Women's roles as völvas and seid-women in Norse and Sami tradition.

Female shamans, such as völvas, noaidis, and seid-women, played a significant role in both Norse and Sami tradition. Their influence extended across many aspects of society, from religious rituals to healing and divination. This article explores their roles, practices, and significance in these two cultures.

Völvas in Norse tradition

In Norse culture, völvas were highly respected female shamans and seeresses. The word "völve" comes from the Old Norse "vǫlva", meaning "staff-bearer", and refers to the magical staff they often carried. The völvas were known for their ability to practise seid, a form of magic that involved divination, communication with spirits, and the manipulation of fate.

Roles and practices

Divination: Völvas were often consulted to predict the future. They could perform complex rituals to obtain visions of coming events.
Seid rituals: These could include trance states, spirit journeys, and communication with gods and spirits.
Healing: Völvas were regarded as powerful healers, able to cure both physical and spiritual ailments.
Counsel: They often gave advice to kings and chieftains on important matters.

The status of the völvas in society was ambivalent. They were both feared and respected for their powers. In Norse literature, such as in the Saga of Erik the Red, we find descriptions of völvas who are treated with great reverence when they visit farms to perform divination rituals.

Seid-women in Norse tradition

Seid-women were closely related to the völvas, but focused more specifically on the practice of seid. Seid was a form of magic that was considered especially powerful and potentially dangerous.

Roles and practices:

Manipulation of fate: Seid-women could supposedly influence events and people's destinies through their rituals.
Spirit journeys: They could send their spirit out of the body to gather information or influence events at a distance.
Weather magic: Some seid-women were known for being able to control the weather, a valuable ability in a society dependent on agriculture and seafaring.

Seid was often associated with Freyja, the goddess of fertility, and was generally considered a female practice. Men who practised seid risked being seen as unmanly, something reflected in the myth of Odin, who learned seid from Freyja despite the social stigma.

Female noaidis in Sami tradition

In Sami culture, the noaidi (shaman) was a central figure in society, and female noaidis held an important place. Although historical sources often focus on male noaidis, more recent research suggests that female noaidis were just as common and respected.

Roles and practices:

Healing: Female noaidis were known for their healing abilities, especially in women's health and midwifery.
Spirit journeys: With the help of drum rituals, they could travel to the spirit world to communicate with gods and spirits.
Protection of the community: They performed rituals to protect the community against illness, accidents, and evil spirits.
Guidance: They gave advice on important decisions and helped resolve conflicts in the community.
Transition rituals: Female noaidis often played an important role in rituals connected to birth, puberty, and death.

Sami female shamans often used rune drums (goavddis) in their rituals, a sacred instrument that served as a map of the spiritual world. They were also known for their knowledge of sacred places in nature and the use of sacred plants in their practices.

Similarities and differences

Both Norse and Sami female shamans shared some common traits:

They were regarded as intermediaries between the physical and the spiritual world.
Both groups practised forms of trance states to achieve visions or communicate with spirits.
They played important roles in healing and divination.

Differences included:

Norse völvas and seid-women were often itinerant, while Sami noaidis were typically more integrated into their local communities.
Sami female shamans had a more pronounced role in nature-based rituals and in maintaining the balance between humans and nature.
Norse seid was more explicitly connected to specific deities (such as Freyja), while Sami shamanism had a more animistic approach.

Challenges in research

The study of female shamans in both Norse and Sami tradition has faced several challenges:

Lack of written sources: Much of the knowledge of these practices was transmitted orally and was lost over time.
Christian influence: After Christianisation, many of these practices were suppressed or demonised, which affected later descriptions.
Gender bias in historical sources: Male historians and missionaries often focused more on male religious leaders.
Cultural appropriation: In modern times there have been cases of misuse and misrepresentation of these traditions.

Modern rediscovery

In recent years there has been a growing interest in rediscovering and revitalising these traditions. This has led to new research and a reevaluation of the role of female shamans in both Norse and Sami culture. Modern practitioners of shamanism and Norse religion have often drawn inspiration from these historical female shamans.

Sources:

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