As introductory to the Voluspa, the following description of a
wandering Vala or prophetess may be thought both desirable and
interesting: "We find them present at the birth of children, when they
seem to represent the Norns. They acquired their knowledge either by
means of _seid_, during the night, while all others in the house were
sleeping, and uttered their oracles in the morning; or they received
sudden inspirations during the singing of certain songs appropriate to
the purpose, without which the sorcery could not perfectly succeed.
These seid-women were common over all the North. When invited by the
master of a family, they appeared in a peculiar costume, sometimes
with a considerable number of followers, e.g. with fifteen young men
and fifteen girls. For their soothsaying they received money, gold
rings, and other precious things. Sometimes it was necessary to compel
them to prophesy. An old description of such a Vala, who went from
guild to guild telling fortunes, will give the best idea of these
women and their proceedings":--
"Thorbiorg, nicknamed the little Vala, during the winter attended the
guilds, at the invitation of those who desired to know their fate, or
the quality of the coming year. Everything was prepared in the most
sumptuous manner for her reception. There was an elevated seat, on
which lay a cushion stuffed with feathers. A man was sent to meet her.
She came in the evening dressed in a blue mantle fastened with thongs
and set with stones down to the lap; round her neck she had a
necklace of glass beads, on her head a hood of black lambskin lined
with white catskin; in her hand a staff, the head of which was mounted
with brass and ornamented with stones; round her body she wore a
girdle of agaric (knoske), from which hung a bag containing her
conjuring apparatus; on her feet were rough calfskin shoes with long
ties and tin buttons, on her hands catskin gloves, white and hairy
within. All bade her welcome with a reverent salutation; the master
himself conducted her by the hand to her seat. She undertook no
prophecy on the first day, but would first pass a night there. In the
evening of the following day she ascended her elevated seat, caused
the women to place themselves round her, and desired them to sing
certain songs, which they did in a strong, clear voice. She then
prophesied of the coming year, and afterwards, all that would advanced
and asked her such questions as they thought proper, to which they
received plain answers."
* * * * *
In the following grand and ancient lay, dating most probably from the
time of heathenism, are set forth, as the utterances of a Vala, or
wandering prophetess, as above described, the story of the creation of
the world from chaos, of the origin of the giants, the gods, the
dwarfs, and the human race, together with other events relating to the
mythology of the North, and ending with the destruction of the gods
and the world, and their renewal.