#seidhr

Völva and Seiðr - A Very Brief Introduction

The term Völva (Old Norse Vǫlva) is often misunderstood or mistranslated. A Völva is a Seeress. A Völva acts as a prophetess or priestess by means of performing seiðr (Swedish sejd).

Seiðr is a particular type of Norse magic most often used for divination or clairvoyance. Freyja was the original seiðkona, and it was she who introduced this craft to the gods and to those who followed in her path as a Völva. A Völva performs trancework to journey to the world of spirit, and once there she can ask questions on behalf of herself or others. Sometimes the answers will be shown to her through a vision, and other times the answers will be either spoken to or through her by the spirits.

-  "Hostile Magic in the Icelandic Sagas," Hilda Ellis-Davidson

Fucking LIVING for this. 

There was a man called Kotkel, who had only recently arrived in Iceland. His wife was called Grima. Their sons were Hallbjorn Sleekstone-Eye and Stigandi. These people had come from the Hebrides. They were all extremely skilled in witchcraft and were great sorcerers.

- Laxdæla saga

I’ve long thought it interesting JRRT’s use of the name Grima since, in the sagas, it’s a woman’s name (Grimr would be the masculine). And, as it’s Tolkien, I assume we can assume he knew what he was doing. Did he fully appreciate the implications in terms of gender and subversion of masculinity? Hard to say. But in terms of picking that name, I am sure he knew what he was doing with regards to the literary references and linguistic aspects. 

And yes, yes, Grima was based on Unferth from Beowulf (and god is the entire Entering Meduseld/King of the Golden Hall chapter just an entire transplant of the Beowulf Entering Heorot scene). But, in the naming of him, I’m sure Tolkien was aware of the witch Grima. Not to mention that Odinn is also associated with the name Grima since it means helmet/mask/specter and Odinn was known to go about in disguise and hidden from the eyes of the average person. And, of course, he was a known practitioner of seiðr. 

And the seiðr association! In the Laxdæla saga we meet Grima and her husband Kotkel who are both skilled in seiðr, a form of witchcraft/magic that is known for, among other things:

making illusions, 

causing madness and/or forgetfulness, 

brewing of potions and poisons, 

prophesying, 

channeling the dead, 

channeling gods, 

removal of elf-shot, and 

recovering lost portions of someone’s soul. 

(Then there’s animal transformation, causing storms and landslides etc.)

The first three listed are, of course, what LOTR Grima does to Theoden. 

And seiðr is, in Norse and Anglo-Saxon culture, a woman’s craft. It was considered unmanly/effeminate for a man to partake in it (you know, the whole winning a fight/battle via spells and poison is seen as undermining the Oo Ra Military Masculinity that was particularly strong in Nordic and A-S societies in the late antiquity and early medieval period).   

(So, with that said, that Grima’s husband is also associated with seiðr is interesting. But that’s a whole side conversation of magic and gender in Nordic and Anglo-Saxon society.) 

Anyway, I’m not going anywhere in particular with this. And I think LOTR Grima’s complication of gender in Rohan is pretty self-evident, both in the book and very much so in the movies. Coding the bad guy in a feminine manner is hardly new, same with coding the bad guy in a queered fashion. So, that’s much of a muchness with Grima. He is positioned within that classic trope. I’m just nattering away over here.  

Mostly, I’m pleased with the nod to Grima the Witch in the Laxdæla saga that I’m sure JRRT was doing on purpose, and the neat overlap between LOTR Grima’s skill-set with that of seiðr and all those delightful gender implications that fall out from this. 

For Insight Into Things Beyond The Earthly Realm

I drew this stave last year. It´s brilliant! Draw it yourself, don´t be a jerk and use it wisely!

Write this stave with red ink on white paper. Put it in a wooden box or carry it with you in your left breast pocket and insight into “heavenly things” will come to you.