The appearance of the völva

The völva is perhaps the most well-known character from the Viking culture. In various blogs, we delve into her. In this blog, we take a closer look at her appearance and the objects that can be associated with her ritual practices of magic. On basic of this, we compile various historically and anthropologically responsible setups.

In other blogs, we have extensively discussed the völva. Here is a brief summary. In the Germanic and later Old Norse society, the völva, a female seeress, held a special and powerful position. She was seen as a prophetess, staff-bearer, wise woman, and sorceress, and played an important role in the pre-Christian, possibly shamanistic traditions of Europe. The völva could predict the future and practice magic, and her influence reached the highest echelons of society.

Seeresses played a prominent role in Germanic society, even as early as the Roman times. In Norse sources and mythology, we find references to völva's, often sitting on elevated platforms during séances, where they performed their magical practices in ecstatic trance . 

Seiðr was a form of magic in Old Norse society, especially practiced by women. This practice was focused on foretelling the future and influencing events. Seiðr was associated with the gods Óðinn and Freyja. 

Every belief makes use of rituals. These rituals all hold a deep meaning in the religious or life conviction. During the performance of a ritual, symbolism is of great importance. Every practice of faith follows the pattern of ritualization . Rituals require a variety of sensory stimulating objects and actions. Think of art, fire, water, blood, drink, drugs, sex, sounds, and singing. Ritual specialists dress differently from other people and have special ritual objects. Unfortunately, there are virtually no sources on what völva rituals looked like. On basic from secondary sources, we make reconstructions in our other blog.

The appearance of the völva and the objects she used differed greatly from the normal. As a result, some examples of this are mentioned in the saga. Additionally, we know a lot about objects the völva used through grave goods and archaeological findings.

The völva distinguished herself from ordinary people by her striking appearance. Various sagas describe her special clothing and accessories, which played an important role in her magical practice.

In Eiríks saga rauða, the remarkable appearance of Þorbjörg lítilvölva is extensively described. She wore a royal blue cloak, fastened with buckles decorated with gemstones. Around her neck hung a necklace of glass beads, while on her head rested a black calfskin hat, trimmed with white cat fur (association with Freyja). Her waist was girded by a belt of tinderwood, from which hung a large leather pouch with amulets which she used at her magic. On her feet, she wore calfskin boots with long laces, finished with pewter buttons, and her hands were encased in soft, furry gloves made of cat fur.

In the Laxdæla saga, a völva appears in a dream, draped in a woolen cloak. Later, when her grave is opened, she is found to be buried with a brooch and a necklace. In the Sörla saga sterka, the spákona Þórdís wears a black cloak, which served not only as protection against the cold but also had a magical function. She instructed a man to wear this cloak while cursing an opponent with her staff.

In addition to these literary sources, archaeological finds provide insight into the clothing and accessories of the völva. In grave Bj660 in Birka, a nose ring was possibly found, while the völva of Fyrkat is known for wearing toe rings. The seated völva of Hagebyhöga in Östergötland wore three layers of long robes, four rows of bead necklaces, and a large bow brooch from a period before the Vikings. Around her temples, she wore a thin band, similar to those found in the graves of Birka.

An interesting reference to a shamanistic trance is found in the Íslendingabók. It describes how the judge Þorgeirr Ljósvetningagoði secluded himself for a day and a night before making the decision to introduce Christianity as the official religion. During this period, he wore a cloak that also covered his head, which might indicate that he was in a trance.

Old Norse written sources hardly mention the use of masks during rituals, but archaeological findings suggest they did play a role. In the Edda, a connection is made between the god Odin and disguise. His nicknames Grímr and Grímnir mean "the masked one" or "he who is masked." These texts also mention that a masked person can enter a trance. Another possible example comes from the Laxdæla saga, where the deceased völva wears a cloth over her face.

Archaeological finds reinforce the idea that masks were used. In the harbor of Hedeby, Denmark, two masks from the 10th century were found, which gave the wearer the appearance of an animal. In Novgorod, Russia, at least a dozen similar masks have been excavated.

Masks also appear in art. On the Oseberg tapestry, two masked women are depicted. One wears a raven mask, while the other wears a boar mask and a boar hide. Both are dressed in the characteristic Viking women's clothing. Additionally, the tapestry shows a masked woman, also with a boar mask and hide, while holding up a shield or drum. This image shows similarities with the berserker rituals and úlfheðnar traditions.

Although various images and objects suggest the use of masks, there is no direct evidence that they were used in a religious context. It is possible that they also served for seasonal festivals or ritual dances.

In archaeology, völva graves stand out as graves with unusual objects. Often she is accompanied by her staff and the grave contains items such as raven claws, drugs or prehistoric and exotic objects. 

