I have a date with a Valkyrie, but not yet
Valkyrie are winged creatures which gather the worthy slain on a battlefield for Odin. They take their souls to Valhalla to feast and fight and wait for Ragnarok when Odin will call them to fight for him. This is a belief of the vikings which is still held by members of the Heathen community.
The parallels between the warrior culture of both Japanese and Vikings are many. Japanese Samurai sought a worthy death in battle. To die old and in your bed was a disgrace. Conversely, they didn't look for death but fought and trained hard to always be victorious.
The vikings similarly fought with skill and determination, yet death was an accepted part of that life.
The presence of death in each case brought a culture of revering life. To truly live each day as if it were your last, creates a culture of seeing beauty in seemingly mundane things.
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