Gracelynn Jones, age 14, of Bowling Green, Ohio, for her question:

WHERE IS VALHALLA?

You'll find the original Valhalla only in myth. Valhalla was the great hall of the dead heroes in Norse mythology. The word means "Hall of the Slain."

Valhalla was the most magnificent palace you could imagine. The walls were made of gold and the roof was made of battle shields. Huge spears held up its ceiling. They were so highly polished that the gleam from them was the only light needed.

The 540 doors of Valhalla were so wide that 800 men could enter side by side. The guests sat at long tables. They were the dead heroes who had been brought to Valhalla by the Valkyries, or battle maidens.

The Valkyries waited on the tables and served the heroes luxurious and delicious food.

The heroes rode out to the battlefield to fight every morning. They often wounded each other, but their hurts were healed before they returned to Valhalla for the noonday feast.