Abstract
The lecture focuses on the Valkyries, the female beings from Old Norse mythology, and the various ways in which they are portrayed in some of the works of British literature from the 19th century. It provides an introductory section in the form of an overview of trends in the reception of Old Norse literature and culture in 19th century British literature.
The next section of the lecture deals with three particular instances where Valkyries appear in 19th century British literary works: namely, in the poems "Valkyriur Song" by Felicia Hemans, "Balder Dead" by Matthew Arnold, and "The Story of Sigurd the Volsung and the Fall of the Niblungs" by William Morris. Various comparisons are then drawn between the three works, and the poems are juxtaposed with the general trends in the 19th century British society and culture as a whole to find out whether the portrayals of the Valkyries within the poems correspond with their authors' respective social and cultural stances and the general cultural climate of their eras.