Valkyrie on horseback, figure / statue / sculpture, bronzed

The Valkyrie waits some distance away at the edge of the battlefield to guide the fallen heroes to Valhalla. Only those who die on the battlefield are chosen by the Valkyries. All others are awaited by the goddess Hel in the underworld after death.
Valkyria is the Old Norse word for Valkyries. Wal means "heap of slain" and kyria means "chosen one." These warrior women are both Odin's helpers and his daughters. They fulfill the Allfather's wishes, choose the warriors fallen in battle, and bring them to him. The Valkyries can also intervene in battles and determine fate. Their function is thus similar to that of the three Norns. It is believed that the youngest Norn, Skuld, was also a Valkyrie.
The warrior women, like the Einherjar, live in Valhalla. Their residence in Valhalla is Wingolf, the Hall of Friendship.
The Vikings saw the Northern Lights as a sign of the Valkyries' presence on Earth. They believed a great battle was being fought somewhere on Earth. The moon reflected the Valkyries' golden armor as they rode across the battlefield, choosing the Einherjar. This, in turn, conjured the Northern Lights in the sky.