theasatrucommunity:

Hail the Volva! Hail the wise woman! 

The Volva was a woman who was not only wise but also a practitioner of Seidr. The Volva was a follower of Freyja , who is said to be the original practitioner of Seidr, and while some men did practice Seidr it was usually the fairer sex that did. The Volva would cast aside her normal role in society to wander far and wide giving her spiritual services in return for room and board. The Volva held immense power and respect, a lot of the time holding more power than a chieftain’s wife but in different aspects. While a chieftain’s wife would also choose to serve Freyja, her role was different than that of the Volva.

The Volva would be called for before battle and if she saw fit the army would fight, if she saw defeat the army would fight another day if possible. Weaving her magic the Volva could either doom or bless a man and army.

Women filled many roles in Norse society, from the lowest to the highest and many times in ways that were unique to women. Women held rights that were not given to women of other cultures of the time . Some took up arms and fought with men on the field of battle, a woman carried the chosen slain to the Great Halls and as such it should never be forgotten the power women hold , the power of death and the power of life, for it is not your sex that makes you great, it is your worth that makes you great.

Photo credit: elenasamko