Fólkvangr
In the poem Grímnismál, Odin disguised as Grímnir speaks to a young man named Agnar about the afterlife. He declares that Fólkvangr is the ninth hall where Freyja directs the sittings of the dead. The text states she chooses half of the fallen each day while Odin receives the other half. This stanza appears in collections from the 13th century known as the Poetic Edda. Another account comes from chapter 24 of the Prose Edda book Gylfaginning written by Snorri Sturluson. High tells Gangleri that Freyja has a dwelling called Fólkvangr in the heavens. Whenever she rides into battle she takes half of the slain and Odin takes the rest. The description includes her hall Sessrúmnir located within this field.
John Lindow suggests the Fólk element means army making Fólkvangr an alternative to Valhalla for warriors. Rudolf Simek theorizes the name is not much older than the Grímnismál poem itself yet adds details about Sessrúmnir. Hilda Ellis Davidson notes that Valhalla plays a large part in images of warfare but Fólkvangr has been lost to history. Britt-Mari Näsström interprets the field as the field of Warriors receiving heroes respectfully like Óðinn does. She asks why there are two heroic paradises in the Old Norse view of afterlife. One possibility involves different forms of initiation where one part belonged to Óðinn and another to Freyja. Siegfried Andres Dobat comments that Freyja emerges as the mythological role model for Valkyrjar and dísir.
A 2012 paper by Joseph S. Hopkins and Haukur Þorgeirsson proposes a connection between Fólkvangr and stone ships found throughout Scandinavia. They suggest Sessrúmnir was conceived of both as a ship and an afterlife location within Fólkvangr. The idea of a ship in a field resembles actual burial customs involving stone ships. Evidence from the pre-Christian period may support positions arguing for a connection between a Vanir goddess and the Isis of the Suebi. Tacitus's Germania associates this figure with ship symbolism. Afterlife beliefs involving strong nautical elements have been identified in numerous Indo-European cultures alongside separate afterlife fields.
Early in the 20th century Karl Ernst Osthaus developed the Folkwang-Gedanke or Folkwang-Konzept. This concept proposed that art and life can be reconciled through cultural institutions bearing the name Folkwang. The Museum Folkwang in Essen opened its doors in 1902 to display these ideas. A publishing house named Folkwang-Verlag was founded in 1919 to spread the philosophy further. Later organizations included the Folkwang Kammerorchester Essen established in 1958. The Folkwang-Musikschule in Essen followed in 1974 focusing on music education. The Folkwang University of the Arts now focuses on music theater dance design and academic studies.
Hopkins and Haukur propose a connection between Fólkvangr and various Germanic words referring to the afterlife. These terms contain extensions of Proto-Germanic *wangaz including Old English Neorxnawang. This potentially points to an early Germanic concept of the field of the dead. Other texts mention Þrúðvangr as the field of the god Thor. Njáls saga contains Valfreyja as a kenning meaning lady of the slain or Freyja of the slain. Egils Saga features a world-weary female character who declares she will never taste food again until she dines with Freyja. This suggests her abode is open for women who have suffered a noble death.
Common questions
What is Fólkvangr in Norse mythology?
Fólkvangr is the ninth hall where Freyja directs the sittings of the dead. She chooses half of the fallen each day while Odin receives the other half.
Who wrote about Fólkvangr in the 13th century Poetic Edda?
The poem Grímnismál describes Fólkvangr as a place where Freyja directs the sittings of the dead. This stanza appears in collections from the 13th century known as the Poetic Edda.
Where is Sessrúmnir located according to Snorri Sturluson?
Sessrúmnir is her hall located within the field of Fólkvangr. High tells Gangleri that Freyja has this dwelling called Fólkvangr in the heavens.
When did the Museum Folkwang open its doors in Essen?
The Museum Folkwang opened its doors in 1902 to display ideas proposed by Karl Ernst Osthaus. A publishing house named Folkwang-Verlag was founded in 1919 to spread the philosophy further.
What connection does Joseph S. Hopkins propose between Fólkvangr and stone ships?
A 2012 paper by Joseph S. Hopkins and Haukur Þorgeirsson proposes a connection between Fólkvangr and stone ships found throughout Scandinavia. They suggest Sessrúmnir was conceived of both as a ship and an afterlife location within Fólkvangr.
All sources
1 references cited across the entry
- 1webHistory - Museum FolkwangBOROS.INTERAKTIV GmbH