Rituals of the völva

The völva is perhaps the most famous character from the Viking culture. In various blogs, we delve into her. In this blog, we delve deeper into her rituals and reconstruct both the appearance of the völva and her ecstasy.

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 unique and powerful position. She was seen as a prophetess, staff-bearer, wise woman, and sorceress, playing 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 into the highest echelons of society.

Seeresses played a prominent role in Germanic society, even in the Roman times. In Norse sources and mythology, we find references to völvass, 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 focused on divination and influencing events. Seiðr was associated with the gods Óðinn and Freya. 

To understand völva rituals we must dig deeper into the worldview of the Vikings. Odin, the all-knowing god, was the most important god for the völva. In most rituals, he was invoked to possess the völva. Odin, the cunning one, the god whose ways are often incomprehensible to us mortals, is a god with more than 200 nicknames. Odin was the god for the aristocracy and warrior class. Most of the population was more attracted to the cult of Thor. Odin is the guardian of the cosmic order and at the creation of the world, matter was formed that is used in the practice of magic. The name Odin stands for 'possession, rage, frenzy'. He himself also practices seiðr and gjaldr. Both the ecstasy of the völva and the frenzy of the warrior are the domain of Odin. 

Odin is the leader of the pantheon of the Aesir, brave war gods, probably of Proto-Indo-European origin. Freya, on the other hand, is a Vanir, she is the goddess of love, fertility, magic and sexuality. Her house may have descended from the Neolithic farmers, a people that largely disappeared or mixed after the Proto-Indo-European steppe herders settled in Europe around 3,500 BCE. Magic wands are also depicted on Neolithic petroglyphs and her association with fertility possibly comes from the Neolithic sun cult. 

This may also explain the origin of the völva and seiðr.

While Odin is the undisputed master of seiðr, Freya and the Vanir are also associated with it. This was practiced well into the Middle Ages. Seiðr was the domain of women and the connection with sexuality and fertility was not a problem for the Vikings. After the arrival of Christianity, these subjects were taken out of context and used to persecute völvas and witches. 

To understand seiðr, we must examine this magical practice in relation to Norse views on the human personality. In many ways, seiðr revolves around the ability to temporarily detach parts of yourself and send them on their own mission. This is one of the reasons why seiðr is often associated with shamanistic traditions.

An important aspect here is the role of helping spirits. These spiritual allies play a crucial role in seiðr rituals and are also found in the Sámi religion and other circumpolar traditions.

Every belief system utilizes rituals. These rituals all form a deep meaning within the religion or belief system. During the execution of a ritual, symbolism was 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 than other people and have special ritual objects. Their clothing, what they eat, age, and ethnic background may differ from the norm. In our other blog, you can read about the clothing and objects used by völvas.

Pagan rituals usually involve imitating or symbolizing actions that serve to achieve the desired goal. The völva used her outfit and objects for this. Desired actions that one wanted to achieve through magic often included: predictions, destruction of enemies, making someone fall in love, fertility rituals, influencing the weather, gaining knowledge, and healing.

There are only a few sources that fragmentarily mention how seiðr was used. To reconstruct rituals, we rely on available literary sources and archaeological artifacts from the graves of ritual specialists. Additionally, with sufficient knowledge of other Proto-Indo-European rituals and religions, combined with knowledge of Old Norse society, we can make relatively accurate reconstructions. 

Assistants of the völva had the important task of translating what the völva said in trance. Various sagas explicitly mention that the völva is accompanied by helpers and students during her journeys. Sometimes a völva travels alone or even with an entire retinue.

The ritual was performed on a raised platform specially arranged for this occasion. Sometimes a tent was built above the platform, possibly against the rain. Sometimes more than one person used the platform simultaneously, as mentioned in the fridpjofs saga hins fraekna. Sometimes the seidhjallr seen as synonymous with a high seat or throne. It is possible that this platform symbolized Odin's throne, from which he had a supernatural view over all worlds. 

The Eiríks saga rauða makes it clear that during a seiðr ritual, special magical songs were sung by the women present. 

The term varðlokkur comes from Old Norse and probably means 'protective incantations' or 'calls of guardians'. It refers to chants that summon or bind spirits, likely as protection against supernatural forces.

The varðlokkur is closely related to the seiðlæti ('seiðr chants'), which needed to sound pleasant to enhance their effect. In the Laxdæla saga, an enchanting song is even used to lull someone to sleep, making them susceptible to magic.

