Old Norse literature abounds with descriptions of magic acts that allow ritual specialists of various kinds to manipulate the world around them, see into the future or the distant past, change weather conditions, influence the outcomes of battles, and more. While magic practitioners are known under myriad terms, the most iconic of them is the völva. As the central figure of the famous mythological poem Völuspá (The Prophecy of the Völva), the völva commands both respect and fear. In non-mythological texts similar women are portrayed as crucial albeit somewhat peculiar members of society. Always veiled in mystery, the völur and their kind have captured the academic and popular imagination for centuries. Bringing together scholars from various disciplinary backgrounds, this volume aims to provide new insights into the reality of magic and its agents in the Viking world, beyond the pages of medieval texts. It explores new trajectories for the study of past mentalities, beliefs, and rituals as well as the tools employed in these practices and the individuals who wielded them. In doing so, the volume engages with several topical issues of Viking Age research, including the complex entanglements of mind and materiality, the cultural attitudes to animals and the natural world, and the cultural constructions of gender and sexuality. By addressing these complex themes, it offers a nuanced image of the völva and related magic workers in their cultural context. The volume is intended for a broad, diverse, and international audience, including experts in the field of Viking and Old Norse studies but also various non-professional history enthusiasts. The Norse Sorceress: Mind and Materiality in the Viking World is a key output of the project Tanken bag Tingene (Thoughts behind Things) conducted at the National Museum of Denmark from 2020 to 2023 and funded by the Krogager Foundation.

This pioneering work offers a meticulous exploration of Scandinavian presence in Viking Age Poland. Unveiling the complexities and controversies of past research and delving into the nuances of reciprocal interactions between Western Slavic and Scandinavian populations as revealed through archaeology and medieval texts, the book casts genuinely new light on a previously overlooked part of the Viking world. In setting the stage for these investigations, the monograph traces the evolution of Viking and Old Norse studies in Poland. It covers the romanticisation of Norse culture and literature, the dark days of the Second World War when archaeology was strongly driven by violent ideologies, and the profound changes that occurred in academia after the fall of communism and Poland’s accession to the European Union. At the core of this book are thorough investigations into cross-cultural interactions along the shores of the southern Baltic as well as in the interior of Poland. Using first-hand analyses of archaeological evidence from bustling ports of trade, settlement sites, silver hoards, and burial grounds, it is argued that the relationship between the local Western Slavic population and the Scandinavian migrants was highly complex but overall very symmetrical. Crucial notions such as the construction of identity in diasporic communities, ritual behaviour, and the symbolic content of Viking Age material culture are also discussed at length, offering new insights into Scandinavian and Slavic minds. Enriched with high-quality illustrations, photographs, as well as artistic reconstructions, this book fills many blank spaces in the field of Viking studies and is intended both for professional audiences and general readers interested in the intricacies of our shared past.

When describing the transition from Old Norse religion to Christianity in recent studies, the concept of "Christianization" is often applied. To a large extent this historiography focuses on the outcome of the encounter, namely the description of early Medieval Christianity and the new Christian society. The purpose of the present study is to concentrate more exclusively on the Old Norse religion during this period of change and to analyze the processes behind its disappearance on an official level of the society. More specifically this study concentrates on the role of Viking kings and indigenous agency in the winding up of the old religion. An actor-oriented perspective will thus be established, which focuses on the actions, methods and strategies applied by the early Christian Viking kings when dismantling the religious tradition that had previously formed their lives. In addition, the resistance that some pagan chieftains offered against these Christian kings is discussed as well as the question why they defended the old religious tradition.

When her mother died after a long illness, Ingrid Torfa sold the family home to cover the medical bills. Her career as a book illustrator not yet exactly launched, Ingrid moved back to her mother's small hometown in northern Minnesota and the grandmother she scarcely remembered. Then she learned the truth she had forgotten since her early childhood: that Vikings still exist, and her grandmother serves as their spiritual leader and protector. Now Ingrid must leave the modern world behind for a time and immerse herself in this forgotten world. She must know if she has what it takes to serve the people of Villmark as her grandmother serves them. Or if her destiny lies instead among her friends in the modern world of Runde, Minnesota. No easy decision. But at least her magical cat Mjolner remains always by her side. Together, they can face anything either world can throw at them. Even if it’s murder. This box set includes the second three novels in THE VIKING WITCH COZY MYSTERIES KILLING IN THE VILLAGE COMMONS BLOODSHED IN THE FOREST CORPSE IN THE MEAD HALL

