Unfortunately, for most people before the modern age … they more than likely just died of starvation, disease or infection and suffered a slow agonizing death for no greater apparent reason or purpose.
Imagine being a great warrior, surviving a great battle with all your mates, overpower your opponents, climb over ramparts to kill a dozen enemies, win the day … and then get an infection from a small cut you had on your leg and then die a month later from the runaway infection.
Might be the other way around - rather than emotional cope, being an inducement for greater aggression. If you, the powerful men of your society, can convince all the little folk that dying in battle is way cool and will get them huge rewards in the afterlife, you suddenly become much more powerful, man-for-man, against neighboring polities of similar culture (at least until they adopt that aspect of theology or a similar one)
Unfortunately, for most people before the modern age … they more than likely just died of starvation, disease or infection and suffered a slow agonizing death for no greater apparent reason or purpose.
Imagine being a great warrior, surviving a great battle with all your mates, overpower your opponents, climb over ramparts to kill a dozen enemies, win the day … and then get an infection from a small cut you had on your leg and then die a month later from the runaway infection.
Dying in battle wasn’t the meat grinder event Hollywood makes it out to be.
Battles probably looked more like this footage from a West Papua Tribal War where the #1 priority is staying alive.
I’d speculate the whole Valhalla thing is an emotional cope from watching your buddy who you’ve fought many battles with die violently.
Might be the other way around - rather than emotional cope, being an inducement for greater aggression. If you, the powerful men of your society, can convince all the little folk that dying in battle is way cool and will get them huge rewards in the afterlife, you suddenly become much more powerful, man-for-man, against neighboring polities of similar culture (at least until they adopt that aspect of theology or a similar one)
It could also be psychological warfare, pretending that your soldiers are ready to die in battle makes enemies less likely to fight back.
And it’s indoctrination as well so that you have more people to join your army.
Wonder if that gets you into Valhalla on a technicality, at least?