Einherjar

In Norse religion, the Einherjar (Old Norse "lone fighters"Orchard (1997:36).] ) are spirits of warriors who had died bravely in battle.

After they die, the valkyries, the battle maidens of Odin, escort half of the slain from the battlefield to Valhalla (these are the "einherjar"), which is part of Asgard (commonly described as the "Norse Heaven"); the other half went to Fólkvangr (Freyja's hall). The "Grímnismál" describes Valhalla as having five hundred and forty doors, and through each of them, eight hundred could march abreast (a hundred, "hundrað", in Old Norse could mean either 100 or 120), indicating the size of the hall and the numbers of the einherjar.

Every day the Einherjar are awakened by Gullinkambi, a rooster, and march out to the great field of Idavoll in the heart of Asgard to fight against each other in merry (and mortal) combat. At dusk, when they are all cut to pieces, save perchance a few, they are miraculously healed, and march back into Valhalla, where Andhrímnir, the cook of the gods, has prepared a meal for them from the beast Sæhrímnir and the mead milked from Heiðrún, a goat feeding on the leaves of the Læraðr tree. The einherjar then spend the evening and night in feast, served by lovely valkyries, until they all fall asleep, solidly drunk.

The einherjar will stand with the forces of the Æsir at Ragnarök, when Odin will call them up to fight the forces of Hel and the giants.

Popular culture

Einherjar continue to play some role in modern music. For example, Einherjer is the name of a Norwegian Viking metal band and is also a song by Slovenian Death metal band Sweet Sorrow. Many of the bands songs feature a Nordic theme or setting. Similarly, the music also calls on a number of other traditional Norse beings, including Odin.

Einherjar are also found, though relatively uncommonly, in modern literature. For example, the "Einheriar" is the wild hunt called up by Susan in book "The Moon of Gomrath" by Alan Garner. Its members form a part of "The Old Magic" called up to counter the forces of evil, but are based on Celtic rather than Norse mythology.

The concept of Einherjar play a number of roles in a variety of video games today, identifying primarily with the powerful conceptualization of Nordic warriors. Usually, the Einherjar play a relatively unimportant part in the game, acting as a part of the name of an item, vehicle, or location. However, on occasion, Einherjar play a prominent role, as in the 1999 Sony PlayStation video game "Valkyrie Profile" and its sequels. There, the player assumes the role of a Valkyrie and the plot centers on locating and recruiting Einherjar for the battle of Ragnarok. Other games use the concept to denote especially important characters, as in the Game Boy Advance title "Mega Man Zero 4", in which the eight bosses refer to themselves as the "Einherjar". These enemies are once fallen warriors resurrected by Dr. Weil, that possess great power and are difficult to defeat, similar in nature to the mythological Einherjar. In the game "Age Of Mythology", Einherjar are one of the myth units created in Norse temples, specifically giant warriors created by worshipers of Heimdal, and wield an axe in each hand and blow on horns to boost unit morale, thereby increasing their attack for a short duration of time. In "Dark Age of Camelot" the title Einherjar is given to high ranking players of the Midgard realm. In Final Fantasy XI, Einherjar is an optional battlefield system in the Treasures of Aht Urghan expansion, in which an alliance of 36 players can fight through nine chambers, each named after a valkyrie, with Odin being the final boss. Odin summons the valkyrie during his battle. The title granted upon his defeat is "Elite Einherjar."

Notes

References

*Orchard, Andy (1997). "Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend". Cassell. ISBN 0 304 34520 2