The Valkyrie

The costume contains clear references to swans, something valkyries are mythologically connected to. According to Scandinavian magazine Scandification, the term “Swan-maiden” could be used in reference to valkyries - they often turned into swans so they could remain unnoticed (Shenoy 2023). Price is very upfront about how the swan connections are more rooted in mythology than historical accuracy. “The swan on her helmet is fantasy. It is invented because I don’t know what Valkyries’ helmets are like. But swans are associated with them, so that’s where that comes from.” (Price 2022).

Another key accessory the valkyrie wears is fillings in her teeth. Teeth modifications have been found on male skeletons in viking-age gravesites, specifically of those who were warriors and/or vikings. Price thought the teeth fillings would be a good way to express the valkyrie’s status as a warrior, while also separating her from the modern depictions of valkyries being hyper-feminine and sexualized (Price 2022). The valkyrie’s costume seems contradictory: she has long, flowing white hair and swan motifs, suggesting femininity. Yet she has masculine teeth fillings and an expression meant to induce terror. Similarly to the character of the He-Witch, Neil Price and Robert Eggers combine opposing forms of gender expression to create a character more authentic to the mythology of the Viking Age. This depiction of a valkyrie suggests Western ideas of masculinity and femininity are not mutually exclusive in Viking-Age culture. The valkyrie in The Northman is beautiful and she is terror-inducing.