each of which 800 warriors will emerge on the day of the decisive battle. If you do a simple multiplication, it turns out that there are 432 thousand warriors in Valhalla. The roof of Valhalla consists of gilded shields, which is supported by stakes.

Warriors inhabitants of Valhalla are called einherchians. Every day from early morning, the Einherjars don armor, train, and fight to the death. However, there is no death here, and therefore the warriors are resurrected and go hunting for the boar Sehrimnir. After a successful hunt, the boar is boiled in his cauldron by the "cook of Valhalla" Eldhrimnir (Andhrimnir). The boar also does not die, and after the meal it rises again until the next day. Warriors sit down to feast, eat boar meat and drink honey, which is milked by the goat Heidrun. Goat Heidrun lives on the roof of Valhalla and feeds on the leaves of the World Tree Yggdrasil. After the meal, beautiful maidens come to the warriors.

Getting here was the main dream of any warrior and Viking. The place of pleasures and pleasures that will last until the very end of the world could only be reached by being truly brave and fearless. Each Viking, according to these beliefs, had to fight without sparing his strength, and at every battle he had to fight as if for the last time, and die without shame and fear, and always with a sword in his hands. The real grief was the death of a warrior who at the very last moment lost or dropped his sword. Then, according to legend, he could not become one of the Einherjars and could no longer meet with the god Odin to participate in the very last battle.

Metodorf is the knowledge base for those who want to improve and succeed. Personal growth and self-improvement, development of self-confidence and stress management. A large number of articles and materials on topics of interest to you.

Ruled by Valhalla. He selects half of the soldiers who fell in battle, and the Valkyries deliver them to the chamber. The other half of the fallen goes to Folkvang (en: Fólkvangr "People's Field") to the goddess Freya.

According to legend, Valhalla is a giant hall with a roof of gilded shields, which are supported by spears. This hall has 540 doors and 800 warriors will come out through each at the call of the god Heimdall for the last battle of Ragnarok. The warriors who live in Valhalla are called einherii. Every day in the morning they put on armor and fight to the death, and then they rise and sit down at the common table to feast. They eat the meat of the boar Sehrimnir, who is slaughtered every day and every day he is resurrected. Einheria drink honey, which is milked by the goat Heidrun, standing in Valhalla and chewing the leaves of the World Tree Yggdrasil. And at night, beautiful maidens come and please the warriors until the morning.

In order to oust pagan cultures, Christianity and the baptists of the North of Europe identified Valhalla with hell. Aces were identified with demons, einheria (heroes) - with great sinners, the principle of endless bloody slaughter and the daily feast after the resurrection from the dead (and the regrowth of severed limbs) - identified with the infinity of hellish torments.

see also

• Bilskirnir, Thor's quarters

Literature

• Ludwig Buisson: Der Bildstein Ardre VIII auf Gotland. Reihe: Abhandlungen der Akademie der Wissenschaften in Göttingen, Philologisch-historische Klasse, Dritte Folge Nr. 102. Göttingen 1976
• Grettis saga: Die Geschichte vom starken Grettir, dem Geächteten. In: Sammlung Thule Bd. 5 Düsseldorf, Koln 1963.
• Gutalag och Gutasaga, utg. af Hugo Pipping, København 1905-1907 (Samfund 33)
• Sogubrot af Fornkonungum. In: Sogur Danakonunga, udg. av C. af Petersens och E. Olson, København 1919-1925 (Samfund 46.1). Dänische Obersetzung: C. Ch. Rafn, Nordiske Kaempe-Historier, bd. III (1824).
• Saxo Grammaticus, Gesta Danorum, rec. et ed. J. Olrik et H. Ræder, Bd. I (1931), Lib. VII, c.X.; lib. VIII, c.IV.
• H. Uecker: Die altnordischen Bestattungsriten in der literarischen Überlieferung(Diss. München 1966).

Links

• // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: In 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010 .

Synonyms:

• Milonga
• Collodion

See what "Valhalla" is in other dictionaries:

VALHALLA- valhalla, valhalla (other Icelandic valholl, "chamber of the slain"), located in the sky in Scandinavian mythology, belonging to Odin the dwelling of the einheryas of the brave warriors who fell in battle, who feast there, drink the inexhaustible honey milk of the goat Heidrun and eat ... ... Encyclopedia of mythology

VALHALLA- Valhalla (another Scandinavian Valholl is the chamber of the dead), in Scandinavian mythology, the palace of Odin, where the soldiers who fell in battle go and where they continue their former heroic life ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

valhalla- noun, number of synonyms: 1 valhalla (3) ASIS synonym dictionary. V.N. Trishin. 2013 ... Synonym dictionary

Valhalla- (Valhalla), in the mythology of the Germans and Scandinavians, the palace of Odin, where the brave warriors who fell in battle fall. … Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

Valhalla- Valhalla (Old Norse ValhÖll the chamber of the dead), in the mythology of the Germans and Scandinavians, the palace of Odin, where the soldiers who fell in battle fall. * * * VALHALLA VALHALLA, Valhalla (another Scandinavian Valholl is the chamber of the dead), in Scandinavian mythology, the palace of Odin ... encyclopedic Dictionary

valhalla- see valhalla. New dictionary foreign words. by EdwART, 2009. Valhalla see Valhalla. Dictionary foreign words L. P. Krysin. M: Russian language, 1998 ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

valhalla- valhalla (“chamber of the slain”) in the myths of the ancient Scandinavians, the dwelling of the brave warriors who fell in battle, located in the sky, in Asgard. In Valhalla, warriors feast, drink inexhaustible honey goat milk and eat inexhaustible boar meat. Valhalla… … Encyclopedic Dictionary "World History"

Valhalla- Valhalla (ancient Scandinavian Valhöll the chamber of the dead), in Scandinavian mythology, the palace of the supreme god Odin, where the soldiers who fell in battle go after death and where they continue their former heroic life ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

Valhalla- see Valhalla... Popular dictionary of the Russian language

VALHALLA- [valhalla, valhalla; ancient sl. valhöll chamber of the slain], in scand. mythology heavenly dwelling fallen heroes(einherii). V. belongs to Odin and is located in Asgard, the village of the fortress of the gods of the Ases. There, brave warriors feast: they drink goat's honey milk ... ... Orthodox Encyclopedia

Books

• Project "Valhalla", Andrey Zemskov. April 1945. Great world slaughter is nearing its completion. Some people in the West are already beginning to calculate profits and future indemnities. However, the most far-sighted functionaries ...