Hildr

"Battle." The name of a valkyrie, mentioned in Völuspá and the Nafnaþulur. In the skaldic poem Darraðarljóð, she is one of twelve valkyries who weave and choose who is to be slain at the Battle of Clontarf (near Dublin; 1014 CE).

In Hjaðningavíg, the legend of Heðinn and Högni, she appears as the daughter of Högni and Hervor. She was abducted by prince Heðinn. Her father sailed after her and when he found her, she gave him a necklace on Heðinn's behalf, for reconciliation and peace, but Högni did not accept it. Thus began the famous battle which is called Hjadning's Strife. The kings fought all day but in the evening the combatants retired to their ships. At night, Hildr went out on the battlefield and revived the slain. The next day the kings went to the battlefield and fought, and so did those who had fallen the day before. Thus the fight went on one day after another: all who fell, and their weapons and their shields, were turned to stone; but when the new day dawned, up rose the dead men and fought, and their weapons were renewed. It is said in the songs that the fight shall continue until the time of Ragnarök.

The heroine Brynhildr identifies herself with Hildr in the poem Helreið Brynhildar, saying:

By all in Hlymdalir

I was called

Hild with the helm,

by all who knew me.

Bragi Bodasson called the shield "Wheel of Hildr," and the skald Grettír called it "Wall of Hildr" (see kennings).

❧