Valkyrie, Immortality, and Apples?

[Cadence]

Trying to think ahead for one of my #23 dungeon rooms coming up...

Are the Valkyrie said to be eternally young or do they age?
If they are eternally young, and Idunn providing apples to the gods is a thing, is that why? Or is there something else that would explain it?

 

[James Gasik]

Trying to think ahead for one of my #23 dungeon rooms coming up...

Are the Valkyrie said to be eternally young or do they age?
If they are eternally young, and Idunn providing apples to the gods is a thing, is that why? Or is there something else that would explain it?

The Völsunga states that Brunhild was a child and raised to be a Valkyrie, implying that Valkyries were mortal maidens. However while there's no indication of whether or not they age, they can go to Hel, as Brunhild does in the Helreið Brynhildar, after her death.

So they aren't immortal (as even the Aesir are not). So it seems likely that they either receive the apples of Idunn, or, they eventually are retired, to be replaced with younger maidens. While they are psychopomps, they are obviously not dead, like the souls they carry to Valhalla (who obviously do not age, since they are no longer alive).

 

[Cadence]

The Völsunga states that Brunhild was a child and raised to be a Valkyrie, implying that Valkyries were mortal maidens. However while there's no indication of whether or not they age, they can go to Hel, as Brunhild does in the Helreið Brynhildar, after her death.

So they aren't immortal (as even the Aesir are not). So it seems likely that they either receive the apples of Idunn, or, they eventually are retired, to be replaced with younger maidens. While they are psychopomps, they are obviously not dead, like the souls they carry to Valhalla (who obviously do not age, since they are no longer alive).

That helped, thanks!

It seemed close enough to go with:

D&D General - #Dungeon23

My group's January map, which is level 1 of our dungeon (all encounters are for level 1 characters). February will be level 2, for level 2 characters.

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