vǫlva
Old Norse
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Inherited from Proto-Germanic *walwǭ, an agent noun of *waluz (“staff”), which was characteristic of Germanic seeresses.
Pronunciation
[edit]Noun
[edit]vǫlva f (genitive vǫlu, plural vǫlur)
- völva; prophetess, seeress, witch
- Baldrs draumar, stanza 4:
- Þá reið Óðinn / fyrir austan dyrr,
þar er hann vissi / vǫlu leiði;
nam hann vittugri / valgaldr kveða,
unz nauðig reis, / nás orð of kvað.- Then rode Odin / before the eastern door:
there, he knew, was / the seeress’ grave;
He began (wise in witchcraft) / to sing a spell to wake the dead,
until reluctantly she rose / and spoke a dead woman's words.
- Then rode Odin / before the eastern door:
- 13th century, Eiríks saga rauða, chapter 4:
- Sú kona var þar í bygð er Þorbjǫrg hét; hon var spákona, ok var kǫlluð lítil vǫlva.
- There was a woman there in the settlement named Thorbjorg; she was a prophetess, and was known as the little völva.
- Baldrs draumar, stanza 4:
Declension
[edit] Declension of vǫlva (weak wōn-stem)