Völva

Völva is an Old Norse term meaning “seeress” or “prophetess.” In Norse mythology and Germanic folklore, a völva (plural völvur) is a female practitioner of seiðr, a form of magic used to foretell the future and influence events. Völvur are often described as wanderers who travel to seek knowledge, and they are typically depicted as elderly women wearing robes or cloaks and carrying a staff or wand.

The most famous völva appears in the Poetic Edda: the speaker of Völuspá is a völva who recounts the creation of the world, the deeds of the gods, and the coming doom of Ragnarök. This poem presents the völva as a authoritative voice who gazes into the past and future to reveal the fate of the cosmos.

In other Norse sources, Odin is said to have sought prophecies from völvur, illustrating the authority attributed to seeresses and the role of seiðr as a powerful, and sometimes dangerous, form of knowledge. Völvur could offer guidance to rulers and communities, making their prophecies influential beyond private households.

Historically, seiðr and the völva tradition are often discussed in relation to gender and religion, with the practice commonly associated with women in legends and sometimes viewed with suspicion by Christianized authorities. The figure of the völva thus sits at the intersection of prophecy, magic, and female authority in old Norse belief.

Today the völva remains a symbol in scholarship, literature, and neopagan traditions of ancient female prophetic power and folk spirituality.