Shakespeare's plays were a great Teutonic Valhalla with brilliant sunshine at times and violent tempests at others. The world to him was a battlefield, but his sense of poetic justice, his sublime faith in life and its infinite resources, guided the battles.

Having big audiences when you're on a book tour is like Valhalla if you're a person who used to sell Girl Scout cookies on the side. Because you want to give the reading that will sell the most books.

I've never set up any golf course that would favor anybody. I try to make it exactly the opposite, which is what we did at Valhalla when we modernized it to accommodate the lengths players are hitting it today.

The action genre is kind of designed for a young male audience. But we found on 'The Matrix' that we hit the Valhalla of movie making, which is the four quadrant audience - the young male audience, the older male audience, the young female audience and the older female audience.

[Stanley is at Dr. Neuman's office. Dr. Neuman examines the mask]
Dr. Arthur Neuman: This is an interesting piece, Mr. Ipkiss. Looks like fourth or fifth century Scandinavian, possibly a representation of one of the Norse night gods... maybe Loki.
Stanley Ipkiss: Loki? Who's Loki?
Dr. Arthur Neuman: The Norse god of mischief.
Supposedly he caused so much trouble, that Odin banished him from Valhalla forever.
Stanley Ipkiss: Then he could've banished him into that mask!
Dr. Arthur Neuman: I'm talking about mythology, Mr. Ipkiss. This is a piece of wood.
[Stanley approaches Dr. Neuman, handing him his book "The Masks We Wear"]
Stanley Ipkiss:
But your book!
Dr. Arthur Neuman: My book is about masks as metaphor, Mr. Ipkiss. A metaphor... not to be taken literally.
[Dr. Neuman puts the book on his desk]
Dr. Arthur Neuman: You're suffering from mild delusion.
Stanley Ipkiss: [nods] All right.
[Stanley picks up the mask]
Stanley
Ipkiss: I'm going to prove it to you.
[Stanley walks to the corner of the room]
Stanley Ipkiss: But I am not responsible for the consequences. Just sit back and enjoy the ride, Mr. Expert.
Dr. Arthur Neuman: [indifferently] You don't scare me, Mr. Ipkiss. Go right ahead.
Stanley Ipkiss: See ya.
[Stanley
presses the mask to his face, but nothing happens. He moans and hops around, wails, waves his hands, but still nothing. Dr. Neuman watches him unimpressed. Stanley removes the mask and approaches Dr. Neuman]
Stanley Ipkiss: Okay! You said Loki was a night god. Maybe it only works at night.
Dr. Arthur Neuman: Mr. Ipkiss, I feel I should warn you, that
I don't work personally with really sick people. There are private institutions for things like that. However, if you would like me to arrange for a safe environment for you tonight, I can do that.
Stanley Ipkiss: No.
[Stanley sits at the desk opposite of Dr. Neuman]
Stanley Ipkiss: [anxiously] I've got to see Tina. But what do I do? I mean,
do I go as myself or the Mask?
Dr. Arthur Neuman: [dryly] If I tell you, you promise to leave my office right now?
[Stanley nods]
Dr. Arthur Neuman: All right.
[Dr. Neuman stands, approaches Stanley, places his hand on his right shoulder, and pats on his left shoulder]
Dr. Arthur Neuman: Mr. Ipkiss, go as
yourself and as the Mask, because they are both one and the same beautiful person.

Gobber: [at Stoick's funeral] May the valkyries welcome you and lead you through Odin's great battlefield. May they sing your name with love and fury, so that we might hear it rise from the depths of Valhalla and know that you've taken your rightful place at the table of kings. For a great man has fallen: A warrior. A chieftain. A father. A friend.

Russell Hammond: [Russell grabs phone away from William] Hey, mom! It's Russell Hammond. I play guitar in Stillwater. Hey, how does it feel to be the mother of the greatest rock journalist we've met? Hello? Hello...? Look, you've got a really great kid here. There's nothing to worry about. We're taking good care of him, and you should come to the show sometime - join the circus...
Elaine Miller: Hey, hey, listen to me, mister. You're charm doen't work on me - I'm on to you. Of course you like him...
Russell Hammond: Well, yeah...
Elaine Miller: He worships you people. And that's fine by you as long as he helps make you rich.
Russell Hammond: Rich? I don't think so...
Elaine Miller: Listen to me. He's a smart, good-hearted fifteen year old kid with infinite potential.
Russell Hammond: [Russell is stunned]
Elaine Miller: This is not some apron-wearing mother you're speaking with - I know all about your valhalla of decadence and I shouldn't have let him go. He's not ready for your world of
compromised values and diminished brain cells that you throw away like confetti. Am I speaking to you clearly?
Russell Hammond: Yes - yes, ma'am...
Elaine Miller: If you break his spirit, harm him in any way, keep him from his chosen profession which is law - something you may not value, but I do - you will meet the voice on the other end of this
telephone and it will not be pretty. Do we understand each other?
Russell Hammond: Uh, yes, ma'am...
Elaine Miller: I didn't ask for this role, but I'll play it. Now go do your best. Be bold, and mighty forces will come to your aid. Goethe said that. It's not too late for you to become a person of substance, Russell. Please get my son home safely.
You know, I'm glad we spoke.
[Elaine hangs up]
Russell Hammond: [Russell stands holding phone in stunned silence]

Conan: What gods do you pray to?
Subotai: I pray to the four winds... and you?
Conan: To Crom... but I seldom pray to him, he doesn't listen.
Subotai: [chuckles] What good is he then? Ah, it's just as I've always said.
Conan: He is strong! If I die, I have to go before him, and he will
ask me, "What is the riddle of steel?" If I don't know it, he will cast me out of Valhalla and laugh at me. That's Crom, strong on his mountain!
Subotai: Ah, my god is greater.
Conan: [chuckles] Crom laughs at your four winds. He laughs from his mountain.
Subotai: My god is stronger. He is the everlasting sky! Your god lives
underneath him.
[Conan shoots Subotai a skeptical look. Subotai laughs]