While I respect the stories and the mythology behind the Norse Gods, I do have a question as to why the some warriors go to Fólkvangr and some are summoned to Valhalla. Does the difference in bravery during battle account for which a person goes to?
Also, while I understand Freya (Frig) is over Fólkvagner, can the spirits of the dead mingle between the two?
Any insight into this would be appreciated. Thank You. 
Freya chooses which go where and it may as well go down to “personality”. Some speculate that it may be gender split (I have only seen this on Reddit, so…). Truth is, we don’t really know from the surviving tales. They both go out to battle in Ragnarok, so I don’t personally see one as being more honorable than the other.
I’ve heard rumor that there were dozens of places one could go after death at one point, but I haven’t seen it anywhere I have access to. Maybe it’s in one of the several hundred dollar scholarly books I’d have a hard time justifying this early in my Norse practice.
I can say that I listen to a lot of Jackson Crawford, Freyja Norling, and Arith Harger , each for different reasons. Crawford’s an Old Norse scholar and does modern translations. Arith is an archaeologist and has a spiritual practice. Freyja is very eclectic, has a very different perspective (while also having knowledge of the Sami practices), and has a degree in Norse Mythology.
They cover this topic from their different perspectives, which is why I linked their channels. Some of them have numerous videos on the topic, which is why I didn’t just link a single video.
Happy consumption. Hope it helps.
Thank you for this insight. 
Wish I had more. There is a Dark Norse thread (here) you could probably find. I tried watching some of the videos, but iirc, I was looking for more foundational information, rather than mystical. I plan on hitting it up again in the future to see if it’ll help me at that time.
This is a roundabout way of answering your question; but I promise we’ll get there…
Germany, as we have known it in all it’s forms in the modern era, is an enforced political fiction. What it really was was an affiliation of culturally and linguistically distinct but related small nation (and indeed city) states held together by a convoluted political system called the Holy Roman Empire. Like how Greece as we know it today, emerged from the Athenian League; but calling a Prussian and a Bavarian both Germans, is kind of like called a Swede and a Dane both Scandinavians. It’s true, but it glosses over a lot of history and differences in culture and language.
When the Holy Roman Empire finally collapsed under the weight of its own history and Napoleon’s artillery, those Prussians (or, verdammt Prußians as Great-Grandad Max used to call them), had a glorious idea to get the band back together and so they created the German Empire. The problem was that a whole lot of ‘Germans’, including the Bavarians, Bohemians, and Austrians, we’re really not keen on the idea. So the Prussians did what the Prussians do and they annexed, invaded, and tried to wipe out the differences between those cultures. This went pretty well for them until someone lit a match and threw it in the gas can by assassinating the Arch-Duke of Austria-Hungary and… WW1, WW2, The Cold War, Reunification, Today.
So what am I driving at? Not everyone wants to go to Warrior Heaven. Some of us just want to have a little peace and gods-damned quiet in Helheim. Some of us might like to have the pastoral life with Freya. It’s not that any of these are the ‘good’ place and everywhere else is the ‘less good’ or even ‘bad’ place. That’s a Christian idea that got draped over the mythology.
Thanks for coming to my EDTalk.
Those aren’t even the only heavens.There are Andlangr and Vindblainn for example.
Many myths have different heavens or afterlives, albeit Valallah is said to be within Asgard, it is said that Odin gave Freya first pick of those that died in combat as a means of showing ‘friendliness’ to the Vanir after the Asgardian/Vanir war. Only after Freya has had her pick of warriors do Odin’s Valkyries come for the rest.
There’s also that in many myths there’s more than one afterlife deity, I dont think Norse would be any different.
@Eddie_Romanov - And this is why I like you, you make me think! I would be pleased to listen to any Ted Talk you give in the future! 
@anon48079295 - wasn’t Freya “married” to Odin? I’m not sure what the Vanir is, but will research this.
Hehe, no worries. I hear that’s how it has to happen anyhow 
They weren’t always married, if I remember correctly the marriage was pretty much political, atleast by text wise.
Frigg is married to Odin, not Freya. While the two Goddesses emerged from the same forerunner most recognize them as completely separate entities. And in my experience they are indeed very different as Goddesses.
Also, sometimes sources will say wife or husband when the more appropriate term we would use is lover or consort when detailing deity affairs.
Freya chooses based on certain personality and thinking traits. People who are keen of mind and can be cooler under pressure with a heart that doesn’t give up when it looks like it’s all about to end. And by that last part I mean what you are fighting for is about to end, not just your life, the purpose you have found for it, but you don’t give in.
Bookmarked.
Thank You! I will look into the Frigg/Freya thing.
