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The Love of a Valkyrie

© Linda Casselman

Last time, we learned of the Valkyries who were Odin's fierce battle maidens. They rode the skies over battlefields to collect the brave dead warriors of Odin's choosing and take them up to Valhalla, Odin's Great Hall. We also discussed how these beautiful maidens came down to earth to bathe as swans - something that charmed and bewitched the ancient norsemen. This bewitched the men so much that they sought to take one of these lovely swan maidens as a bride, if they could only steal their downy plummage. But some fair valkyries did indeed fall in love quite willingly with mortal men, mortal heroes... And that is where I left you last time.

I promised that this week we would look into the love stories of two couples from Norse mythology, the love stories of two valkyries and their mortal lovers. And so we shall...

I present to you the tragic story of the valkyrie Brynhild and her hero Sigurd, and the tale of love between the valkyrie Gudrun and her lover Helgi.

Brynhild and Sigurd

Mighty Odin banished the beautiful valkyrie Brynhild to the earth for defying him by helping her half-brother Siegmund. There he condemned her to lie defenceless on a mountaintop. After some time, Odin's wrath softened so he cast a charmed sleep over Brynhild and encircled her with a protective fire. He decreed that the valkyrie Brynhild could only be saved from this fate by a brave mortal hero. And then came the brave mortal hero...

Sigurd climbed the mountain to find the beautiful maiden sleeping in a ring of fire. Struck by her beauty, he moved forth mysteriously protected from the flames and crossed the circle of fire to claim the fallen valkyrie. Sigurd broke the charmed sleep and he and Brynhild immediately fell deeply in love with each other.

The call of adventure came for Sigurd and before he left he gave Brynhild his treasured gold ring, Andvarinaut. But this ring carried a curse - a curse that would bring tragedy to the unsuspecting lovers.

While away on his journey Sigurd met Grimhild, the Queen of the Niebelungs, who was also a powerful sorceress. She gave Sigurd some magic mead to drink causing him to lose his memory and from this he forgot his love for Brynhild and married Grimhild's daughter, Gudrun. He then helped Gunner win Brynhild in marriage.

Upon learning of Sigurd's betrayal, Brynhild sought vengeance on him so she encouraged Gunner, who coveted Sigurd's treasure, to kill Sigurd. Sigurd recovered his memory and was soon overcome with grief and guilt for what he had done to his beloved Brynhild. But before he could go to her he was slain by Gunner. And when Brynhild learned of his death she killed herself in grief and despair and was laid to rest beside her hero Sigurd.