Advertisement
This rather interesting question came about within a private heathen discussion with European heathens. I would very much like to know the views of this list regarding this matter especially from the female membership here. Taking on board accounts of ritual suicide by heathen women after the demise of their menfolk in battle, would this qualify such women for a place in Valholl or did they simply commit suicide in despair and not to join with their husbands in the next life?
Rig
Rig
posted by:
|
United Kingdom
|
Advertisement
Advertisement
-
Re: In Norse mythology,did mortal women go to Valhalla after death?
Wed, May 6, 2009 - 6:13 AMHR Ellis Davidson (I think she's using The Prose Edda as her source) mentions that unmarried women go to Gefion, after death.
(Page 30 of a 1990 Penguin reprint of "Gods and Myths of Northern Europe".)
Gefion (Gefjun) is a Goddess worshipped at Leire, who plouged around Zealand and made it into an island.
If I find more info on my travels, I'll post it. It's a good question.
-
Re: In Norse mythology,did mortal women go to Valhalla after death?
Thu, May 14, 2009 - 11:44 AMSee, that would depend. Is she first a brave/heroic warrior, lifting sword/spear in either defense of her folk and/or honor of her chieftain? If so, why would she not get the same honors if so selected to receive as any man she stood along side in battle. Suicide is noted in the lore when Balder is killed. Grief and that sense of a part of themselves is gone and the pain is worse than anything they would face committing suicide. But the suicide would not grant them Valhalla, but I don’t believe (my personal belief) that the honored warriors sent to Valhalla actually live within the hall fulltime. Our essences in part goes to these place, not in whole, so they would still be amongst their folk feasting at the halls of Hel yet still have that essences of their warrior self within their fallen brothers/sisters in Valhalla. Just my 2 cents worth that is being printed now. Death from disease, child birth or old age all are their own separate category, IMO. But, we all still gather and feast amongst our folk we just have “day jobs” elsewhere. ;)
SARA -
-
Re: In Norse mythology,did mortal women go to Valhalla after death?
Sat, May 23, 2009 - 7:08 AMI could be wrong off course Sara but I do suspect that ideas of warrior men only in Vahol might have something to do with those who recorded the sagas being men rather than women and it would be IMO reasonable to extend a suggestion that Christian male dominance overuled any notion of women in Valhalla. By all accounts we also know that Snorri preserved the prose and not necessarily the lore.
An English Saxon Princess led an invasion of Jutland in the 6th Century. In the 8th Century Queen Aethelburgh destroyed Taunton. In the 9th Century Queen Thyra of Denmark led her army against the Germans. In the 10th Century Aethelflaed, Lady of Mercia led troops against the Vikings and Olga of Russia ended a revolt in which her husband had died.
The Viking Sagas and Saxo Grammaticus' "History of the Danes" mention many warrior women. Hetha, Visna and Vebiorg led companies of the Danish army. Sela and Alvid were pirates. Stikla ran away from home to become a warrior. Rusilla fought against her brother for the throne. Gurith took part in a battle to help her son. Freydis Eiriksdottir, Auðr and Þórdis all used weapons against their enemies.
As a final thought consider this: ""There were once women in Denmark who dressed themselves to look like men and spent almost every minute cultivating soldiers' skills......"
Gender and archaeology By Roberta Gilchrist pg 67
Rig
-
-
Re: In Norse mythology,did mortal women go to Valhalla after death?
Thu, May 14, 2009 - 5:32 PMI don't know about suicide earning a place.
But if there are no women in Valhalla, what do the men do when they finish battling and feasting? What's the point in a glorious afterlife if there is no one to share your bed?
