Fósturvísum

Fósturvísum is a term found in Icelandic folklore and traditional prenatal beliefs referring to signs or omens associated with pregnancy that were believed to reveal attributes of the fetus or outcomes of the birth. The word combines fóstur (fetus) and vís (sign, omen), and in historical contexts it was used to describe a range of indications thought to foresee health, temperament, or fate of the child.

In traditional practice, communities sometimes interpreted various prenatal cues—such as the mother's dreams, unusual pregnancy symptoms, cravings, or reactions of animals near the household—as fósturvísum. When such signs were observed, they might influence decisions about care, upbringing, or prognosis within the family or among local healers. The concept sits within a broader field of folk medicine and prenatal folklore, where bodily signs during pregnancy were linked to future characteristics of the child.

Scholars treat fósturvísum as part of historical belief systems rather than a medical or scientific framework. In modern Icelandic, the term is rarely used outside discussions of folklore, and contemporary obstetrics relies on evidence-based prenatal care rather than omens. The study of fósturvísum intersects with the analysis of traditional gender roles, medical pluralism, and the ways communities manage uncertainty around childbirth.

See also: Icelandic folklore, folk medicine, pregnancy in history, prenatal signs, obstetrics.