Valka
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Valka was the wise woman responsible for retaining the religious beliefs of the Raven Clan of Vikings at their new settlement of Ravensthorpe in England.
The daughter of the seeress Svala, she decorated her home with strings of bones and beads, and for a price, would concoct a mixture to drink that induced a hallucinatory state which sometimes sent the consumer to what was commonly accepted to be Asgard.
After years being settled in Ravensthorpe and after many interactions with the local Hidden One Hytham, Valka became an advisor to the bureau. She brought details of other associates and affiliates when she could. Through Hytham, she made the acquaintance of the Celtic witch-warrior Niamh of Argyll and helped her retain ownership of her clan's sacred artifact Excalibur through a deceptive charade that fooled even her jarlskona, Eivor Varinsdottir.[1]
Biography[edit | edit source]
Seeress of the Raven Clan[edit | edit source]
- "The gods favor you, Eivor. They always have. You will have your glory, and you will earn your place in Valhalla. But these portents carry a darker truth. The missing arm, the trail of blood, the beast. You will betray your brother, Sigurd. That is the meaning of your vision."
- ―Valka to Eivor on her visions, 872.[src]-[m]
Valka was born to Svala, a seeress of the Raven Clan who was secretly the reborn form of the Isu Freyja.[2] She eventually took over her mother's duties as the clan's seeress and lived in a house situated on the mountain near Fornburg. There, she would often receive visits from clan members to seek blessings and visions on numerous matters.[3]
In 872, Valka was visited by Eivor Varinsdottir, who had returned from her mission to hunt down Kjotve the Cruel. Eivor sought advice for her visions that she had received after recovering her father's axe, which Valka concluded to be a vision of Odin. She then proceeded to make a concoction to allow Eivor to tap into her visions. After Eivor awakened from her vision and informed Valka of what she experienced, the latter offered her explanation for the dream, concluding that Eivor would betray her brother Sigurd, a prophecy which Eivor refused to believe.[4]
Shortly after King Styrbjorn ceded his kingdom to King Harald Fairhair, a portion of the Raven Clan planned an exodus from Harald's kingdom. Valka was one of those who attended a secret meeting organized by Sigurd, who made the decision to move to England. While the members agreed to follow both Sigurd and Eivor, Valka chose to remain behind to take care of her ailing mother, wishing Eivor good luck on her journey and assuring her that they would meet again.[5]
Life in England[edit | edit source]
In 873, after Ravensthorpe was established, Valka came upon the docks of the settlement and was met by her friend Eivor. Valka was welcomed into the settlement as she met familiar and new faces within Ravensthorpe. Valka asked Eivor about her ongoing visions, to which Eivor admitted to having Odin consult her on occasions in her mind. Understanding, Valka offered her help to clarify the visions, to which Eivor agreed. Valka was then shown her tent as Eivor built her a new home in time, which became her hew residence.[6]
Once Eivor had gathered the necessary ingredients, Valka prepared a special concoction for her friend, which made Eivor dream of Asgard from the perspective of Odin. After Eivor awakened from her vision, she described it in detail to Valka, who remarked that Eivor's visions were unlike any she had encountered before and that she needed time to reflect on them and understand their meaning.[7]
In 874, amidst a celebration in Ravensthorpe, Valka met with one of Eivor's guests, the Viking warrior Geirmund Hel-hide, who was brought to her hut by the Hidden One Hytham. Geirmund sought Valka's help to determine the current status of his fate, and the pair used a Christian seax as a means of sacrifice to look into his future. After the ritual, Valka told Geirmund that betrayal and surrender still lay in his fate, but he had the means to overcome them. Geirmund then thanked Valka for her help and went to rejoin the feast.[8]
Later, Eivor gathered more plants to allow Valka to make her potion, so they could continue exploring the former's visions. This time, Eivor, as Odin, explored a representation of Jotunheim, where the Norse god sought to acquire a special mead that would allow him and his fellow Æsir to avert their fate during Ragnarök.[9] Valka concluded that Odin's tale served as a warning to Eivor and was somehow connected to her initial vision about her betrayal of Sigurd. She then cautioned Eivor not to follow the same path as Odin, which had led to his estrangement from Loki.[10]
In 878, before Eivor left Ravensthorpe to join the Great Heathen Army's army assault on Wessex, Valka stopped and warned her not to go, claiming that Eivor would be walking to her doom. When Eivor asked that she speak sense, Valka explained that, although Eivor and her allies would win the upcoming battle, they would ultimately lose the war. Eivor chose to go anyways, and the seer warned her to go with care.[11]
