Valkyrie Names

Just like the Norwegian last names had meanings, the Valkyrie names represented the group of the warrior maidens that served god Odin. The Valkyries were powerful females sent to the battlefield in choosing pass judgment on the slain. They are believed to have supernatural powers and would be flown through the air and sea.

The Valkyrie were linked to battle, fairness, and bloodshed. In the battle, they chose who lived and who survived. For the ones who died, half of them were chosen by Valkyrie to join Freyja in Fólkvangr and Odin in Valhalla. The Old Norse Poems had a list of different Valkyrie names and their meanings including describing the abilities and roles of Valkyries.

Who are the Valkyries?

In the Norse Mythology, Valkyrie meant the choosers of slain describing their roles during that time. There was also the hall of Odin in Asgard in which the Viking warrior that lost their lives were taken (Einherjar). At that place, they feasted and trained as they prepared to fight with Odin in Ragnarok, the final battle of apocalypse.

The Valkyries carried brightly shining spears. Besides, they had the capacity of making guttural battles while flying over the battlefield. Their role of picking dead bodies in the battlefield made them to be represented by the carrion eating ravens in some cases. However, since they were women, they had to do the traditional female roles.

The Names of the Valkyries

The number of Valkyries that existed during the Norse mythology is unknown. Overall, they were named in respect to weapons and war as well as highlighting their intimate relation to war.

• Brynhildr: (the pronunciation is “Brin-hil-duur”) it means bright battle and battle armor and was Valkyries leader.

• Eir: (the pronunciation is “Ee-rh”), it means mercy or peace. In the Norse mythology, the creature is linked  to medical proficiency.

• Gunnr: (the pronunciation is “Gunner”), it means battle or war

•  Göndu: the pronunciation is “Gawn-du”, it means wand wielder, and it is among the fierce Old Norse as well as slain choosers.

• Geirahöð: The name is pronounced as Gee-ey-ra-hut and it means battle spear.

• Geirönu: The pronunciation is Gee-ey-ro-nu and it means charging forth with the spear.

• Geiravör: The name is pronounced as Gee-ey-ra-vurr to mean spear-vör.

• Geirdriful. It is pronounced as Gee-ey-dra-fu and it means spear-flinger.

• Göl: The pronunciation is Gawl and it means noise, battle or tumult, the creature served Odin in battle.

• Geirskögu: The pronunciation is  “Gee-aer-sko-gu”) and it is a fierce Valkyrie name to mean spear-bearer.

• Geirskögul: It means Spear-skögul

• Hildr: The pronounciation is Hill-dur meaning battle and was Hedin’s wife and Högni’s daughter.

• Hrund: It is pronounced as Rund and it means pricker. 

• Herfjötur: The pronunciation is Her-fyo-tur and it means fetter of the army. She was a powerful Valkyrie in the Norse mythology and had the capacity of placing fetters.

•  Herja: The pronunciation is Herja and it means one who devastates. She was a Germanic and Valkyrie goddess as well as chooser of the slain.

• Herfjotur: It means host fetter

• Hervör alvitr: The name is pronounced as Her-vor-aal-vee-tur, it means all-wise strange creature. In the Norse mythology, she was Hlaðguðr sister.

• Hlaðguðr svanhvít: The pronunciation is Hluh-goor-svan-vit to mean swan-white. She was Hervör alvit sister and the daughter of King Hlödvér’s.

• Hjalmþrimul: It ispronounced as Jam-pree-mul, it means helmet clatter. In the Norse mythology, it is among the Valkyries that chose the creatures dying in the battle.

• Hjörþrimul: She is a legendary Valkyries and the pronunciation is Jor-pree-mul. It also mean the female sword warrior.

• Radgrid: It means council truce

• Hlökk: The pronunciation is Lowk to mean noise, battle.

•  Hrist: In the Norse mythology, the name mean quaking one and it is pronounced as Rist.

• Þrúðr: In the Old Norse, she served ale to the Einherjar in Valhalla and the pronunciation isPruder. The name means power or strength.

• Þrima: The pronunciation is Prima and it means fight

• Þögn: The name is pronounced as pawn and it means silence. It is found in the Nafnaþulur section that is attached to the Prose Edda.

• Skeggöld: The pronunciation is Ske-gold and it means axe age. She appears as a Valkyrie in two poems and is believed to be among the powerful female figures.

• Svipu: The pronunciation Svi-poo to mean changeable. Unfortunately, not so much information is given about her.

• Sveið: The name is pronounced as Sveyud meaning noise or vibration.

• Kára: The name is mention in Helgakviða Hundingsbana II, which was one of the Poteic Eddas poems. The pronounciation is Kaara and it means curly one.

• Skuld: The pronunciation is Skuld to mean future or debt. She is a Valkyrie that held Norns position as fate goddess. 

• Sigrdrífa: It is pronounced as Sig-ur-dri-fa to mean inciter to victory. In the Norse mythology, such a creature was known as slain chooser.

• Skögul: The pronounciation is Sko-guul to mean high towering or shaker. In the Old Norse, it appears in Heimskringla.

• Thrudr: In the Norse mythology, the name meant power

• Sanngriðr. The name’s pronunciation isSan-grid-ur meaning very cruel and very violent. The Valkyarie is a powerful female figure and she is mentioned in Darraðarljóð poem.

• Mist: The name is pronounced as Mist to mean mist or cloud. It is mentioned in Grímnismál poem written by poetic Edda.

• Róta: She is a Valkyariepronounced as Row-tah to mean storm and sleet.

• Ölrún: The pronounciation is Awl-run to mean ale-rune.

•  Randgrid: a powerful Valkyrie pronounced as Rand-grid and the name means shield-destroyer.

• Geirahod: It means spear fight

• Ráðgríðr: A well-known Valkyrie during the Norse mythology pronounced as Rad-gri-dur. It was responsible for judging the creatures that will die in a battle.

•  Reginleif. The pronunciation is Rain-leaf to mean gods daughter.

• Hlokk: It means sound of battle

• Geirskogul: In the Norse mythology, the name meant spear bearer.