seithr
- noun
- Archaic
- In Norse society, seithr was believed to allow practitioners to enter a trance and see visions of the future.
Examples
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The practice of seithr was traditionally associated with female magic-workers in Norse mythology.
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Many believed that practicing seithr could reveal the future.
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Modern Neopagan groups sometimes attempt to reconstruct seithr ceremonies based on historical texts.
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Scholars have written extensively about the rituals involved in seithr.
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The ancient texts mention seithr as a powerful form of magic.
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Many historians study seithr to understand its significance in Norse culture and its connection to prophecy.
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The legends describe seithr as a mystical art that was often performed by women known as völvas.
Synonyms
A Norse type of magic that uses rituals and trance to see the future
Magic used by ancient Norse people in rituals to tell the future
A kind of Old Norse magic used for telling the future and changing events
An Old Norse magic ritual often performed by women who told the future
Old Norse magic used in ceremonies to enter trance and see the future
Surface Forms
Etymology
Seithr comes from the Old Norse seiðr, a word that originally meant 'cord' or 'thread', so it gives the image of 'weaving' or 'binding' power. So seithr is a kind of Norse magic linked to trance and prophecy, like 'weaving' fate.
