 In stanza 30 of the poem Völuspá , a völva ( a travelling seeress in Germanic society ) tells Odin that " she saw " valkyries coming from far away who are ready to ride to " the realm of the gods " . The völva follows this with a list of six valkyries : Skuld ( Old Norse , possibly " debt " or " future " ) who " bore a shield " , Skögul ( " shaker " ) , Gunnr ( " war " ) , Hildr ( " battle " ) , Göndul ( " wand @-@ wielder " ) and Geirskögul ( " Spear @-@ Skögul " ) . Afterwards , the völva tells him she has listed the " ladies of the War Lord , ready to ride , valkyries , over the earth " . 