Individuals whom archaeologists suspect might have been ritual specialists often contain striking animal materials such as parts of snakes, ravens, waterfowl, intoxicating herbs, or claws of wild felines. These objects can be associated with shamanistic rituals and often have symbolic meanings. The snake represented healing, the raven for Odin's ravens, and for waterfowl, it is unclear what their symbolic meaning exactly was. Cats symbolize the goddess Freya, the goddess of seiðr.

A völva can often be associated with objects that are indeed very old. For instance, various ritual professionals had Neolithic axes found in their graves. Sometimes brooches from the early Iron Age were worn. These objects were naturally magical and distinct from the secular. They symbolized the ancestors and the past and possibly had their own identity, power, or personification. With these objects, the völva asserted authority.

Exotic items are mainly found in the graves of aristocrats and völvas because they could emphasize their authority with them. People were not aware of the underlying culture or how these items were used by other cultures. Book fittings became cloak pins, Slavic temple rings and lunula amulets became belt decorations, and a box brooch from Gotland was used by the völva of Frigat as a storage box. The Buddha statue from Gjermundbu must have had a completely different meaning for a Viking. Many items from völva graves came from the region of Russia or the Middle East. Unlike today, Viking society paid much more attention to detail, and even exceptional glass beads must have stood out.

Throughout the Viking world, amulets were worn. The most famous Germanic ones were the bracteates and guldgubbar. Today, of course, the Thor's hammer is the most well-known. Amulets had a deep meaning and sometimes multiple amulets were worn on one chain. In völva graves, several amulets have been found and in the Eiríks saga, mention is made of a völva who had several amulets in her leather pouch on the belt. 

Mountain crystal jewelry was particularly magical. If you look through it, you see the world upside down. Amber is transparent and was called elektron by the Greeks. Possibly, transparent glass beads had a similar function. It is not surprising that these objects could be used by the völva during seiðr rituals to predict the future. We know that Abraxian priestesses in the 2nd - 4th century used similar jewelry during magical practices.

Necklaces remained popular during the Viking Age, while they disappeared in most European countries after the introduction of Christianity. The materials, shape, and compositions could tell a lot about the wearer and their status. 

Stories about figures such as Genevieve, Bathild, and the Brísing necklace suggest that wearers of magical necklaces could communicate with each other. This suggests that necklaces not only had personal significance but were also used to convey social or religious signals.

Within Viking culture, necklaces were strongly associated with magical practices. Ritual specialists wore necklaces as part of their material equipment. There are 25 necklace assemblages that can be associated with the völva. This indicates that necklaces may have played a role in the practice of seiðr magic. 

Some graves contained only one bead, while others had as many as 88 beads. 

In various völva graves, pendants in the form of a chair are found. The most notable is the jewelry of Odin from Leire. These seats are likely related to the seidhjallr, the elevated platform on which the völva performed her rituals. This possibly symbolizes the throne from which Odin could oversee all worlds. In Birka women's grave bj968, a chair pendant was found, along with an equilateral cross and a valkyrie pendant. 

Grave goods provide us with a wealth of information, but we must be cautious of misinterpretations. Young children were sometimes buried with weapons that they clearly did not use during their own lives. 

Objects may have been included during the burial ritual for their magical power or symbolic meaning. Axes can be associated with domestic crafts, war, or magic. While spindle whorls emphasized the female virtue of textile processing and also had a magical meaning in weaving fate. In völva graves, both spindle whorls and axes are found.

Weapons in women's graves can sometimes be associated with war but also had a magical meaning. 

In the Ljósavetninga saga, a völva cross-dresses as a man with a helmet and axe. She uses these to make a prophecy. The völva grave of Fure also contained a axe.

The staff or seidstafr was the most important object of the völva. In the sources, the staff is associated with her status and various staffs have been found in völva graves. Petroglyphs show that as early as the stone Age European shamans used a staff. Even today, witches and wizards are associated with staffs. In the 12th-century Christian laws, the eidsivapingslov, it is stated: no one is allowed to have a staff or altar in the house for magic or sacrificial rituals or anything else associated with pagan practices. From this, the broomstick developed as a substitute.

Magic wands were given names and staffs themselves possessed magical power, even if the user was not a practitioner of magic. 

völva literally means Staff Bearer. Undoubtedly, the staff was used during rituals, but there are no sources of this. 

As early as the Stone Age, staffs are depicted in periodicals. Elk head staffs have been used since 6,000 BC in the regions s of eastern and northern Europe. They were usually made of antler and had a realistically engraved deer camp. 

Wands were used by the Greeks and Romans. 

In a Viking woman's grave at Peel Castle on the Isle of Man, thought to be a völva, goose wings were found.

Music was made with jingling and rattling objects found in völva graves such as Oseberg, Love, and Gutdalen. Shamanistic drums have not been found, but it would not be surprising as they are popular among the Sami. One may possibly be depicted on the Oseberg tapestry.

In the Lokasenna 24, there is a mention where Odin is accused by Loki of seidr practices. The god says: Beating on a vett like a völva. Possibly, a vett was a shamanistic drum.