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they go to the scene of a battle, they wear scarlet corsets and carry spears. Their horses are magnificent animals whose hoof beats sound like thunder as they gallop across the sky.
The Valkyries also participate in the raucous feasts that take place every night in the great hall of Valhalla. Wearing white robes, they serve ale or mead to the souls of the dead warriors that gather there every evening. During the day these warriors practice their fighting techniques and compete in knightly tournaments, but they always gather in the great hall in the evening. Some Norse myths suggest that a Valkyrie and a dead warrior can become lovers.
Sacred Cows In Hinduism, killing a cow is a heinous sin, and the eating of beef is worse than cannibalism. As a result, stray cows enjoy great liberties in many parts of India. They wander through the streets, break into gardens, relieve themselves on the sidewalks, and frequently create traffic jams. To most Hindus, everything about them is sacred, even their dung and urine.
Although many people in India feed stray cows, most of the animals are skinny and produce little or no milk. Some economists argue that the presence of these strays increases poverty and hunger in the country by consuming resources that could be put to better use. But many Indians dispute this, pointing out that cows mostly live on non-human foods like fodder and rice straw, and that their dung is an important source of fertilizer and fuel.
Ancient Indian writings indicate that reverence for the cow goes back thousands of years. Even today, no pious Hindu will pass a cow without touching it and then touching his own head as an act of homage. In some parts of India a person can be sent to jail for killing or injuring a cow. And some local governments even maintain old-age homes for animals that have become too weak to survive in the streets.
