Wikipedia:Peer review/List of valkyrie names in Norse mythology/archive1

List of valkyrie names in Norse mythology

• A script has been used to generate a semi-automated review of the article for issues relating to grammar and house style; it can be found on the automated peer review page for January 2009.

This peer review discussion has been closed.
I've listed this article for peer review because I intend to bring it up to Featured List status. I've never attempted a Featured List, so I thought I'd start here. Bringing my attention to any problems or inconsistencies would be helpful. Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Thanks! :bloodofox: (talk) 23:43, 24 January 2009 (UTC)

Otto4711 comments

Just a few small things:

• Artist in the picture is a redlink. Can you either put together a brief article or find an image by an artist with an existing article? Whatever image remains, a more descriptive caption would be good. Maybe an image of a specific identified valkyrie or valkyries including their names?
• I'm unclear from the lead what it means to be attested as a valkyrie. I'm assuming that you mean "work includes such-and-such valkyrie who is named Foo" or something similar (and more coherent) but "attest" means "to declare to be true, correct or genuine" and since we are talking about creatures of myth they are by definition not truly or genuinely valkyries. Similar concern with the section header "Attested valkyries" and column heading "Attestations"; maybe simply "Named valkyries" and "Source work" or "Source"?
• "In addition, some valkyrie names appear solely outside of these lists" is a bit over-written. Maybe something simpler like "Other valkyrie names appear solely outside these lists"?
• "Some scholars" in the lede is a bit WP:WEASELly.
• "...has been theorized as pointing..." → ..."may point..."
• I wonder if the lede might benefit from a few words of explanation of some of the Norse terms. "...the deceased warriors become einherjar." And what are they? I realize it's linked but a few words of explanation would suffice to clarify. Same with Ragnarok and skalds.
• Poetic Edda is mentioned in the second attestation cell but is unlinked and not explained.
• ""The one charging forth with the spear" has been proposed." needs a source and is also a bit weaselly.
• "possibly Gesta Danorum". Either it is in the work or it isn't, or if there's ambiguity based on spelling or something it needs to be explained and sourced.
• Any more images that could be scattered about?

Mostly nit-picky stuff I realize. Otherwise looks solid. Otto4711 (talk) 21:14, 27 January 2009 (UTC)

Thanks for taking the time to look over this article! I've made some corrections based off of your recommendations. A few things:

1. In this case, 'attestation' means "to bear witness; give testimony." In other words, sources say they're valkyries, therefore they are attested in those sources. Reading valkyrie, another article that I've written, may help clarify some things up here. This list is a spin off of that article.
2. The einherjar are, well, deceased warriors. The description there is actually pretty detailed: they are warriors who have died that are taken to Valhalla by valkyries where they will assist Odin at Ragnarök. Right now it basically says it all. Ragnarök is pretty difficult to describe as anything but Ragnarök, and I think the most accurate thing to do here is just to say "the events of Ragnarök." It's not an apocalypse, nor is it doomsday. It's a rebirth yet a continuation, and it encompasses several major events—it is unclear exactly where one should define where it begins and where it ends during those events and many inevitable questions it raises are unaddressed in the source material. With this in mind, leaving it as "the events of Ragnarök" with a link to Ragnarök seems to be the most accurate way of handling this.
3. As for Róta, you may want to see Róta#Gesta_Danorum as for why she may or may not be attested there. Since I've changed the list requirements, this is no longer and issue and I've removed the mention.
4. We could probably get some more images in there; I am just not sure about how to go about this exactly. I'll take a look at some other lists and see if I can figure it out. If you want to fiddle with the code a bit, you are welcome to.

Further suggestions are welcome! :bloodofox: (talk) 09:00, 28 January 2009 (UTC)

Following comments by Holt (talk · contribs):

• Nafnaþulur is an important source for valkyrie names. The specifications "long", "longer" and "both" should be explained, either here in this article, or in the Nafnaþulur one.

• This sentence:

In addition, some valkyrie names have been theorized as connected to other the names of earlier attested goddesses (such as the valkyrie name Herja and the goddess Hariasa, the latter attested from a stone from 187 CE), potentially pointing to the ability of the valkyries to place fetters (such as Herfjötur), or as being descriptive of the influence the valkyries have over wyrd or ørlog—a Germanic concept of fate (such as the valkyries Skuld and Svipul).

...is incredibly long, and hard to keep up with. Should be split into two, and the last part "such as the valkyries Skuld and Svipul" could be more seamlessly merged into another sentence.

• "Old Norse sources provide several lists that contain numerous valkyrie names." –Which?

Thanks for the feedback! I believe I've taken care of these concerns now. You are welcome to give any further suggestions. :bloodofox: (talk) 00:25, 27 January 2009 (UTC)

Great, it looks better now. –Holt T•C 00:27, 27 January 2009 (UTC)