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SVERKER

MAGIC

Definition of Magic

  • magic = “the art and science of causing change in consciousness in accordance with will.”

    • produces change by working directly with consciousness. effects often spill over into physical world, but only indirectly

    • both will of person / people working magic + person / people upon whom magic is worked. can only be successful if it satisfies desires of all involved in the working.

Magic in the Pre-Christian Germanic World

  • consciousness = inherent quality of entire world. changing consciousness of cow or storm just as possible + natural as changing consciousness of human

  • magic = normal part of fabric of everyday life. practitioner of magic worked with basic principles that underlie workings of cosmos rather than against them. set apart by level of knowledge concerning cosmos in general and those upon whom was working

    • person who binds most successfully = person who knows beings to be bound and their desires the most thoroughly

  • conceptions of knowledge. most common + general word for “magic” is fjölkyngi (“great knowledge”)

  • knowledge of magical techniques; knowledge of beings involved in the working; knowledge of destiny

    • those who are aware of content of destiny and means by which one can alter its course: ability to alter that course (subject to constraints imposed upon one’s powers by one’s finitude and particularity

      • knowing the future, in order to keep it under some kind of control. ways of finding keys to hidden parts of reality and measuring what was given. limits are set -- lies within human condition to identify them and act within given space

      • in one sense given, but still opportunities for developing different strategies

    • Magic = ability to discern and to shape destiny.

Categories of magic

  • only type of magic clearly marked off from other kinds: seidr

    • ​form of “high” ritual magic practiced only by women / “unmanly”/transgendered men.

      • Men: delved into amorphous complex of “warrior shamanism”

  • galdr

    • centrally involves use of runes and incantations

  • variety of every day tasks to offer protection from illness, shelter from supernatural forces, assistance in childbirth, foresight about weather and harvests, recovery of list articles, etc.

  • galdr

    • ​predominately male rune magic

    • passive, benign

    • rooted in power of verse and song. spoken word held tremendous power

    • women barred from public speaking, rendering Galdr generally a male pursuit

      • accounts of women practicing Galdr too, in intimate rather than public settings

    • Galdr = magic of 'court'

    • male magic = "battle magic."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • seiðr

    • ​female ritual magic

    • "evil" (women speaking in public and chanting)

    • Seiðr = magic of 'community'

    • some form of astral or mental projection, with spindle to tether the spirit to the body. spindle as foci, sending mind out through line and into ether

    • “hardtwisted knowledge”

    • "crossdressing priests" / "transgender magic in Norse tradition"

  • Galdr (plural galdrar) = "spell, incantation"

  • usually performed in combination with certain rites

  • mastered by both women and men.

    • chanted in falsetto (gala)

  • incantations composed in special meter named galdralag

    • similar to six-lined ljóðaháttr but adds seventh line

    • performed parallelism,

  • practical galdr for = one that made childbirth easier

  • notably used for bringing madness onto another person

  • master of the craft = said to be able to raise storms, make distant ships sink, make swords blunt, make armour soft + decide victory / defeat in battles

  • vǫlur, seiðkonur and vísendakona.

  • also accounts of male practitioners (seiðmenn) but in practising magic -- brought asergi on themselves (sometimes persecuted)

  • magical practitioners would have had assistants to aid in rituals

  • manipulative aspects ran counter to masculine ideal of forthright, open behavior

  • undoubtedly located on 'one of society's moral and psychological borders'

  • sexual in nature, likely that it actually involved sexual acts. staff as imitation penis?

vǫlva

  • shamanic seeress

  • "wand carrier" or "carrier of a magic staff"

    • spákona / spækona = specialised Völva = "seer, one who sees"

  • practiced seiðr, spá and galdr (encompassed shamanism, sorcery, prophecy and other forms of indigenous magic) 

    • Seiðr -- connotations of ergi (unmanliness)

  • held in high esteem, believed to po

  • not considered to be harmless. held to influence battles with different means (wand)

  • völva = elderly woman, released from strong family bonds. travelled land, usually followed by retinue of young people, summoned in times of crisis. immense authority, charged well for services

  • aristocratic women: also expected to take part in warfare by manipulating weaving tools magically when spouses were out in battle

 

Wands and weaving

  • In theory: invisible fetters and bonds could be controlled from loom (loosened knot in woof, could liberate leg of her hero. / tied a knot, could stop enemy from moving) 

  • in spiritual way, women took part in battle

  • distaff possessed magical powers. basket-like shape in top, and similar to distaffs used for spinning linen

  • practicing magic was to send out spiritual threads

  • "peace-weavers", on part of völva to decide when to start wars by practicing magic.

