The idea of an afterlife in Valhalla was a strong motivating force for the Vikings, especially before they went into battle, because only the fallen warriors that the god Odin deemed worthy and brave enough could reach Valhalla. This belief shaped the way Vikings lived their lives and honoured the fallen.
The powerful Norse god Odin ruled over Valhalla. He allowed only warriors who had died bravely to go there. Female spirits called Valkyries watched over battlefields.
According to the lore in Germanic heathenry, the ONLY way one may enter Valhalla is by dying in battle, actual combat and is chosen by Odin - not a battle with cancer or whatever modern day people may conceive of as a “battle”.
Not all Vikings went to Valhalla
It was thought that, "if you were a Viking woman, or died in bed of sickness, or if you died of old age, you were not going to Valhalla," says Larrington.
Do all soldiers go to Valhalla? Not all soldiers go to Valhalla in Norse mythology. Aside from the core requirement that a soldier must die in battle to go to Valhalla, only half of them are selected to join Odin. Specifically, only those deemed worthy by the Valkyries and the goddess Freyja make the cut.
Originating from Norse mythology, Til Valhalla is abbreviated from 'until Valhalla. ' It is said among service members to mean "until we meet again in Valhalla. No matter who or what you believe in – Until Valhalla is a sign of utmost respect and tells our Fallen that we will see them again one day."
Not just anyone could get into Valhalla. Odin had a strict admittance policy, allowing only the best and the bravest warriors into his kingdom. In the Prose Edda, Icelandic poet Snorri Sturluson tells us that a Viking could only make it to Valhalla if he died in battle.
It's revealed by Thor (Chris Hemsworth) that only those who die on the battlefield can go to Valhalla. As he stands over Sif, a fellow Asgardian warrior, he tells her that she must die...
Probably, like the dead of Valhalla, they were destined to fight alongside the Norse gods during Ragnarok. According to Norse mythology, Vikings that did not fall in battle would likely find themselves in Helheim, a world beneath Midgard in the cosmology of Norse mythology, ruled over by the goddess Hel.
Will I enter Valhalla, although I am not a warrior? Possibly. If you sacrifice, or sacrifice yourself to Óðinn, you might. There are a few tales of individuals being killed by Óðinn, at his behest, or being executed in his honor (generally by hanging), most likely because Óðinn wanted them in Vahalla.
Most people imagine this as some kind of 'Viking heaven', and honestly, that's a reasonable start. But Valhalla is so much more than simply a Viking heaven. Valhalla is a hall of the slain, this is true, but it's not simply a passive, eternal afterlife kinda deal.
In Norse mythology, the einherjar (singular einheri; literally "army of one", "those who fight alone") are those who have died in battle and are brought to Valhalla by valkyries.
The idea of an afterlife in Valhalla was a strong motivating force for the Vikings, especially before they went into battle, because only the fallen warriors that the god Odin deemed worthy and brave enough could reach Valhalla. This belief shaped the way Vikings lived their lives and honoured the fallen.
Valhalla is a mythical location in Norse mythology where Viking warriors killed in battle go into the afterlife. In other words, a warrior's heaven. Valhalla is located in a celestial realm called Asgard, where the Norse gods live. It is a place of near-perpetual food, drink, pleasure, and battle.
The Vikings never had gender distinctions on who entered Valhalla. The only criterion was bravery, and being killed in battle. The shield maidens of some stories would certainly make it into Valhalla, to feast with Odin and the Valkyries until Ragnarok.
Valhalla is a part of Asgardian mythology and legend. It is said that Asgard's warriors will, upon their deaths, be resurrected and brought to the halls of Valhalla, where they will live forever in paradise.
As he was glorified as a fearsome warrior, it is entirely believable that he would have gone to Valhalla after death. However, since neither Lothbrok nor Valhalla have been proven to exist, this is speculation.
After Frigga's death, Odin reached the end of his long life and joined his wife in Valhalla. Almost like an Obi-Wan, Odin continued to communicate with Thor through visions and guided him in defeating Hela.
As the Redditor notes, Love and Thunder goes out of its way to say that only those who are killed in battle or are Norse gods are welcomed into Valhalla. Loki fulfills both requirements. Not only is he canonically the Norse God of Mischief, but he also died fighting the Mad Titan himself.
While there is no character named "Love" raised by Thor in Marvel Comics, Thor does, in fact, have a daughter in an alternate reality with Lady Sif, though this child is named Torunn Thorsdóttir. Interestingly, Torunn translates to "Thor's love," so the name in Love & Thunder does have a connection to Marvel Comics.
Nevertheless, within the Scandinavian neo-pagan community, known as Ásatrú, there is a resurgence of interest in old Norse beliefs, including Valhalla. They interpret and honor these traditions in a contemporary context, often seeing Valhalla as a symbolic or spiritual concept rather than a literal afterlife.
Odin is the god of war and of the dead. He rules over Valhalla – “the hall of the slain”. All Vikings who died in battle belonged to him. They were collected by his female handmaidens, the valkyries. Odin was first and foremost worshipped by kings, warrior chieftains and their men.
Valhalla is presented primarily as an abode for deceased men, with the principal female figures being the valkyries who gather the fallen warriors on the battlefield and bring them to Odin's hall, where they pour mead for them. In Gisla saga, 'hel-shoes' are put on men's feet to allow them to walk to Valhalla.