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“How fare the gods? How fare the elves? All Jotunheim groans, as the gods are at council. Loud roar the dwarfs by the doors of stone. The masters of the rocks... would you know yet more?” (48,Vǫluspá).

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Velkomin

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Old Norse Traditions would not be complete without mentioning the importance of their ancient folk practices. The Nordic people had a wide variety of ceremonial and shamanic rites. Although these traditions are considered “witchcraft” by today’s standards, they were apart of everyday life during these ancient times.

This article will go over the basics for some of the more commonly known practices. As we will be exploring why they are crucial to understanding the Old Norse and what each of them is used for. I plan to go in much more depth about each magickal practice down the road. Enjoy.

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Introduction

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The Norse and Teutonic peoples were a group of practitioners that preformed various forms of magick throughout the Pre-Nordic Ice Age, Stone Age and into the later Iron Ages of Scandinavia. These primarily to connect themselves with the Gods, wights [spirits], the rest of The Nine Realms, tapping into wyrd [fate] and to instill virtue in one’s hugr [soul].

Today as Heathens, much of these magickal practices have been reconstructed by the works known to us as primary sources, the Sagas and Eddas. As well as the anthropological findings of the vast ritualistic utensils excavated in various burial mounds and longhouses throughout Europe.

However, nearly all the recorded primaries have been subject to the insinuations and rather gross exaggerations by the Skalds [Christian historians and poets] once monotheism began to spread across Northern Europe. These Skaldic historians were majority of the authors to the Sagas and Eddas, as they documented cultural practices and oral traditions of the Vikings. Many scholars and reconstructionalists today speculate as to the accuracy and bias these works obtain. As their often negative attitudes and portrayals were encomiastic towards the faith.

For the ancient Norse peoples, magic was a normal part of the fabric of everyday life and tradition. The practitioners of magic worked with the basic principles that underlie the workings of the cosmos rather than against them. This arguably constructing majority of the Norse Tradition religious/spiritual frameworks; and the importance of magical related observes. As magic therefore- is (amongst other things) to the Norse-- the ability to discern, shape destiny and knowledge.

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(Skög Tapestry, Hälsingland SE)

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Primary Aspects

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The Vikings and their beliefs were at large polytheistic and animistic. Ultimately enterprising the works of science and primitive arts together. In the Norse Sagas, majority of the supernatural actions that took place within the world were to be inquired upon in forms of shamanism, sorcery and witchcraft.

Magick was traditionally seen by the Norse to be a feminine practice. Typically rites, rituals, blóts [sacrificial feasts] and other ceremonious acts would be carried out by a priestess known as a gyðja, the völva [divine seeress] as well as seiðkonur or spákonur who were sorceresses; the ones that ‘speak’ and ‘send’.

It was uncommon to find men carrying out these practices, though there were some that did. Male roles were primarily based in politics, agriculture and the expansion of the Viking era. Conversely, those who delved into any magic were typically titled as goðar [priests], galdramaðr [gladr man] or seidhmadhr: ’sending’ men. All titles were subject to what he or she’s role was within society and the practice itself.

Today however, all women and men are welcomed to carry out Northern Witchcraft and its various workings. These which still embrace the traditional aspects set forth by the Nordic peoples and additionally ones by the contemporary practitioner(s).

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(Image by Forndom)

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Seiðr

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Seiðr or seidhr, pronounced “saythr” is known as the translation of to ‘seeth’ or to ‘send’. In the literature, seiðr refers to various kinds of combined magickal practice, including the acts of divination or prophecy, soul travel, svipal, channeling the soul sheath, necromancy and cursing together. As it is generally discerned with a variation of shamanism-- comparative to that of the Sami and Siberian’s types of shamanism.

Völvur were women who taught and practiced seiðr, as majority of them traditionally traveled to many villages to carry this practice- specifically oracular or prophetic seiðr. They often lived secluded as these women were depicted as fierce sibyls- although sometimes they traveled together as groups with other völvur or their assistants.

Those in groups would perform a sacred rite known as utiseta ‘sitting-out’, varðlökkur “the völva’s song”, (vocals to raise energy), and spoken incantations known as gladr to reach an altered consciousness and ecstasy to commune with spirits. While in this state, the one practicing seiðr would seek answers to questions through a type of divination with the spirits (wights), the deceased, dísir (ancestral spirits) etc. while sitting on what was known as a high-seat.

Ideally, seiðr is solely concentrated around the spiritual aspect of the Norse. Gaining and practicing each facet with expertise to the Nordic reverberation would allocate one to become a seiðkona or potentially a völva.

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(Valkyrie - Unknown)

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Spácraft

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Spá work or spæ-craft is another type of spiritually focused magickal practice. However it was more “practical” perhaps than seiðr and widely accepted within the culture. The main difference between spá and seiðr is that spá was typically practiced by those women who claimed to have psychic and healing abilities. Spá is defined by Gunnvöra the Viking Lady as:

”Intrinsically the art of determining ørlög, usually by intuition or personal gnosis. Ørlög is literally "ur", meaning ancient or primeval, and "lög" is law: ørlög is the law of how things will be, laid down by wyrd or fate by the three Norns. The Norns, Urðr ("That Which Is"), Verðandi ("That Which Is Becoming") and Skuld ("That Which Should Become") are the embodiment of wyrd. “

Spækonas and völvur systematically carried out this specific practice mainly for prophesizing the ørlög of battles, harvest, sailing, trade, childbirths and so on. A means of advice based on an individual fate(s).

