völvur

Völvur are female seers and prophets in Norse mythology and Icelandic folklore. The plural form völvur comes from the Old Norse vǫlva, a term used for a woman believed to possess prophetic powers, often through ritual practices such as seiðr and trance. In traditional contexts, völvur were regarded as custodians of hidden knowledge about the past, present and future, capable of interpreting omens, guiding rulers, and foretelling outcomes of events.

In Norse myth, the most famous völva is the speaker of the poem Völuspá in the Poetic Edda. The völva recounts creation, the deeds of the gods, and the coming of Ragnarök, providing a canonical example of the seeress as a voice that reveals fate and cosmic history. The figure embodies the cultural association between female sages and the power to reveal what lies beyond ordinary sight.

Historically, völvur appear in Icelandic saga and folklore as ritual specialists who could foretell destinies, advise on important decisions, and interpret signs from nature or the dead. Their practice often involved song, incantation, and trance, and they occupied a controversial space within Christianizing medieval society, perceived sometimes with reverence and sometimes with suspicion.

In modern times, the term völva and the concept of völvur persist in Icelandic language and literature, and are used in scholarly, poetic, and popular contexts to refer to seeresses or prophetic figures drawn from Norse heritage and renewed interest in folklore and neopagan traditions.