Quoth the Raven

   So what does heathenry say about death and the afterlife? A lot. The fact is that our sources, historical and archaeological, vary from region to region, country to country, and age to age. Most modern practitioners will focus on one " flavor" (Nordic, Germanic, Saxon, Slavic) but the bottom line is there are a lot of similarities in the Germanic world dating back to the Bronze Age. If you think of the cliche we have from Western pop culture about dying and going to Valhalla, you're getting a very tiny glimpse of ancient afterlife thought. In point of fact, according to the lore only warriors who died in battle would have the option of going to Valhalla. However the imagery is so strong and romantic it really stuck through the centuries and was especially glommed onto by the Victorians. Now some people do focus on that concept, and it is often expanded to include anyone who has lived a life of service. That may mean people who have served in the armed forces, or people

 An incomplete thought to refine anon.... "they would not want me to mourn" Follow me for a minute. I've always found this to be a shallow idea. YES they do want you to mourn - because mourning is part of healing. Mourning is the dark side of celebration. Through it, you find the motivation, the raw need, to tell the stories and carry forth the good things they did. It's like channeling anger. When we say loved ones would not want us to mourn, we are implying that they were selfless, generous, self-deprecating - valuing our happiness so so much. "I'm not worth it, hon. Go on and live your life." But mourning is not for them - it's for us. It is one mechanism, whereby we grow around the pain of loss; sort of an emotional scab (scabs are amazing and honorable, BTW)  Can it go too far? Yes. Like anything, the poison is in the dosage. And you do not mourn in a vacuum - all sorts of other Life Things (TM) keep going on around you. It can get complicated a