Valkyrie
/valˈkɪəri
/ /ˈvalkɪri /noun Scandinavian Mythology
Each of Odin’s twelve handmaids who conducted the slain warriors of their choice from the battlefield to Valhalla.It was believed that when a Viking died in battle, a warrior maiden called a Valkyrie escorted him to Valhalla....
- Brynhild, a Valkyrie, disobeyed Odin and was put to sleep until she would be woken by a man.
- Perhaps the most widely known of legendary women warriors are the Greek Amazons and the Nordic Valkyries.
Origin
From Old Norse Valkyrja, literally 'chooser of the slain', from valr 'the slain' + kyrja 'chooser'.