Eivor ultimately returned from Hamtunscire safely and, later that year, Ravensthorpe celebrated Gunnar and Brigid's wedding. Valka was present for the ceremony and subsequent festivities, where she briefly spoke to Eivor about the latter's visions, which the shieldmaiden claimed had lessened as of late.[12]
Meeting Niamh of Argyll[edit | edit source]
Circa 878, Valka visited Hytham and his fellow Hidden One Marcella in Lunden at their bureau, the Hawk's Nest. Valka talked with her allies about the current whereabouts of her jarlskona Eivor, until Hytham's new initiate, Niamh of Argyll, interrupted the conversation. Valka spoke to Niamh but their interaction grew tense due to uneasy prejudice from Niamh as well as a sense of distrust from Valka. Nevertheless, Valka saw her allies and Niamh head to rest after a day of work and Deoric's death.[13] The next day, Valka and Niamh talked with each other, despite the awkward tension between them. They conversed about tackling different religions and how they both remained steadfast in their own beliefs. However, Valka sensed Niamh was hiding her true intentions and wanted to delve deeper, until Hytham interrupted them.[14]
Valka soon grew worried as Hytham asked Niamh to accompany him on a mission. The seer warned Niamh that if Hytham was injured, she would blame her. Nevertheless, Valka saw Hytham and Niamh leave despite her warnings about Hytham's health.[14] Valka later returned to her settlement and, after a short amount of time, Niamh visited her unexpectedly. She asked Valka for her help in infiltrating the Order of the Ancients' nunnery, as the seer may provide medical aid. With no hesitance, Valka readied herself and both women traveled to the nunnery, which was heavily influenced by the Church's presence and the lack of paganism. The women were found by a girl, who initially attacked them but was calmed down by Niamh and told them of the Order's operations within the nunnery.[15]
Valka stayed outside with the young girl while Niamh entered the nunnery to find the kidnapped women held by the Order. Valka warned Niamh to leave, to no avail. The plan ultimately went awry as Valka helped a few women escape before leaving with Niamh and the young girl.[16] After Niamh departed for Lunden, Valka traveled with the young girl back to Ravensthorpe.[17]
Safeguarding Excalibur[edit | edit source]
After Niamh stole Excalibur from Eivor,[18] Valka was visited once again by Niamh,[19] who was worn and poisoned from her travels.[20] Valka attempted to attack Niamh but became reluctant to aid the apparent traitor. Yet, Valka heard Niamh's true intentions and how the sword was a holy artifact to her people, the Women of the Mist, like Mjölnir was to the Norse. Understanding, Valka began to heal Niamh, who rested from the medicine given to her. While Niamh slept, Valka contacted Hytham and asked him to meet with her about the current situation.[19]
The next day, Valka talked with Hytham and tried to explain why Niamh had stolen Excalibur, but the Hidden One remained furious. Their conversation was interrupted by Niamh, who warned them about the Descendants of the Round Table's incoming soldiers who had followed her. Niamh initially fought her assailants alone, until Valka and Hytham decided to join her and helped her defeat the soldiers. Afterwards, as Niamh and Hytham debated over her betrayal, Valka reminded them of the issue of Excalibur. She then offered a solution of a false blót, to sacrifice "Excalibur." Valka planned to make a false replica of the sword and burn it with Hytham's help, while Niamh would take the real Excalibur back to Avalon. After some thoughts, all three agreed with the plan.[21]
The following day, Valka showed Niamh the fake replica and instructed her to wear traditional Caledonian garments to make their performance seem real. Valka received a hug from Niamh as they prepared to fool the world.[22] Niamh was later seemingly chased by Hytham and Valka as they carried the fake replica. While Niamh left with the real Excalibur, Valka and Hytham headed towards the White Horse to commence their ceremony to melt the replica.[23]
As the ceremony was set by the Hidden Ones, Valka and Hytham garnered an audience, hoping to gain the Order's and the Descendants' attention. As she chanted to her gods, Valka began to burn the replica and received mixed reactions from the crowd. Immediately, a Descendant soldier tried to attack Valka, who readied herself as best she could. Thankfully, Valka was saved by Hytham, who quickly killed the soldier, and the replica completely melted. To all of England, Excalibur was now gone.[24]
