Valkyrie, << val KIHR ee >>, was any of a group of warlike goddess-maidens in Teutonic mythology. Teutonic mythology includes the myths of Scandinavia and Germany. It is sometimes called Norse mythology. The Valkyries rode swift horses and were armed with spears, shields, and helmets. Odin, the chief god, sent the Valkyries to battlefields to retrieve fallen heroes. The Valkyries would lead the warriors to Asgard, the realm of the gods. There, the warriors would live on in Valhalla, a great hall dedicated to the glorious dead. By Odin’s command, the Valkyries could also decide the outcome of battle and choose who lived and who died. 
In some stories, a Valkyrie could love or even marry a human man. One example comes from the Volsunga Saga, a story written in Iceland in the 1100’s or 1200’s. In this story, the Valkyrie Brunhild is punished by Odin. He puts her into a magic sleep and surrounds her with a ring of fire. Brunhild is awakened and rescued by the hero Sigurd. They promise to love each other, but the story ends in tragedy when Sigurd marries the princess Gudrun. The German composer Richard Wagner built his 1856 opera The Valkyrie (Die Walküre) around this theme.
In Icelandic legends, some Valkyries had the duty of guarding a hero for his entire life. They would give him advice and provide him with weapons.
