Valkyries
Women a rather rare to hear about when it comes to mythology. Other than Greek mythology, that is. However, there is one female presence that will strike fear in the heart of men and that is the Valkyries. They are powerful beings who are adorned with swan feather, shields, and chainmail who are Odin’s prized warriors. They were the ones who decided the fate of fallen warriors. Only the most fierce and brave would be allowed to enter Valhalla and meet Odin. The rest were sent to Freya’s field, Folkvang.
Valkyries
Navigating Through Stones
This used to be just a myth, but since then it has been proven to be true. Viking sunstones baffled experts since their discovery. The Smithsonian reports that not until 1967 did anyone figure out the mystery. That year, Danish archaeologist Thorhild Ramskou thought of the idea that chunks of crystal found in Scandinavia could have been used to aid the Vikings in navigating during gray, cloudy days, at sea. So, in 2011, experts decided to put it to the test. They used a common crystal named Iceland Spar which was a type of calcite that might have been used by Vikings when at sea. When they held the transparent crystal up to the sky and rotated it, “the crystal polarized and depolarized light in a certain pattern which could reveal the position of the sun.”
Navigating Through Stones