The varðlokkur and seiðlæti could be combined with other songs, as in the Laxdæla saga (35), where Kotkell and his sons use them together with a magical spell. It may have sounded like melodious speech, similar to Swedish herding calls (kulning).

It is likely that all rituals were accompanied by an ecstasy, during which the völva worked herself up into a trance. Intoxicating substances like hemp and other drugs were used. Which specific substance was used, the völva naturally kept as a professional secret.

During the ecstasy, the völva was penetrated by Odin. And probably a female ecstatic dance was involved.

When the völva was in trance, she spoke in gibberish. The Ynglinga saga mentions that Odin spoke exclusively in Skaldic rhyme.

In stanza 51 of a 12th-century Sólarljóð (‘The Song of the Sun’) it is described:

On the seat of the norns

I sat for many days,

when I was lifted onto a horse,

the sun of the giants

shone brightly

from the clouds of the sky.

Nine days of sitting still lead to obtaining a vision, in which the völva is lifted to the heavens (Sleipnir?) and catches a glimpse of cosmic landscapes. Despite the late dating and the search for shamanistic ecstatic states in specific terms related to Norse mythology, there is hardly anything comparable known.

In Eyrbyggja saga 10, a woman is described as fróð and fjǫlkunnig, who surrenders to the spirit of Þórir and falls to the ground, implying that something has taken possession of her.

In Hávamáll 155, leika is mentioned in Odin’ss spells, possibly in connection with the tátnaurur that refer to him. The word seems to indicate both physical movement and a spiritual journey, as in shamanistic rituals (Vǫluspá). Similar terms in other languages describe the movement of spirit and body, often with fluids as a symbol. Although the precise meaning of leika remains unclear, it is certain that the Norse had a vocabulary for these forms of magic.

Early on, this was linked to the idea of a ‘free soul’ that could leave the body. Although trance in seiðr is generally recognized, some scholars argue that there is no evidence for soul journeys as with the Sámi and Siberians. Instead, the trance would be more a state of receptivity, establishing contact with summoned spirits.

In Hrólfs saga kraka, it is described how Heiðr yawns widely at the beginning of her ritual. Tolley suggests that this is more the inhaling of spirits than the release of the soul. This is remarkable, as similar rituals are only known among the Sámi and in Eastern Siberia, such as with the Yukaghirs.

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

How we should visualize this trance is unclear.

In the Ljósvetninga saga, a female völva makes predictions while disguised as a man and uses a axe and helmet in a ritual.

In Eirik saga 4, a little is described about how a völva performs a ritual.

At the beginning of winter, famine threatens the community. Farmer Þorkell must find a solution and calls Þorbjörg, an old woman and völva, for help.

The völva is invited to ritual feasts (veizla). People want to know if their harvest for the coming year will be good.

Þorbjörg comes to Þorkell's farm and the völva performs a ritual at night while most people sleep. The ritual helps the community gain hidden knowledge.

Þorbjörg sits on an elevated chair (hjallr) on a cushion of rooster feathers. Present women in a circle must sing for her. She is assisted by Guðríðr, who despite her Christian faith knows the songs (varðlokkur) needed for the prophecy.

Before the ritual begins, the völva asks one of her helpers to assume clothes. It is unclear whether she means her cloak or outer clothing or if this form of magic requires a naked performance.

From images on the Oseberg tapestry depicting possible seiðr rituals, it appears that not all rituals were performed naked. It may be that nudity was customary when it came to fertility of both people and the land, but this is speculative.

It is unclear why among the Vikings there was such a strong taboo for male practitioners and associations with homosexuality around seiðr rituals. The most logical reason is that seiðr rituals contained an erotic element.  

The attitude towards homosexuality emphasizes the taboo for men to be penetrated. This may indicate a form of penetration during some seiðr rituals. 

It is possible that the seiðr ceremony was a simulation of sexual intercourse, where the woman fulfilled the role of receiver. This did not happen with a male partner, but with the staff. After all, many seiðr rituals dealt with sexual subjects such as love, impotence, and fertility of both humans and the land. 

Scientifically, we have barely any information about how seiðr rituals were conducted. With the available textual sources, we can make a reconstruction. The völva worked herself into an ecstatic trance that could last for a long time. The völva used various objects and could wear different outfits, depending on the purpose. She sometimes wore a cloak for security in search of ecstasy, a ritual mask during the ecstatic journey for knowledge, customary historical outfits including characteristic völva items, or men's clothing during predictions about war and conflict. In some cases, she was even naked in connection with love and fertility. The ritual was a performance or symbolization of the subject.