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Vitki

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Vitki (from Old Norse: Wise one, pl. vitkar) was a sorcerer and magician in Norse Heathen societies. A Vitki could be men and women, experts in the tradition of Magic Runes, knowledge of the runes and healing ability as healers.[1] A Vitki was a shamanic figure during the pre-Christian medieval Scandinavia, sometimes compared to prophets and oracles. The vitkar could carry tattooed on their chests hugrúnar (runes to memory and loquacity).[2] Currently there's a Vitki figure in Germanic neopaganism.[3]

Norse sagas

The Norse sagas are testimonies of various methods of runic spells as well as good fortune divination techniques and practices that required the intervention of vitkar and völvas:

  • Bjargrúnar (Runes for birth).
  • Líknstafir and Audhstafir (brands for health).
  • Málrúnar (Runes of eloquence).
  • Sigrúnar (Runes of Victory), recorded that were used on garments, artifacts or weapons. Allegedly offered advantage in situations of risk and the battlefield.[4]
  • Gamanrúnar (Runes of joy or pleasure).
  • Ölrúnar (runes related to Alu).[5]

There were other less successful spells more related to the necromancy and is used to alter the lives of others as Myrkirstafir (dark marks), Bölstafir (evil marks) and Flaerstafir (brands of misfortune). In Old English the term Beadurun (Rune of conflicts) that was used clandestinely to wish misfortune. Many of these runes and spells are mentioned in Sigrdrífumál, although no other medieval evidence is giving support the existence of such magical signs.[6]

References

  1. ^ Sweyn Plowright (2006), The Rune Primer, Lulu.com, ISBN 1847282466 p. 64.
  2. ^ Velasco, Manuel (2012) Breve Historia de los Vikingos (versión extendida), Ed. Nowtilus, ISBN 978-84-9967-345-5 p. 152. (Spanish)
  3. ^ Edred Thorsson (2012), Futhark: A Handbook of Rune Magic, Weiser Books, ISBN 1609259262 p. 133.
  4. ^ Michael P. Barnes (2012), Runes: A Handbook, Boydell Press, ISBN 1843837781 p. 193.
  5. ^ Edred Thorsson (2012), ALU, An Advanced Guide to Operative Runology, Weiser Books, ISBN 1609256328 p. 6.
  6. ^ Michael P. Barnes (2012), Runes: A Handbook, Boydell Press, ISBN 1843837781 p. 193.
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