Valkyrie — noun Etymology: German & Old Norse; German Walküre, from Old Norse valkyrja, literally, chooser of the slain; akin to Old English wælcyrige witch, Old Norse valr the slain, Old High German kiosan to choose more at choose Date: 1770 any of the… … New Collegiate Dictionary
Beowulf — This article is about the epic poem. For the character, see Beowulf (hero). For other uses, see Beowulf (disambiguation). Beowulf first page of Beowulf in Cotton Vitellius A. xv … Wikipedia
Elf — This article is about the mythical creature. For other uses, see Elf (disambiguation). An elf (plural elves) is a being of Germanic mythology. The elves were originally thought of as a race of divine beings (wights, vættir) endowed with magical… … Wikipedia
Midgard — For other uses, see Midgard (disambiguation). The runes a:miþkarþi for Old Norse à Miðgarði meaning in Midgard in Middle Earth , on the Fyrby Runestone (Sö 56) in Södermanland, Sweden. Midgard (an Anglicised[ … Wikipedia
Valkyrie — In Norse mythology the valkyries (Old Norse Valkyrja Choosers of the Slain ) are dísir , minor female deities, who served Odin. The valkyries purpose was to determine the victors of battles and wars, and to choose the most heroic of those who had … Wikipedia
Grendel — For other uses, see Grendel (disambiguation). An illustration of Grendel by J.R. Skelton from Stories of Beowulf. Grendel is described as Very terrible to look upon. Grendel is one of three antagonists, along with Grendel s mother and the dragon … Wikipedia
Jötunn — Frost Giant redirects here. For the music album, see Frost Giant (album). The jötnar Fafner and Fasolt seize Freyja in Arthur Rackham s illustration to Richard Wagner s Der Ring des Nibelungen. A jötunn (anglicized jotunn or jotun; … Wikipedia
Wyrd — For other uses, see Wyrd (disambiguation). Wyrd is a concept in Anglo Saxon culture roughly corresponding to fate or personal destiny. The word is ancestral to Modern English weird, which retains its original meaning only dialectally. The cognate … Wikipedia
Symbel — A drinking scene on an image stone from Gotland, in the Swedish Museum of National Antiquities in Stockholm. See Symbel (band) for the British band. Symbel (OE) and sumbl (ON) are Germanic terms for feast, banquet . Paul C. Bauschatz in 1976… … Wikipedia
Maypole — This article is about the tall wooden pole. For other uses, see Maypole (disambiguation). Dancing around the maypole, in Åmmeberg, Sweden A maypole is a tall wooden pole erected as a part of various European folk festivals, particularly on May… … Wikipedia