Valhalla
Valhalla is Odin’s hall in Asgard, where half of those killed in battle are chosen by the Valkyries to feast and prepare for Ragnarök.
Odin: Odin is a principal god in Norse mythology, associated with wisdom, war, poetry, and the dead. He rules Valhalla and receives the warriors chosen to dwell there.
Poetic Edda: The Poetic Edda is a collection of Old Norse mythological and heroic poems preserved in a medieval Icelandic manuscript. Its poems include early references to Valhalla and the einherjar.
Old Norse religion: Old Norse religion was the pre-Christian religious tradition practiced by Scandinavian peoples and their settlements. Valhalla belongs to its beliefs about gods, death, and the fate of warriors.
Hel (Norse mythology): Hel is both a realm of the dead in Norse mythology and the figure who presides over it. Unlike Valhalla’s battle-selected dead, Hel receives many who die from sickness or old age.
Asgard: Asgard is the realm of the Æsir, the principal group of gods in Norse mythology. Valhalla is a hall within this divine realm.
Prose Edda: The Prose Edda is a medieval Icelandic handbook of Norse mythology and poetry written by Snorri Sturluson. Snorri gives a detailed account of Valhalla and its role in Ragnarök.
Norse mythology: Norse mythology is the body of myths about gods, beings, and cosmic events preserved in medieval Scandinavian sources. Valhalla is one of its best-known mythic locations.
Elysium: Elysium is a blessed afterlife in ancient Greek tradition for favored or heroic dead. Both are elite afterlives, but Elysium is not a staging ground for Ragnarök.
Valkyrie: A Valkyrie is a female figure in Norse mythology who selects slain warriors and serves Odin. Valkyries bring chosen battle-dead to Odin’s hall.
Grímnismál: Grímnismál is a poem in the Poetic Edda in which Odin describes the worlds and halls of the gods. Its verses describe Valhalla’s structure, doors, and daily life.