Trance-work methods were now and then utilized to help a spækona receive messages—additionally was an exercise known as mound-sitting (sitting on burial mounds/graves) to commune directly with the dead, as a way of channeling thule (line of orating with the deceased).

We know for sure that seiðr and spá were different practices, but exactly how different were they? We are not entirely sure. The two tend to overlap with who practiced them as well as what they both involved. Modern spákonur like to think that spá is a very specific type of seiðr and is to be only practiced by those with the respected title of a völva. While others believe spá is a more positive form of soul work while seiðr is more of a negative side to soul work and Norse magick.

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(Friends of Tuva Shaman)

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Galdr

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At its most basic level, galdr is the incantation or ‘spell song’ within Norse magics. Galdr is a type of verbal, and often ceremonial form of magic. It is most conventional for "calling the runes", kennings or stanzas within the Sagas and Eddas.

Some historical evidence suggests that gladr was originally sung in falsetto, guttural high-pitched tones. Modernly, the phonetics of runes /kennings and how they are chanted is up to the practitioner.

Meaning behind galdr’s associated sounds and concepts stem from associated lore (i.e. Anglo-Saxon, Icelandic and Norwegian rune-poems). Hávamál stanzas are acute esoteric descriptors of the Runic powers. In these, the words of Odin himself are direct to the mysteries of Runelore than any of the colloquial incentive rune-poems clichéd by the Skaldic historians.

As a result, there is certainly not only one way to do galdr. Many types of galdr are appropriated for a variety of purposes within Norse application of runes, invocation, raising energy, grounding, cursing, etc. Essence, rhythm, pronunciation, and knowledge of the runes are expected for one to practice any form of galdr.

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(Image by Sigha)

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Runes

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Rune-Working or Rune casting is a type of magical practice associated with the various Proto-Norse/Germanic letterings and symbols of the Scandinavian peoples. The three most studied and used sets throughout history and today are: Elder Futhark, Anglo-Saxon Futhorc, and the Younger Futhark. Each set of runes has similar adaptations of one another- however distinctive to the region they were practiced (throughout the expansion of Europe), letter/alphabet dichotomy, and the time period most utilized.

Runes were scripts for both secular and religious purposes. As rune comes from "runa" meaning "secret" or "mystery" and their connection to the Gods Freyja and Óðinn largely subjected them for use in divination, protection, and even practical-everyday implications.

To gain knowledge and wisdom of the runes, Óðinn sacrificed himself [to himself] for nine days and nine nights by impaling himself with his spear while hanging on the branches of Yggdrasil (the World Tree). On the ninth night of his sacrifice, the runes appeared on the roots of Yggdrasil.

None refreshed me ever with food or drink, I peered right down in the deep; crying aloud I lifted the Runes then back I fell from thence." - (138 of Hávamál).

Runes are signs, which originally represented a creature, (abstract) object or a position. They each have individual meanings [along with sounds], which can be used in rituals, staves, inscriptions or talisman. To cast runes, one needs to be familiar with them in great depth.

Runestones are the most popular way to cast rune sets- either carved, painted or burned on wood cutlets, minerals, iron, stones or bone. Using rune magic is essentially all about invoking each rune, bind-rune, or stave’s individual/combined power. “No man should carve runes- unless he can read them well…” (Egils Saga 73).

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(Image by Forndom)

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Berserkergangr

This practice was carried out by elite and ferocious Viking warriors known as the berserks. Contrary to popular belief due to media and their depiction in Völsunga saga, these warriors were not rage-infested barbaric killers- however very devotional and disciplined fighters channeling a state of frenzy for psychological and physiological enhancement during battle. This state known as gangr (fury), a ‘possession’ or ecstatic altered state of consciousness is achieved through various methods.

At times, this spiritual transformation and the possession of a person by gangr leads to certain shift in physical characteristics: the muscles of the body can tense, hormones/neurotransmitters such as adrenaline and endorphins are released allowing: the heart rate to rise, altered vision, brief halt of digestion, and suppression of the airway.

Often those practicing gangr for berserk attributed their spiritual transformations to Óðinn, ‘Ófnir’ (the inspirer) via invocation or prayer. Berserk warriors usually channeled their spirit into totem animals during battle likewise- wearing furs of them; Berserker (bear totems), Úlfhéðnar (wolf totems), Svinfylking (boar totems), Svipal (shifting animals often fylgja totems), and so on.

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(Skulls by Maine Museum)

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Resources & Additional Readings

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• Poetic Edda by Snorri Sturluson

• Prose Edda by Snorri Struluson

• The Saga of Egil Skallagrimsson

• The Anglo-Saxon, Norwegian and Icelandic. Rune Poems

• Völsunga saga

• Seidr: The Gate is Open by Katie Gerrard

• Seidways by Jan Fries

• Taking Up The Runes by Diana L. Paxson

• Icelandic Magic by Stephen Flowers

• Hyge-Craft:Working with the Soul in the Northern Tradition by Diana L. Paxson

• Spae-craft, Seidr and Shamanism by Kveldulfr Gundarsson

• Northern Mysteries and Magick: Runes & Feminine Powers by Freya Aswynn

• The Norse Shaman: Ancient Spiritual Practices of the Northern Tradition by Evelyn C. Rysdyk

• Understanding the Galdrabok & Creating Original Designs by Greg Crowfoot

• Futhark: A Handbook of Rune Magic by Edred Thorrson

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(Edited one upon a time by @cvisscher)

Frith & Skål

Seiðkona

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Header and Background Images

:copyright: Forndom

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