Ádísa

Ádísa, is a daughter of Freyja and a Valkyrje. She traveled far and wide before drawing the attention of a Persian king named Ahriman.The king commanded Ádísa to fight for him in his army, but she refused to be tied so. Furious, Ahriman sent his forces to subdue Ádísa and, while she was exceedingly powerful, even the Valkyrje couldn’t stand against such overwhelming forces. Unwilling to submit under any circumstances, Ádísa remained standing until a warrior slew her on the third day.

When Freyja came to take her daughter to Fólkvangr, Ádísa refused. She did not begrudge the warrior, since he had fairly bested her, but she loathed the king for his presumption and waging war against a single woman. Seeing her daughter’s distress, Freyja consented to hide Ádísa from the other gods for three nights, though not days, so she might seek her revenge.

The first night, Ahriman and his court fled from Ádísa in great carriages and ships. However, Ádísa’s mother had taught her daughter to speak with the animals of the earth when she was young, and they told Ádísa where the king had gone. The second night, even more fearful of Ádísa, Ahriman slew all animals around him so they could not betray him. But Ádísa wasn’t her mother’s little girl anymore; she was dead now and could speak to the spirits of animals. The third night, Ádísa arrived at Ahriman’s castle where the king had bricked up all doors and windows. Enraged by his cowardice, Ádísa tore the castle apart with her bare hands until she found the king. As she killed him, she took his name from him as punishment so he would wander forever lost in the afterlife.

When Freyja returned to take Ádísa with her, the Vakyrje still refused. Ádísa’s own vengeance was done, but other women had been wronged too, and she would support them. She gathered them under the name Ahrimanes, which was hers by right of conquest, as a reminder of her purpose. Ádísa has walked the night as their leader ever since.

Ádísa’s lineage has spread predominantly along the coasts of Scandinavia, Scotland, Ireland and, to a lesser extent, England and Normandy. An Ahrimane usually shares Ádísa’s willful independence, and while she acknowledges Freyja as her divine mother, she bows to neither god nor king. This attitude does not endear her with Europe’s Princes, but she rarely feels the need to be part of anyone’s territory anyway. She is passionate about everything she does, whether it’s simply enjoying the small pleasures of the open road or the merciless pursuit of vengeance.