Editing Valkyrie (section)

====''Helgakviða Hjörvarðssonar''====
[[File:ValkyrieOnHorse.jpg|thumb|''Valkyrie'' (1908) by [[Stephan Sinding]] located in [[Churchillparken|Churchill Park]] at [[Kastellet, Copenhagen|Kastellet]] in [[Copenhagen]], Denmark]]
In the poem ''[[Helgakviða Hjörvarðssonar]]'', a prose narrative says that an unnamed and silent young man, the son of the Norwegian King Hjörvarðr and Sigrlinn of Sváfaland, witnesses nine valkyries riding by while sitting atop a [[Tumulus#Scandinavia|burial mound]]. He finds one particularly striking; this valkyrie is detailed later in a prose narrative as [[Sváfa|Sváva]], King Eylimi's daughter, who "often protected him in battles". The valkyrie speaks to the unnamed man, and gives him the name ''[[Helge (name)|Helgi]]'' (meaning "the [[hallow|holy]] one"<ref name="ORCHARD81">Orchard (1997:81).</ref>). The previously silent Helgi speaks; he refers to the valkyrie as "bright-face lady", and asks her what gift he will receive with the [[Germanic name|name]] she has bestowed upon him, but he will not accept it if he cannot have her as well. The valkyrie tells him she knows of a hoard of swords in Sigarsholm, and that one of them is of particular importance, which she describes in detail.<ref name="LARRINGTON125">Larrington (1999:125).</ref> Further into the poem, Atli [[flyting|flytes]] with the female [[jötunn]] [[Hrímgerðr]]. While flyting with Atli, Hrímgerðr says that she had seen 27 valkyries around Helgi, yet one particularly fair valkyrie led the band:
{{poemquote|[[Numbers in Germanic paganism|Three times nine girls]], but one girl rode ahead,
white-skinned under her helmet;
the horses were trembling, from their manes
dew fell into the deep valleys,
hail in the high woods;
good fortune comes to men from there;
all that I saw was hateful to me.<ref name="LARRINGTON128">Larrington (1999:128).</ref>}}

After Hrímgerðr is turned to stone by the daylight, a prose narrative continues that Helgi, who is now king, goes to Sváva's father—King Eylimi—and asks for his daughter. Helgi and Sváva are betrothed and love one another dearly. Sváva stays at home with King Eylimi, and Helgi goes raiding, and to this the narrative adds that Sváva "was a valkyrie just as before".<ref name="LARRINGTON129">Larrington (1999:129).</ref> The poem continues, and, among various other events, Helgi dies from a wound received in battle. A narrative at the end of the poem says that Helgi and his valkyrie wife Sváva "are said to be reincarnated".<ref name="LARRINGTON130-131">Larrington (1999:130–131).</ref>