Valkyrie Cross (Pendant in silver)

Jewelry of German Mythology, 30 x 45 mm, 925 Sterling Silver plated.

In Norse mythology, a valkyrie (Old Norse valkyrja "chooser of the slain") is one of a host of women who decides who dies in battle. The valkyries bring their chosen to the afterlife hall of the slain, Valhalla, ruled by the god Odin, where deceased warriors become einherjar. There, when the einherjar are not preparing for Ragnarök, the valkyries serve mead. Valkyries also appear as lovers of heroes and other mortals, where they are sometimes described as the daughters of royalty, sometimes accompanied by ravens, and sometimes connected to swans. Valkyries are attested in the Poetic Edda, poems compiled in the 13th century; the Prose Edda and Heimskringla, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson, and Njáls saga. A Saga of Icelanders was written in the 13th century with valkyries. They appear in the poetry of skalds, in a 14th century charm, and in runic inscriptions. The Old English cognate terms wælcyrge and wælcyrie appear in manuscripts, but it is unclear whether the terms are derived from Norse influence or an indigenous tradition from Anglo-Saxon paganism. Theories are proposed about the relation between the valkyries, the norns, the dísir, Germanic seeresses, and shieldmaidens. Scandinavian excavations have uncovered amulets believed to show valkyries. Valkyries are the subject of music, graphic art, poetry and video games.