‘Lo, there do I see my father.
‘Lo, there do I see My mother, and my sisters, and my brothers.
‘Lo, there do I see The line of my people...
Back to the beginning.
‘Lo, they do call to me.
They bid me take my place among them.
In the halls of Valhalla...
Where the brave...
May live...
...forever.
How far the once mighty and feared have fallen
I have been to Walhalla, the German version named for Valhalla of Norse mythology. Walhalla was built during 1830 and 1842. I'll tell you about this German version as it is the exact opposite of Hitler's regime and I'm surprised he didn't level it to the ground.
First, you aren't getting there unless you can walk up a very long hill. The Danube River runs at the bottom of the hill. I think struggling to get to the top is part of the mystique - suffer for a time until you get there. Above you on the hill you can see the white stone base and columns.
The day I went was only for the determined. It rained as we walked up part of the hill, then it hailed on us for the next part of the hill, then it snowed on us until we got to the top. By that time, we were cold and determined to go through that building. (Below is how Wikipedia describes the contents, plus there are pictures.) It is quiet in that building that is built for reflection of Germany's past history. Busts of the greats of Germany line the walls.
One could not help but compare the historical greats of Germany with their legacy of Hitler. You can be sure his bust was not there. I wonder today if the greats of our history will top off with Hussein as Germany did with Hitler. I think if I went to Walhalla for my first time now, my thinking inside that building would be entirely different than it was that day.
After touring the building, one had to go down the hill but that was better than going up. We got on a boat when we reached the Danube - we were still freezing but the beauty of the Danube sort of, kind of, well not really, helped the cold. Eventually, we came to a restaurant on the banks and off we went into a warm building with COFFEE. I remember the warming coffee but not what we ate.
What will our US Valhalla (the pictures of our greats in the halls of congress and statues along the mall) amount to after the destruction of Hussein? Will we have any more greats to add or is our Valhalla finished as is the German one? It is sad for me to think of our decline, the path we are now on. Below is from Wikipedia:
The Walhalla is a hall of fame that honors laudable and distinguished people, famous personalities in German history – politicians, sovereigns, scientists and artists of the German tongue”.[1] The hall is housed in a neo-classical building above the Danube River, east of Regensburg, in Bavaria, Germany.
The Walhalla is named for Valhalla of Norse mythology. It was conceived in 1807 by Crown Prince Ludwig, who built it upon ascending the throne of Bavaria as King Ludwig I. Construction took place between 1830 and 1842, under the supervision of architect Leo von Klenze.
The memorial displays some 65 plaques and 130 busts of persons, covering 2,000 years of history – the earliest person honored is Arminius, victor at the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest (9 AD).