Get the look: Viking völva from Fyrkat

The outfit presented in this blog is inspired by the grave of the so-called seeress or völva of Fyrkat, Denmark. Although an exact reconstruction was not possible, we attempted to visualize what this völva looked like in life. We call her Raghnild.

The fort of Fyrkat, near present-day Hobro, Denmark, was built around 980 AD, presumably to control a trade route that ran between Aalborg and Aarhus. The construction was likely ordered by Harald Bluetooth as part of his campaign to reclaim South Jutland.

The fort consisted of a circular wall with four gates opposite each other, connected by two main roads. Inside the walls stood 16 longhouses. Outside the northeast gate lay a cemetery with at least 30 graves. The grave of völva Raghnild, grave 4, was the most luxuriously furnished. She was buried in a wagon, which was more commonly done for women of high rank. This was possibly intended to transport her body to the afterlife, or it was a status symbol.

Harald Bluetooth was the first Christian king of Denmark and is said to have demanded that his subjects also convert. Nonetheless, the grave of Raghnild is clearly pagan and perhaps indicative of a period when new and old religions were practiced side by side.

The name völva literally means ‘staff bearer’ and indeed there are several Scandinavian graves where women were buried with a metal staff or staff. According to the sagas, the völva regularly traveled across the land to the homes of chieftains and wealthy farmers. She sat on a high chair, with her staff in hand, and sang or performed another type of ritual to enter a trance. In trance, she could predict the future.

The magic of the völva was called seiðr and was associated with the manipulation of fate. It involved the use of rituals, chants, and sometimes the help of spirits. Seiðr was often considered the magic of a woman and was associated with the goddess Freyja. Seiðr was generally associated with women, and engaging in such practices could be viewed with suspicion among men.

With the advent of Christianity, seiðr gradually came to be seen as harmful and laws were enacted to ban the practice.

Völva Raghnild was buried in a blue and red dress, adorned with gold thread.

During her life, the völva would also have worn an underdress. She could easily afford to wear multiple layers.

Raghnild's völva burial dress was blue dyed, possibly with woad.

The hangeroc is a garment often associated with Viking women. Because no twin brooches have been found, our völva probably did not wear a hangeroc when she was buried. We have added the hangeroc to create a more layered look.

Raghnild was buried with a box brooch. To fasten the hangeroc straps, the völva would have also needed brooches. We have chosen a smaller set of box brooches. It is worth noting that drum brooches were probably not used to fasten hangerocs.

The reconstruction from the Danish National Museum shows a thin scarf or veil on the völva. Our scarves or shawls can be worn in various ways.

Our völva was buried with a drum or box brooch. This is a type of brooch that is almost exclusively found on the island of Gotland, an important trading hub during the Viking Age. We used the brooch to fasten Raghnild's shawl, but in her grave, the brooch contained lead white. Lead white is a white pigment, which is toxic in concentration. It can be used for skin ointments or possibly for face paint.

Völva Raghnild wears simple, low shoes, based on a find from Hedeby. Because this völva was well-off, she probably didn't need to wear sturdier boots.

The belt used in this shoot is based on finds from Birka, Sweden.

Völva Raghnild was buried with various items hanging from her belt. A small glass object was broken into several pieces. It has been interpreted as a glass container, which had some sort of protective charm or contained ritual ingredients.

Völva Raghnild carried a bag containing henbane seeds. When thrown into the fire, the smoke is hallucinogenic. The grave also contained a copper pot with traces of some kind of fat. A mixture of henbane and fat applied to the body would cause strong hallucinations. This ointment is also known as witch's ointment.

A knife and whetstone were two very important tools, even for women of high status. It would be used for everyday tasks, but possibly also for rituals. Here too, the knife used in this reconstruction is based on a find from Gotland.

The duck leg pendant attached to her belt is one of only two examples from the Viking world. It may have come from Russia. Since we do not have such jewelry, we displayed the pendant as a jewelry divider, along with three fish head jewels from Gotland.

Völva Raghnild was buried with her staff, which she probably used for magical rituals. Some interpret it as a 'cooking spit', although this seems unlikely. The original was made of iron and had bronze fittings.

The reconstruction from the Danish National Museum shows two drinking horns, placed at the feet of Raghnild.