Weeks later, Valka and Hytham were invited to Avalon to meet with The Lady and Niamh. There, the two learned that their spectacle had led to the downfall of the Descendants and had also caused the Order to lose interest in Excalibur, believing the sword to be destroyed. Valka and Hytham were then informed that Excalibur had "chosen" Niamh to be the next Lady of Avalon. Elated, the three shared a hug as they saw peace on the horizon and looked forward to a brighter future.[25]
Trouble on the Isle of Skye[edit | edit source]
One day, Valka was visited at her hut by a fellow seeress and old friend, Edyt, who had come from the Isle of Skye. Edyt wanted to speak to Eivor and, once the jarlskona arrived, Valka introduced her to Edyt. Valka then explained to Eivor what Edyt had told her: that the Isle of Skye was plagued by nightmares and that the plague may reach Ravensthorpe. In private, Valka also admitted that she had seen in her visions that Randvi was responsible for the plague, and that she and Eivor would fight before parting ways forever.[26]
Although Eivor was skeptical and refused to believe Randvi was involved, Valka warned her to investigate the plague and implored her to resolve the isle's situation. Eivor accepted and Valka departed, leaving the jarlskona alone with Edyt.[26]
Dawn of Ragnarök[edit | edit source]
When Eivor began to experience new visions of Odin during his time in Svartálfaheimr, she decided to again turn to Valka for help. After a conversation about the mythology behind Baldr and Frigg, who were present in Eivor's visions, Valka gave the jarlskona a potion and told her to go behind her hut. There, the seer performed a ritual on Eivor which transported her mind back to Svartálfaheimr.[27]
After Eivor awoke from her dream, she met with Valka again, who explained that in order to return to Svartálfaheimr and continue viewing her visions, Eivor had to overcome her own fear.[28] Southeast of the settlement, Eivor met with Valka at night, where the seer gave her a potion to drink before she proceeded to bind her friend. Eivor was then forced to fight imaginary wolves before falling unconscious and returning to her visions as Odin.[29]
Eivor's departure[edit | edit source]
- Eivor: "Do you remember my first visions? Before we came to England... Odin and Sigurd, the wolf, the Nornir?"
- Valka: "Yes. They prophesized so much that came to pass."
- Eivor: "They were not prophecies, Valka. They were memories. My own. Or, not my own. But lent to me by another. One who lives within me. My second hugr."
- —Eivor trying to explain her visions to Valka, c. 889.[src]-[m]
By 889, after years as her clan's jarlskona, Eivor had decided it was time to move on. By now fully aware of her connection with Odin, in part thanks to Valka's help, she decided to embrace this second side of herself and learn from it, but chose to do so away from her people, convinced they would not understand. After letting her clan know about her plans to leave to a far away land, Eivor began to prepare for her departure, intending to leave at night, when everyone was asleep. As she was making the final preparations, she was confronted by Valka, who still did not understand why Eivor was leaving.[30]
After revealing that the visions she had experienced were in fact memories, Eivor explained how she originally thought that there were only two ways to confront them, to accept or deny them, but now she had found a third way of learning from them, which she needed to do far away from home. Valka still did not fully understand but thanked Eivor for trusting her with this information, and the two hugged one last time before Eivor boarded her rowboat and left Ravensthorpe for good.[30]
Gallery[edit | edit source]
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Concept art of Valka -
Concept art of Valka's alternate robes -
Concept art of Valka's alternate robes -
Concept art of Valka's alternate robes -
Promotional Art -
Close-up of Valka -
Concept model of Valka in Rebellion -
Valka as she appears in Rebellion -
Valka's avatar in Rebellion's character menu
Behind the scenes[edit | edit source]
Valka is a character introduced in Assassin's Creed: Valhalla where she is voiced by Svandis Dora Einarsdottir. Her name, "Valka", is an Old Norse diminutive name meaning "strength, health", derived from "Valgerðr", meaning "to be guarded".
She was later added to the mobile game Assassin's Creed: Rebellion as a rare healer.
Appearances[edit | edit source]
- Assassin's Creed: Valhalla (first appearance)
- Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Geirmund's Saga
- Assassin's Creed: Rebellion
- Discovery Tour: Viking Age
- Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Sword of the White Horse
- The World of Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Journey to the North – Logs and Files of a Hidden One (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed Roleplaying Game
References[edit | edit source]
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de:Valka es:Valka fr:Valka it:Valka pt-br:Valka ru:Валка zh:瓦尔卡