What are the female warriors who choose the slain for Valhalla?

The female warriors who choose the slain for Valhalla are the Valkyries. Their Old Norse name, valkyrja, is commonly translated as “chooser of the slain,” reflecting their battlefield role.

In the Prose Edda, Odin sends Valkyries to battles to decide which warriors will die and which side will win. They then guide selected dead warriors to Valhalla, Odin’s hall, where those fighters become the einherjar and prepare for Ragnarök. The sources also describe Valkyries serving drink in Valhalla, so they are not merely supernatural battlefield figures.

A common oversimplification is that every person who dies in battle goes to Valhalla. Norse tradition divides the slain: Freyja receives half in Fólkvangr, while Odin receives the other half. Valkyries also appear in older poems as armed riders, fate-linked figures, and even swan-maidens, showing that their mythology is broader than the popular image of winged warrior women.