50 Fun Facts About Valhalla

Which god presides over Valhalla?

The hall stands in Asgard and receives those slain in combat.

What does the Old Norse Valhǫll literally mean?

Some researchers argue the second element originally meant rock, making it a rock of the slain.

What are the warriors who dwell in Valhalla called?

They will march out to fight for Odin against the jötnar at Ragnarök.

What does the word valkyrie mean?

They guide the souls of the dead to Odin's hall.

Which goddess claims half of those who die in combat, the other half going to Odin?

Her hall there is called Sessrúmnir.

What is the name of the goddess of love and war's field of the dead?

In Egil's Saga a world-weary woman vows not to eat until she dines with the goddess.

In which realm does Odin, as Grímnir, say Valhalla stands?

He describes it as shining and golden, rising peacefully when seen from afar.

What serve as the rafters of Valhalla in Grímnismál?

The roof is thatched with shields and coats of mail lie over the benches.

What hangs in front of Valhalla's west doors?

An eagle hovers above the hall.

Which beast, cooked every day, is whole again each night to feed the hall's warriors?

The Prose Edda calls it a boar.

Who is the cook of the gods who prepares the boar each day?

He uses the cauldron Eldhrímnir, whose name is interpreted as fire-sooty.

From what does the mead drunk in Valhalla flow?

She feeds on the leaves of the famous tree Læraðr and fills a vat big enough for all.

Which stag stands atop Valhalla chewing the branches of Læraðr?

Odin himself needs no food and gives his share to the wolves Geri and Freki.

What does Odin consume in Valhalla instead of food?

He gives his food to his wolves Geri and Freki.

What are those killed in battle described as being to Odin in the Prose Edda?

Chapter 20 says he mans Valhalla with them.

What tree stands in front of the doors of Valhalla, according to Skáldskaparmál?

The 9th-century skald Bragi Boddason confirms the description.

Which jötunn ends up at the doors of Valhalla while chasing Odin on Sleipnir?

The gods tire of his boasting and summon Thor, who kills him in a duel.

How many realms could a soul travel to after death, according to the Valhalla article?

The love goddess's field, Hel, Rán's realm, the burial mound and Valhalla.

Which hero, in Helgakviða Hundingsbana II, makes his old enemy Hunding do menial chores in Valhalla?

Hunding must fetch foot-baths, kindle fire, tie dogs and feed pigs.

Which 10th-century poem describes Eric Bloodaxe arriving in Valhalla?

Queen Gunnhild had it composed after her husband's death.

Which two heroes does Odin tell to rise and greet Eric Bloodaxe in the poem about his arrival?

Bragi hears the benches creaking as if Baldr had returned.

Which Norwegian king's reception in Valhalla is the subject of Hákonarmál?

Eyvindr skáldaspillir cast the Christian king as a friend of the pagan gods.

Where was Eric Bloodaxe killed in 954, according to Roger of Wendover?

He had twice been King of Northumbria.

Who wrote the Prose Edda, a key source for Valhalla?

He also wrote Heimskringla and was twice lawspeaker of the Althing.

How did the Prose Edda's author die in 1241?

He had been raised at Oddi by a relative of the Norwegian royal family.

Which Prose Edda book first mentions Valhalla, in a euhemerised form?

King Gylfi visits Asgard disguised as an old man called Gangleri.

At Ragnarök, which wolf swallows Odin whole?

His son avenges him by tearing the wolf's jaws apart.

Who avenges Odin at Ragnarök?

He rends the wolf's jaws apart and stabs its heart.

Which two humans survive Ragnarök to repopulate the world?

The world rises again, cleansed and fertile.

What are Odin's two ravens called?

Geri and Freki are his wolves.

What did Odin sacrifice for wisdom?

He is often depicted as long-bearded and one-eyed.

Which day of the week takes its name from Odin?

Old Norse Óðinsdagr survives in Dutch woensdag.

What spelling did Wagner invent for Odin in his Ring cycle?

It combines Old High German Wuotan with Low German Wodan.

In Wagner's Ring, which giants build Valhalla for the gods?

The chief god hands them the stolen ring in payment.

How does Valhalla end in Wagner's Götterdämmerung?

The Norns foresee the burning at the start of the opera.

Which Bavarian ruler conceived the Walhalla memorial above the Danube in 1807?

Leo von Klenze built it between 1830 and 1842.

Which Athenian building was the Walhalla memorial near Regensburg modelled on?

It holds about 130 busts and 65 plaques covering 2,000 years.

Who is the first figure honoured in the Walhalla memorial, chronologically?

He beat the Romans in the Teutoburg Forest in AD 9.

Who is the player character in Assassin's Creed Valhalla?

The Viking raider tries to establish a clan in England.

In which year was Assassin's Creed Valhalla released?

Ubisoft Montreal led three years of development with fourteen other studios.

Valhalla, New York, is best known for a cemetery holding which Yankees star?

Kensico Cemetery also holds Sergei Rachmaninoff and Ayn Rand.

In which New York county is the hamlet of Valhalla?

It got its name because a station called Kensico clashed with a nearby post office.

Vikings: Valhalla, the Netflix sequel to Vikings, is set how long after the original?

Its first season premiered on 25 February 2022.

Which modern language renders the name as Valhal?

Icelandic keeps Valhöll, Faroese has Valhøll and Swedish and Norwegian use Valhall.

The Old Norse element 'hǫll' in Valhǫll originally referred to what, rather than a hall?

Philologists argue the name was first understood as the 'rock of the slain'; the spelling Valhalla arose from an attempt to clarify the word's gender.

According to Grímnismál, what is Valhalla's roof thatched with?

Coats of mail are strewn over its benches and an eagle hovers above the hall.

In Gylfaginning, what is the man in Valhalla's doorway doing when Gangleri arrives?

The Æsir had prepared grand illusions for the visitor, including a hall so tall he could barely see over it.

When Ægir visits the gods in Skáldskaparmál, what serves as the only light while they drink?

The gods feast on plenty of strong mead, and chapter 33 confirms the setting is Valhalla.

In Old Norse sources, what is the only means of transport mentioned for reaching Valhalla?

Skallagrímr in Egils saga is buried with his horse, weapons and smith's tools, and Harald Wartooth with a horse and wagon.

Which 2015 film's War Boys believe a heroic death for Immortan Joe will carry them to Valhalla?

Marvel's Thor films also invoke Valhalla, with Jane Foster welcomed there by Heimdall in a 2022 post-credits scene.