valkyria

Val*kyr"i*a, n. Etym: [Icel. valkyrja (akin to AS. wælcyrie); valr the slain + kjosa to choose. See Valhalla, and Choose.] (Scand. Myth.) Defn: One of the maidens of Odin, represented as awful and beautiful, who presided over battle and marked out those who were to be slain, and who also ministered at the feasts of heroes in Valhalla. [Written also Valkyr, and Walkyr.]

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