Valhalla: Propaganda to Manipulate the Minds of Viking Warriors? 3-Minute History - Valhalla, meaning the hall of slain warriors, is one of the most famous depictions of the afterlife in history. For Vikings, Valhalla was paradise, taking the form of a great hall of warriors led by Odin, the Norse god of war and poetry. For those warriors valiant enough to be accepted into Valhalla, it was a magical place where they could feast and fight until Ragnarök (or Doomsday) came, when they would leave the great hall and fight with Odin against giants and demons…
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In-between the battlefield and reaching Valhalla however, were the Valkyries, supernatural female beings who decided who died in battle, and subsequently, which warriors would be taken to Valhalla. The fact that Valkyries were often depicted as being female speaks to a crucial question: was the mythology taught to Viking warriors merely a way for Viking rulers to produce brave fighters who had no fear of death?
For young, aggressive men, the idea of female, goddess-like creatures selecting the most valiant warriors was an attractive one, and an effective way for the elite to produce a strong warrior culture and expand their power (Bensel 2008: 386). In fact, some Viking kings reportedly paid poets to promote the warrior mentality and the glory of dying bravely in battle.
The strategy of using poets to glamorize the afterlife for warriors was not invented by the Vikings however. The ancient Greek philosopher, Plato, even discussed this in his book, The Republic, written around 2,400 years ago. Plato writes that in order to produce brave men who do not fear death, poets should be controlled and asked to “stop giving their present gloomy account of the afterlife, which is both untrue and unsuitable to produce a fighting spirit, and make them speak more favourably of it” (Plato 2007: 77).
The promotion of Valhalla and other aspects of Norse mythology in Viking culture can be seen, in part, as a way to make death more desirable than tragic.
Sources:
Augustyn, A. and the Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. Valhalla https://www.britannica.com/topic/Valhalla-Norse-mythology
BBC. How do you get to Viking Valhalla? https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/how-do-you-get-to-viking-valhalla/z7s747h
Bensel, R. (2008). Valor and Valkyries: Why the State Needs Valhalla. Polity, 40(3), 386-393.
Friðriksdóttir, J. K. (20 April, 2020) The Rise of the Valkyries, History Today https://www.historytoday.com/miscellanies/rise-valkyries
Plato - Lee, D. & Lane, M. (2007) The Republic (London: Penguin Group) - (p.76-77).
Sedgwick, M. (4 Feb. 2015) From Thor to Odin: a guide to the Norse gods, The Guardian - https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/04/thor-odin-norse-gods-guide-iceland-temple-vikings-deities
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, Ragnarök https://www.britannica.com/event/Ragnarok
