CHAPTER XXVIII. 



VALHOLL-VALHALLA. 



Influence of the belief in " the hall of the slain " A warrior's death a pass te 

 Valhalla Figurative offer of warriors to Odin Self-sacrifice to Odin 

 Entrance to Valhalla Food and drink in Valhalla Odin's welcome to 

 warriors. 



THE belief in a Valhalla (the hall of the slain) by the 

 ancestors of the English tribes was destined to exert a most 

 potent influence upon the future history of Europe. It made 

 the people of the North most powerful and skilled warriors ; it 

 infused into their minds an utter disregard of death, and led 

 them to accomplish great deeds of valour in their own and 

 distant lands. To fall gloriously on a battle-field was held to 

 assure a certain entry to Valhalla ; it was a sign of the favour 

 of Odin. This part of the Valhalla faith was so deeply rooted 

 in the minds of the people that it lasted to the very end of 

 the Pagan era, or about the 12th century. 



In G-rinismal, which gives a description of the home of some 

 of the gods and of the goddesses, Freya and Saga, we read : 



Glwlsheim l is the fifth called That hall is very 



Where the gleaming Easily known to those 



Valhalla stands ; Who come to Odin : 



There Hropt (Odin) chooses A wolf hangs 4 



Every day West of the door ; 



Weapon-dead men. 2 An eagle hovers above it. 



That hall is very 



Easily known to those Five hundred doors 



Who come to Odin ; And forty more 



The hall is roofed with shafts ; I think are in Valhalla ; 



It is thatched with shields ; Eight hundred Einherjar 5 



The benches are strewn with Go through a door at once 



l>rynja. s When they go to fight the wolf. 



1 Gladsheim = Home of the glad. | living or dead ; it may mean that the 



2 Men slam by weapons. | wolf is ready to pounce. 



3 Coats of mail or chain armour. 3 Odin's warriors. In Rno-uarok these 



The word in the text means " hangs," 

 and it is impossible to tell if the wolf is 



Einherjar fight with Odin against the 

 Fenri wolf. 



