| << tilbage | Why the name Rota? |
| Navn Eric Nielsen Dato 15 September 2002 Klokken: 11:31 richard[DOT]nielsen[A]worldnet[DOT]att[DOT]net |
Rota is the name of one of the Valkyries of Norse mythology. The Valkyries were the war maidens of the Norse war god Odin, who sends Valkyries out to every battle to chose which of the slain in battle are to to Valholl, the hall of the slain; these hand-picked of the slain warriors then participate in the final battle of the world at Ragnarok, as champions of the Norse gods. The word "valkyrjor," from which the term "Valkyrie" derives, roughly means "they who make the choice." The invidual names of at least 25 Valkyries are known to us. However, of these at least 25 Valkyries whose individual names are known, the Danish navy chose the name of only one, Rota, to name some of the Danish navy's combat warships - as opposed to non-combat, auxiliary naval vessels in the Danish navy. My question is this: For what specific reason, out of at least 25 Valkyries whose individual names are known to us, did the Danish navy single out the name of just one, Rota, to name some of the Danish navy's combat warships throughout history, starting with the first Danish warship to be named ROTA,the Danish 40-gun frigate built in 1801, and seized by Britain in 1807, after which the British retained the name ROTA when the British navy employed her operationally in British sea service. Another Danish frigate named ROTA (of 46 guns) was built in 1822, and a Danish attack submarine built in 1918 was named ROTA. Another question, possibly related to the foregoing, is: What does the name "Rota" actually mean? In this regard, the names of at least some of the other Valkyries, such as Gunn, Hild, Goendul, and Sloegul, are supposedly variations of the expressions for battle or the sound of battle. One of the general characteristics of Valkyries is that they control victory of the warriors engaged in battle - however, since all Valkyries do this, then why did the Danish navy single out Rota for special attention, by using Rota's name and not the name of any other Valkyrie to name Danish combat warships? One thing we know about Rota is that she rides out to battle with another Valkyrie, Gunn, and with a Norn called Skuld, to choose which warriors are to be slain in battle and to oversee the killing - however, this is supposedly the same role that all Valkyries perform. Therefore, the only thing this particular information tells us is the identity of those who accompany Rota in this undertaking, including the Norn called Skuld. Regarding the Norn called Skuld, there are only three Norns, and these are demi-goddesses of destiny, of both gods and men. It has also been suggested that Skuld, which means "necessity," is also the name of a Valkyrie. Does Rota have some special power that the other Valkyries do not have, such as the ability to choose which warriors who are engaged in battle whill not only be slain, but who will also be defeated? However, this power over individual warriors seems to be implied in the genral power of all Valkyries to control the outcome of a battle. The power to chose which of its opponents would be defeated in battle whould have particularly powerful significance in the naming of a warship designed for an attack role, or even a reconnaisannce role. Therefore, the name Rota, if we knew her distinguishig attributes, if any, would possibly confer a symbolic power on the warship so named, with the special ability to chose which of its opponents would be defeated. I would appreciate any explanation which any can provide, from either Danish naval records or from Norse mythology, or both, which would clarify why Rota's name, out of the known individual names of at least 25 Valkyries, was singled out by the Danish navy to name several Danish combat warships. - Eric Nielsen |
| Svar på emnet | |
| 27 August 2003 Klokken: 18:11 | |
| Svar fra: Kristoffer Mogensen kristoffermogensen[A]hotmail[DOT]com |
I have a vague recollection about Rota being believed (rightly or wrongly) to be the valkyrie with a special attachment to legendary king Rolf Krake. The story of the exploits and death of this king and his champions seems to have been a great hit with the early romantics in late 18th century Dk. with regards, Kristoffer Mogensen |