There's a new pupil at St Agnes' school in the historic city of Meresbury. She's a mysterious, otherworldly girl called Emerald Greene. A girl without a past, without a family or friends. When Jess and Richie decide to befriend her, they're in for a few shocks – for Emerald lives in a mansion which doesn't exist, and can see things nobody else can see. Meanwhile, Meresbury becomes home to a series of strange events. What is the secret of the tomb which the eccentric Professor Ulverston has unearthed in an ancient stone circle? Where does the talking cat come from? And why have Mr Courtney and his Special Measures operatives arrived in town? With unearthly apparitions stalking the land, Jess and Richie soon realise that their mysterious classmate might be the only one to know what's happening. But it seems Emerald Greene has her own secrets – and nobody is quite sure whose side she is really on...

Fate’s relentless call, and a treacherous path to embrace it Kyiv, Gardarike 883 CE Astrid navigates an uncertain future when she arrives at the court of Grand Prince Oleg in Kyiv. Her reunion with her husband, Kjarr, is long-awaited but bittersweet. She has yet to tell him of their daughter’s death, her own near-fatal encounters, and the reappearance of a former lover. She is not the only one with secrets to tell. A skald weaves a haunting melody of impending sorrow as a forbidden union threatens the burgeoning Rus’ dynasty. Prince Mal, the war-hungry Drevlian leader, bears the brunt of Grand Prince Oleg’s desire for territorial domination. Behind the facade of noble boyars, fierce druzhina warriors, and their cunning wives, the Kyiv court becomes a battlefield of treachery and deadly rivalries. With destiny and loyalty hanging in the balance, Astrid must trust the voice that guides her, even if that means defying her husband. As her fate intertwines with the Kyiv nobles and their pursuit of power, Astrid must grapple with duty and her ambition, a struggle that will shape the future of the Rus’. From the author Books in the Viking Trading Lands Series 1. Oath Undo Me 2. No One's Viking 3. Serve the Worthy 'A smartly plotted Viking drama' The Wishing Shelf Awards. Formanek's Viking Trading Land Series follows Astrid as she travels from her native Svealand in the 9th-century, for the trading lands of the Rus' Gardarike lands. Though Astrid is met with opportunity in this new land she soon realises everything has a price and war almost always makes men monsters. And, as she navigates the competing powers of the land, the court of Grand Prince Oleg, and the realities of Viking Age trade, she must trust the forces that guide her. Astrid must grapple with duty and her ambition, a struggle that will shape the future of the Rus'. The Viking Trading Lands Series is a powerful saga, rich in historical detail, with complex characters, and a fun-to-root-for heroine.

This book sets the notorious European witch trials in the widest and deepest possible perspective and traces the major historiographical developments of witchcraft

There is a wealth of jargon in the witchcraft community – from words related to sabbats, like Beltane and Samhain, to ingredients, rituals, and a myriad of tools. The Witch-ionary gathers all those terms in one easy to refer to place and gives newbie and beginner witches the guide they need to accompany them on their witchcraft journey. Filled with all the definitions that you could need, this A-Z of magickal words and their meanings reveals exactly what an “athame” is, and when you might use one, and explains when Beltane is and what you might do to celebrate it. All the way through to the end of the alphabet, all the terms that might crop up in a spell book are explained – along with why that spell book might be called a book of shadows! As more and more people enter the witchcraft world, the need for accessible resources to de-mystify the most mysterious of practices has never been clearer, and The Witch-ionary is the perfect book for baby and beginner witches to have at hand. Along the way there are ten simple ideas for rituals, spells, and practices to try and put the newfound knowledge from within the pages to good use, such as a simple house blessing for a happy home, a recipe for anti-anxiety bath salts, and the tips and tricks necessary for casting a magick circle. Written by Deb Robinson, founder of the hugely successful Witch Casket subscription box, The Witch-ionary distils her years of knowledge into a fun and informative format that respects that the modern witch is a busy witch! The perfect book to dip into for an answer to a witchy question, The Witch-ionary is the definitive handbook and that all beginner, baby and newbie witches need.