The Valkyries, Choosers of the Slain

In the 13th century, the Icelandic historian Snorri Sturluson wrote down the old stories of his people. He explained that on every battlefield, the god Odin sent his agents of fate. They were called Valkyries, from the Old Norse 'valkyrja', meaning 'choosers of the slain'. These powerful supernatural women were not simply participants in the fight; they were its arbiters. According to Sturluson’s Prose Edda, the Valkyries would ride into the fray to determine which men would die and which side would claim victory. Though sometimes called 'maidens', they were the fearsome 'ladies of the War Lord', divine beings who controlled the very outcome of human conflict. Their decision was absolute and their purpose divine, whether they were determining the fate of a battle or serving the fallen in the halls of Valhalla.