Valhalla was the Viking version of paradise for warriors. The Norse myths described it as an enormous hall ruled by Odin himself, located high up in the world of the gods. Vikings believed that warriors who died bravely in battle would be carried there by warrior spirits called Valkyries.
The hall was supposed to be incredibly grand. According to the legend, its roof was made of overlapping golden shields. It had 540 doors, and each door was wide enough that 800 warriors could march through it shoulder to shoulder. Inside, an endless feast was always going on.
But Valhalla was not just a giant party. The warriors had a job to do. Every day they would go outside and fight one another in huge practice battles, then heal up by evening and feast on roast boar and mead. They were training for Ragnarök, the final battle, when Odin would need every fighter he could get.
