Valhalla
/vælˈhæl.ə/noun
In Norse mythology, the hall where slain warriors are received by Odin.
Did you know?The name comes from Old Norse Valhöll, where valr means “the slain” and höll means “hall,” making it a mythic destination built from the language of battle and death.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*walaz
“the slain, the dead on the battlefield”
Old Norse
ON
valr
“the slain in battle”
Old Norse
ON
Valhöll
“hall of the slain”
Late Old Norse / Medieval Scandinavian
ON
Valhalla
“a variant form of the mythic hall of Odin”
Modern English
English
Valhalla
“the Norse hall of the slain; by extension, a glorious afterlife or place of honor for the dead”