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AvannaK — Astrid: Learning the Difference
Published: 2012-12-12 09:29:48 +0000 UTC; Views: 35033; Favourites: 312; Downloads: 293
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Description
Sometimes people call Astrid a Valkyrie and I'm like - I just want to point out the subtle differences between a "Shieldmaiden " and a Valkyrie ... But then I remember the Astrid I like to focus on isn't quite the same one everyone else does.I mean, if you're going by her purposeful design to be attractive and that yaknog incident, then sure. She's got all the makings of a Valkyrie. But if you're going by her prowess in battle and hard attitude then "Shieldmaiden" is more appropriate. I know it's not as pretty-a-sounding word, and now that she's decided to give up the fighting spirit to become a full time girlfriend, it doesn't really apply anymore...
I wrote this tiny story to help ease my mind into accepting her as a Valkyrie:
Astrid Hofferson used to be a shieldmaiden. Back when she was independant, badass, kickass, kissass --oh wait, she's still a bit of that... However things changed after the war. The Integration was rough for a young woman such as herself. She was trained to fight dragons, not people, and quickly found her hard-earned skills useless when their long-time enemies became allies. She grew less competent by the day, her competitive streak waning to the point where she didn't even care about her placement in the Thawfest games. And why should she? She had showy dragon and a sort-of boyfriend. She had to put her energy into supporting him now.
Still, a girl's gotta eat. After Snoggletog, Astrid realized her talents now rested in balancing jugs and mugs on a platter and forcing drinks down people's throats. She started working in the Meade Hall, serving the hardworking men of their village mead, ale... whatever drink they craved. She got to know the local warriors so well, in fact, that Stoick himself would ask her to hand-pick which ones should accompany him to battle.
Astrid continued working in the Mead Hall until she got pregnant with a dozen of Hiccup's spawns, some of which looked like Snotlout, some of which looked like Stoick, and spent the rest of her days living off her fading looks.
And that is the story of Astrid Hofferson, the Valkyrie.
THE END.
What do you think? Accurate? Best story you ever heard? I think so.
Astrid Hofferson © Dreamworks
Astrid the "Shieldmaiden" © Pre-Romantic Flight Astrid
Astrid the Valkyrie © Post-Romantic Flight Astrid
HI-larious award © ME
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Comments: 160
mmmm, no. I think Astrid will always be a fighter, if only when it is absolutely necessary. She would NEVER take a back seat to anything, even training dragons. Her competitive streak is as strong as ever, but instead of being better than Snotlout at dragon fighting, she wants to be better than Hiccup at dragon flying. Nope, Astrid is still Astrid, her focus has just shifted from single minded fighter, to part time lover and full time Hero keeper.
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Wait, what is the 'no' for? My story? You realize that was a joke, right? Though, also possibly accurate going by how Astrid is actually portrayed (in both the movie, the TV show, and by a scary percentage of the fans in this fandom). Everything you said could be true, is an admirable way of looking at things, but it's all a matter of what we want to see.
If it wasn't clear, this picture was me kind of poking fun at all the times I see Astrid called a 'Valkyrie' when it really only applies if you want to look at her mead-serving skills.
What I think people mean to call her is a shieldmaiden. But they don't. They call her a Valkyrie and it leaves me shaking my head so much my braids fall out.
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Well fair. Valkyires are an interesting thing because they are seen as both the beautiful warrior handmaidens of the gods but are also essentially serving girls to the dead. It's one of those weird Viking duel personalities that they are both scary warrior women and harbingers of the dead, but also bar maids XD
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Well, Valkyries don't really fight (though there are some depictions where they're used for battle), but they go into battle and handpick which human warriors will join Odin in Valhalla. As indicated with "She got to know the local warriors so well, in fact, that Stoick himself would ask her to hand-pick which ones should accompany him to battle. ". I should have anticipated that all my schemey cleverness would have gone completely under the radar here.
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lol I know, I just like making your life harder XD. I just don't really see Astrid being a bar maid because she's too busy training Stromfly to be the fastest Nadder in existence
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Until Berk goes through a particularly hard winter and find that Nadders taste a lot like chicken.
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why couldn't what she said was true? yeah the cartoon changed astrid- but that doesn't make her a weak pretty flower incapable of the fighting spirit of the first movie.
I just think it's unfair to jump to conclusions to what Astrid is going to become(or that she's ruined) when the second movie is not out yet and the show is not over.
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Wait, who are you talking to? (that's a 'he', just so you know
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