SEIDHR AND SEIDHRWORKERS: Recovering shamanic practice in contemporary Heathenism
Pomegranate November 1, 1998 DOI: 10.1558/pome.v13i6.6 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Historical analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Shamanism |
| Key points | Describes the detailed practices and attire of a seeress performing seidhr rituals in a Greenland settlement, as recorded in the Saga of Eirik the Red. |
Abstract
The Saga of Eirik the Red describes the visit of a spákona, a seeress, to a Greenland farm, one thousand years ago. Her clothing and shoes, her staff and cloak, are detailed. She is asked to predict the progress of the community; she eats a meal of the hearts of the farm animals, and the next day a “high seat” is made ready for her, where she will sit to foretell. She engages in ritual practices known as seidhr, which requires a special song to be sung to “the powers” in order that she may gain their knowledge, in trance.