The Valkyries (“Choosers of the Slain”) are beautiful young women, mounted upon winged horses and armed with helmets and spears. Odin needs many brave warriors for the oncoming battle of Ragnarok, and the Valkyries scout the battlefields to choose the bravest of those who have been slain. They escort these heroes, called the Einherjar to Valhalla, Odin’s hall.
The Valkyries are also Odin’s messengers and when they ride forth on their errands, their armor causes the strange flickering light that is called “Aurora Borealis” (Northern Lights).