https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AH6a7QTvgD4 HEIDEVOLK - Drinking With The Gods (Valhalla)

When amateur archaeologist and metal detectorist Morten Skovsby uncovered this tiny silver figurine near the village of Hårby in the southwest part of the Danish island of Funen, he knew exactly what to do. He documented the findspot immediately, and then took the artifact to the City Museum in nearby Odense. When the museum’s curator, Mogens Bo Henriksen, saw the figurine, he knew what it was. “There can hardly be any doubt,” he says, “that this depicts one of Odin’s valkyries.”

Norse myths, called sagas, tell of female figures called valkyries (from the Old Norse valkyrja meaning “chooser of the slain”). The valkyries were sent to battlefields by the god Odin to select which fallen warriors were worthy of afterlives in Valhalla, filled with feasts of wild boar and liquor milked from goats. Despite their prevalence in the sagas, depictions of valkyries are relatively rare. They are confined to Swedish picture stones dating to about A.D. 700 and a handful of Early Viking fibulae (brooches) from Sweden and Denmark. So this three-dimensional representation is unique.

The figurine, which would probably have been a pendant, is partly gilded, while other areas are colored black by niello, a mixture of copper, silver, and lead sulphides used as an inlay. The valkyrie wears a long patterned dress and carries a double-edged Viking sword in her right hand and a shield protecting her body in her left. Dating to about A.D. 800, the figurine was recovered near an excavated area known to have been a metal workshop. Perhaps, says Henriksen, it was discarded as waste. Or maybe it was raw material on the way to the melting pot. “For some unknown reason it didn’t make it that far—and that’s our good luck.”

Source: JA Lobell. Archaeology Magazine

Valhalla label artwork for my shop Valkyrie Beard Care. Each has a bindrune, color and icon representing it. This bindrune incorporates:

Tiwaz (ᛏ) – The rune of Tyr, representing honor, justice, and the warrior’s path. For Valhalla, it’s the ultimate symbol of the noble fight, the bravery that leads a warrior to fall in battle with honor, securing their place in Odin’s Hall. The fallen heroes of Valhalla exemplify this courageous energy.

Algiz (ᛉ) – The protective rune, symbolizing divine protection and the sacred space of Valhalla. It guards the hall of the chosen warriors, where they are safe under the watch of the gods. In this bindrune, it represents that spiritual shield that keeps Valhalla as a sacred and protected place.

Ansuz (ᚨ) – The rune of Odin, symbolizing wisdom, communication, and divine inspiration. It ties the warriors to Odin’s wisdom and guidance, reminding us that Valhalla is not just a place of feasting and celebration but also of learning and spiritual growth, under the Allfather’s watchful eye.

This combination speaks to the honorable passage of a warrior—protected by divine forces, guided by Odin’s wisdom, and celebrated for their courage.

www.valkyriebeardcare.com

I had the pleasure to do a written interview with Mørk Byrde (Valhalla Radio) - read it here

The Varangian Guard was an elite unit in the Byzantine Empire, renowned for its loyalty and combat prowess. Established in the late 10th century, it initially comprised Norse warriors from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Iceland, later joined by Anglo-Saxons after the Norman Conquest of England. Serving as the emperor's personal bodyguards, the Varangians were trusted for their foreign origin, which made them less vulnerable to Byzantine court intrigues.

Easily recognizable by their distinctive armor and large two-handed axes, they were a formidable force on the battlefield and played a significant ceremonial role in the imperial court. The Varangian Guard participated in key military campaigns against various enemies, earning a fearsome reputation across Europe and the Near East.

Over time, their ranks grew increasingly diverse, but the guard maintained its elite status and continued to be a vital part of the Byzantine military. Though their influence waned as the Byzantine Empire declined, the Varangian Guard remains a symbol of loyalty, martial skill, and the fusion of Norse and Byzantine cultures, making them one of the most iconic military units of the medieval era.

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