Hrist: The Shaker

Among the Valkyries, there is one whose name strikes like thunder: Hrist, “the Shaker.” She is not the calm hand that soothes, nor the gentle whisper that comforts. Hrist is the tremor that moves through marrow, the jolt that stirs warriors from slumber, the force that drives the blood to rise.

Her name translates to “the shaker” or “the quaking one.” This could point to the shaking of spears in battle, the tremble of fear she inspires, or the inner stirring she awakens in those chosen by the Valkyries.

Stanza 36 of Grímnismál names Hrist among the Valkyries who serve ale to the einherjar in Valhöll:

Hrist and Mist bear the horn,

Skeggjöld and Skögul,

Hildr and Þrúðr, Hlökk and Herfjötur,

Göll and Geirahöð,

Randgríðr and Ráðgríðr,

and Reginleif

all bear ale to the einherjar.”

Hrist is mentioned again as one of the Valkyries preparing to greet the slain King Eirikr into Valhöll, in Eiríksmál (The Lay of Eirikr) from Skaldic Poetry.

The Valkyries are choosers of the slain, but they are also awakeners of the living. Hrist embodies this awakening. She shakes loose what is stagnant -- fear, hesitation, weariness -- and demands courage where there is none.

You'll notice with each article about each Valkyrie, that they connect with what is going on around us. These articles are meant for us to dig deeper, to connect, to reflect and channel our own strengths.

Calling upon any divine being should always be done with caution. That said, to call upon Hrist is to welcome disruption. Her presence unsettles what has grown complacent. Like the crack of a drum at dawn, she rouses us to action. She is the battle-cry that breaks silence, the heartbeat quickened before the charge.

Hrist does not ask for comfort. She demands readiness. She does not leave things as they are. She sets them in motion.

For those of us on this path, Hrist is a reminder that life itself is struggle and motion. Growth does not come from stillness but from the stirring, the shaking, the willingness to move even when the ground trembles. This year has been and will continue to be a shaker, so when it gets overwhelming, remember we are made for this. We have help.

So when fear or doubt freezes you, whisper her name and let the tremor rise. In times of stagnation, call on her to shake your spirit awake. Stand firm in change, see the quake not as collapse, but as new ground being broken. We will be breaking new ground!!

Hrist teaches that the soul must be shaken before it can be sharpened. Right now we are all being shaken. To rise as a warrior, of blood, of spirit, of will, you must first be stirred by her power.

Think about what has been shaken up in our world.

By Harvala Heathor