"Valkyries" by Delphine Gache

Digital painting on photoshop, 12 x 12 cm

This picture has been realised for a CD album. As its sound point it out, it represents Valkyries at Asgard's doors. For those who don't know northern myths, Valkyries are beautiful and powerful warriors. They are the guardians of Odin's kingdom and they are in charge to open the "paradise doors" to the proud warriors fallen on the battlefields. We often give them rather hard features and belligerent attitudes... For me, The Valkyrie is not that. It's first a goddess. I imagine completely the way the warriors of formerly had to see them. After all, it's them who came to look for them during their death. I don't think that these men imagined aggressive and spartan womens... At the opposite, it was a honnor to fall during the battles, the warriors went with peace in the soul, why, simply because they thought hardly that charming viking women, cute and pleasant will take them... (yes it's true, it's a little misogynist when we go in deep, but it was however definitely that, the idea !) That said, I conserved this "guardian" aspect of the Walkyries. Because in fact, they have when even one of the most important mission... Everybody is not autorised to enter in Asgard's Kingdom !