þátt

Átt is an Old Norse term meaning “magic, sorcery, or a spell,” and it continues to appear in modern Icelandic with a similar sense. The word is cognate with Old English *geald* (“incantation”) and Old High German *magâ* (“magic”), reflecting a shared Germanic heritage. In the medieval Icelandic sagas and Eddic poetry, átt denotes the practice of influencing events through supernatural means, often associated with seiðr, a form of shamanistic magic performed primarily by women. Examples occur in the Poetic Edda, where the goddess Freyja is described as a practitioner of magic, and in the Íslendinga saga, where characters employ spells to protect property or to curse rivals.

Scholars distinguish between “átt” as a neutral term for magical technique and the moral connotations that can be attached in Christianized contexts, where magic was increasingly viewed as illicit. In the 13th‑century law code Grágás, the use of åt is prohibited, reflecting the growing ecclesiastical influence on Icelandic legal culture. Nonetheless, the concept persisted in folk belief, appearing in later collections such as the 19th‑century “Íslenskar þjóðsögur” where protective charms and love spells are labeled as “átt”.

In contemporary Icelandic, átt is used mainly in literary or historical discussions of pre‑Christian Norse culture; its everyday usage has largely been replaced by loanwords such as “töfrar” (miracle, wonder). The term also survives in Icelandic place names and family surnames derived from ancestors reputed to possess magical abilities. Academic interest in átt continues within the fields of Viking studies, folklore, and comparative mythology, where it serves as a focal point for exploring the intersection of religion, magic, and law in early Scandinavian societies.