Aside from the monarch, the völva were the most powerful people in Viking society. These traveling sorceresses had the ability to see into the future, heal diseases, and even drive opponents insane. A deeper understanding of the Vikings' awe and respect for these witches and wizards is revealed.
A remarkable finding was made by Danish archaeologists seventy years ago. Near Hobro, they had been digging for three years at the Viking stronghold Fyrkat.
Not only did the renowned Danish king Harald Bluetooth (who is thought to have erected the circular fortification in 980) make headlines in Denmark and throughout Scandinavia, but the world over.
Archaeologists were excavating a row of Viking burials outside the citadel when they came across one that stood out.
The body of a woman, draped in a long blue gown, was found in the grave. She was probably around 40 years old. She accessorized with a silver toe ring and a veil that had a golden embroidered border.
Just by looking at her, it was clear that this woman was no ordinary citizen. The artifacts found in the tomb, however, were what really shocked the investigators. Strange metal staffs, hallucinogenic henbane seeds, and strange amulets were interred with the corpse.
The völva, a strong and famous character from the Viking Age, was undeniably the woman in the tomb, according to the experts. Völva, meaning "staff-bearer," was a crucial term for the Vikings' relationship with the supernatural for many years. The sagas describe the völva as a powerful sorceress who could see into the future and who was thus honored as a member of the royal family.
Because of their supposed control over life and death, the völva were both feared and admired. The weekly Icelandic journal Vikan ran a series of prophesies from a local völva for almost half a century. A number of these forecasts came to fruition.
Women in many regions of the Nordic region have brought back the long-lost völva traditions. Every December, the most famous contemporary völva makes her prognostications from her home in Iceland.
The Icelanders observe these forecasts with a blend of seriousness and humor, as the völva has on occasion proven shockingly accurate.
For instance, in 2004, the völva foretold that a more diplomatic leader would succeed the sick Yasser Arafat as the leader of the Palestinian Authority. After Arafat's death eleven months later, the moderate Mahmoud Abbas assumed power.
A similar event befell Pope John Paul II in 2005; the prophecy came true four months later.
But the völva's forecasts were wrong as well. Her 2004 forecast that the Faroe Islands will declare independence from Denmark in a matter of years has not materialized.
Even in Viking mythology, the völvas had a vital role in society. For example, in the first poem of the mythical book The Poetic Edda, Völuspá ("The Prophecy of the Völva"), an enchanted völva is asked by Odin to reveal the world's destiny.
In the poem, it is mentioned that Odin rewards the völva with "necklaces and rings" for their prophecy, which includes predicting Ragnarok, the end of the world.
The Völva Family Visited Many Farms
No one dared to offend the völva, therefore Odin had every right to lavishly reward her. If the völvas were unhappy with their reward, they may injure others with their immense power, seiðr, a type of Norse magic.
The Norwegian ruler Erik Bloodaxe and queen Gunnhild are the antagonists in Egil's Saga, a poem written by the Icelandic poet Egil Skallagrimsson. They lost a son because of Egil. Using her seer skills, the queen exacted revenge on Egil after he fled Norway for Iceland:
"Gunnhild cast a spell so that Egil Skallagrimsson would find no peace on Iceland or elsewhere until she saw him again."
It seemed like the charm had some effect, because the following year Egil had an overwhelming desire to travel. He met Gunnhild and Erik at the Viking settlement of York after surviving a shipwreck off the coast of North England.
Despite being condemned to death, Egil was pardoned by the monarch on the day of his execution because he delivered a poem so lovely.
Unmarried völvas, in contrast to Queen Gunnhild, lived apart from the familial bonds that typically characterized a woman's existence in Viking times. Rather than that, they carried their tools around with them and used seiðr whenever it was necessary.
Male and female friends frequently helped the völva. Thorbjorg, the völva, supposedly had ten sisters, all seeresses in Saga of Eirik the Red, with just one of them remaining to this day.
The völva would often be accompanied on their travels by a group of younger female servants. Fifteen young women and fifteen young men accompany the völva Hild as she arrives for a seiðr ceremony in the Saga of Örvar-Odd.
Men Who Practiced Magic Were Banned
In exchange for food and shelter, the völvas would work on their skill. In times of need, their clients, often affluent farmers or jarls—would dispatch a messenger to retrieve the closest völva.
Völva burials, which are richly decorated, show that they were no strangers to the highest classes of Viking society.
Healing sickness, seeing into the future, manipulating the weather, and bestowing good fortune were only a few of the völva's numerous abilities. Although male practitioners of seiðr were also present, it was believed by the Vikings that women were the most skilled magicians.
A guy called Kotkel and his magical sons cause difficulty for a woman in the neighborhood in Laxdaela Saga. Thord, her son, threatens Kotkel, but in response, Kotkel calls upon a storm that washes away Thord and his crew.
The völva were revered more highly than male magicians like Kotkel, despite their powers, because males were expected to stay away from seiðr, which was seen as a feminine domain.
Hashish Was Smoked by a Seeress
Völva would go into trances in order to communicate with supernatural beings. The Vikings thought that while she was in this state, her soul might communicate with gods and spirits from other worlds.
A seiðr ceremony is described in detail in the 13th-century Saga of Eirik the Red. The saga describes the long period of starvation that the Greenlandic Vikings went through when their fishing and hunting efforts failed. In an effort to save the völva Thorbjorg from oblivion, farmer Thorkel extended an invitation to their estate:
"When she arrived, everyone felt obligated to greet her with proper respect."
A staff and a satchel of magical artifacts were carried by Thorbjorg, who wore beautiful attire. She received a high seat with plush cushions and a sumptuous supper, in contrast to the other guests who sat on wooden seats.
At the start of the ritual, Thorbjorg took his place on a designated stool or platform known as the seiðhjallr. One of the women of the estate, encircled by them, chanted a chant from long ago. After that, Thorbjorg spoke to Thorkel:
I can make out details that were before hazy. I can assure you, Thorkel, that this winter will not be the worst of it. Things will get better in the spring.
Galdr, or "incantations" in Old Norse, were chants that put the völva into a trance-like condition by the use of repetitive phrases.
A wooden staff and a bag of cannabis seeds were interred with an elite woman in Oseberg, Norway, in 834. Hashish, according to some academics, might have put her into the required trance state.
Researchers unearthed henbane seeds, which have hallucinogenic effects, while excavating the tomb of the Fyrkat völva. Visions were probably brought about by the völva eating these seeds.
On the other hand, the völva may connect with the divine via extended contemplation. As part of her utiseta ("sitting out") practice, she would spend the night sitting alone in nature, frequently on a big stone. It was believed that while in this state, she would meet ghosts that lived in the shadows.
This type of seiðr continued to be practiced in Iceland even during the Christian era. It was illegal to "sit out to awaken spirits and promote heathen practices" according to 13th-century laws.
The völva stayed in a heightened spiritual condition after the trance ended, allowing her to provide remarkably clear answers to inquiries.