 

 

 

Sexual rites and drugs

  • fertility = essential in Viking society, fertility rites. ribald songs that were sung during rituals. account on how horse's penis was worshipped by pagan family

  • Some wands appear to represent phallos, use of magic -- close associations with sexuality

    • possible that magic practices included sexual rites

  • known for art of seduction. warns against sexual intercourse with woman who is skilled in magic, risk of being caught in magic bond / getting ill

  • Freyja (mistress of seiðr) free sexual life= bad reputation in certain myths

  • use of drugs

 

Other practices

  • employ drums during sessions

  • útiseta ("sitting out")

    • involved meditation / introspection (purpose of divination)

      • aspect of seiðr reminiscent of shamanism

      • magician sat out at night under the open sky [...] especially to inquire into the future"

 

Male practitioners

  • not received with same respect but killed like animals + tortured to death (dealing with practice in domain of women)

  • "1. Be aware of what is around. Look before leaping. Don't rush into situations.
    2. Speak to those that you meet. Always be polite and courteous. Be truthful when they ask you questions
    3. If a creature asks to come with you, accept their company or help. (Caveat below -- if they put conditions on their help, be wary!)
    4. If some creature or person asks for help, give it. If the help is beyond your means, explain this -- the creature may tell you how to fulfill it. Your ally may assist you, if you ask. The help may be needed within the journey, or in ordinary reality.
    5. If you make a promise, keep it. This is regardless of whether it refers to actions within the journey, or those you should complete in ordinary reality.
    6. If some creature or person asks you to share food, share it.
    7. If a creature you've helped gives you a token, poem, or anything else, keep it. It will later be useful.
    8. If you undertake a task, do it to the best of your ability.
    9. If you cannot do a task, ask your ally or those with you.
    10. If you want to go home (return to a safe place in the journey, or wake to ordinary reality), say so..."

ancient oracular / 'shamanistic' techniques = seithr and spae-craft. 

 

  •  "...The shamanistic trolldom (magic), primarily performed by women (volver). seidwoman would fall into trance, while choir of other women would evoke guardian spirit to come to aid. spirits would inform her concerning the things she had been asked to ask; about what the weather was going to be, about events that would occur, about happiness and misfortune for man, acre and cattle. happened that her soul traveled to other worlds to fetch knowledge while body lay lifeless..." 

  • "two kinds of magick practiced among peoples:

  • Galdr

    • develops one's will and self control of conscience and environment, implements usage of symbols for communication or divination -- Runes, staves, et cetera.

  • Seidh

    • about the loss of one's control of self, conscience, and environment; inhibited sumbersion of one's self into something outside practicer's persona

    • Shamanism of North.

    • things commonly ascribed to shamans, although given entirely in negative terms (weather-working, affecting people's minds, spirit journeying, etc.)

      • seidh to cause storms at sea, get information about people or places who are distant, shape-change, etc.  going into trance to gain knowledge

    • "For man to take a female role, especially in sexual relationship = socially unacceptable ["ergi" shamefulness of seidh magic]

      • effeminacy and passive homosexuality = equated with magical power. unite powers of conscious and unconscious, intelligence and emotion.

      • cross-dressing = walk "between" genders, unite / balance within the abilities associated with each

    • variety of things that happen to seith folk when seething. (eyes roll upwards, body releases, coolness / heat, hot chill up the spine knocking joints apart. flow of power out of the depths of Hvergelmir)

    • "Seidhr = kind of evil magic practiced by Norse shamans -- especially female ones.

      • ancient form of magic practiced by Scandinavian peoples

      • connected to concept of "Chaos": theory upon which Seidhr works = similar to that upon which Chaos Magic works. based on a materialistic paradigm ("Ether" / Ginnung/Chaos).

      • to be contrasted with essentially symbolic theory underlying Galdr (semiotic and linguistic in character)

    • "crafts that deal with workings of soul, of changed awareness and trance, of faring to realms of god/esses and wights and calling them to speak in the Middle-Garth as well.

      • .practice of techniques: to unaccompanied beginner = even more dangerous than more limited forms of magic (galdr-craft)

      • All sorts of magic can twist one's wyrd / cause harm unmeant; practicing soul-craft, --> traveling out into perilous, unknown world filled with wights who may well not be friendly..."

      • "Trance = only first of states required for learning to effect a "sending". necessary for novice volva or vitki to learn effective use of Seidr magic

        • Blocking out "real world" distractions = paramount skill. without it: little can be accomplished in shadow realms. useful to clear mind and enhance shaman's ability to focus and visualize desired conditions.  achieve trance state by will alone.."

    • "own cosmology and customs for navigating realms of ecstasy"

    • "Shapeshifting / Hamfarir may or may not accompany such scrying ventures, although wise spáfolk do well to utilize animal allies to facilitate spirit-flight and safe return from journeying"

    • "Norse practitioners of various arts of magic = highly respected professionals, services valued by communities. men as well as women appear wielding arts of magic (by doing so -- men taking on female art --> endangered reputation and manhood)

      • women's magico-religious activities = associated with socially accepted and defined roles. reflect domestic duties <-> antithesis of woman's expected role

        • woman of Viking Age found magic in spindle and distaff, wove spells in threads of family's clothing, revenged herself on powerful using skills of sorcery." 

    • "Imbas Forosna = knowledge that illuminates; form of prophesy or enlightenment. "

    • "Spæ. "seeing with secondsight." active obtaining of information, knowledge, and wisdom whether about past, present, or possible future."

    • "to perform spæ, one must be able to go into trance. true regardless of whether method of spirit travel or method of inviting wights to them. first learn basic meditation techniques. empty mind meditation, silence own thoughts. develop  ability to sense that which is outside their mind. 

    • "ecstatic song as means for soul to journey. magic chanting."

    • "World Tree, shape shifting and drumming and dancing to induce trance..."

    • "'shaman' defined by the way they work. changes his or her state of consciousness, at will, in order to contact and/or travel to another reality to obtain power and knowledge. 

      • Healing = main work of shaman. concept of power (not power as might, but power as energy):

        • two main reasons for illness. something inside which should not be there (an unwanted power intrusion), or is missing something that should be there (power-loss)

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