Blog - Get the look: Viking völva (seeress) from Fyrkat

Get the look: Viking völva (seeress) from Fyrkat

The outfit presented in this blog is inspired by the grave of the so-called seeress of Fyrkat, Denmark. Although an exact reconstruction was not possible, we made an attempt to visualise what this woman looked like in life. We call her Raghnild.

The fortress of Fyrkat

The fortress of Fyrkat, near present day Hobro, Denmark, was built around 980 AD, presumably to control a trade route that ran between Aalborg and Aarhus. The construction was probably ordered by Harald Bluetooth as part of his campaign to reconquer southern Jutland.

The fortress consisted of a circular wall with four gates opposite to each other, linked by two main roads. Inside the walls stood 16 longhouses. Outside the northeastern gate lay a graveyard, which contained at least 30 graves. Raghnild’s grave, grave 4, was the most luxuriously furnished. She was buried in a wagon, which was done more often for woman of high rank. This was possibly meant to transport her body to the afterlife, or was a status symbol.

The Völva, or seeress

Harald Bluetooth was the first christian king of Denmark and would have required his subjects to convert as well. Nevertheless, Raghnild’s grave is clearly pagan and is, perhaps, witness of a period in which new and old religions were practiced side by side.

The name völva literally means staff bearer’ and indeed, there are several Scandinavian graves where women were buried with a metal staff or rod. According to the sagas, the völva frequently travelled through the land to the homes of chiefs and rich farmers. She would sit on a high seat, carrying her staff, and would chant, or perform another kind of ritual, to come into a trance. In trance, she would be able to predict the future.

The völva’s magic was called seiðr and was associated with the manipulation of fate and destiny. It involved the use of rituals, chants, and sometimes the assistance of spirits. Seiðr was often considered a woman's magic, and it was associated with the goddess Freyja. Seiðr was generally associated with women, and engaging in such practices could be viewed with suspicion among men.

With the coming of christianity, seiðr was slowly seen as harmful, and laws were issued to banish the practise.

Dress & underdress

Raghnild was buried in a blue and red dress, which was adorned with gold thread.

During her lifetime, she would have also worn an underdress. She could easily afford wearing multiple layers.

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/underdress-annecke-78005771.html

Raghnild’s burial dress was dyed blue, possibly with woad.

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/medieval-dress-freya-deep-blue.html

Hangeroc & brooches

The hangeroc is a piece of clothing commonly associated with Viking women. Since no twin brooches were found, Raghnild was probably not wearing a hangeroc when she was buried. We have added the hangeroc to create a more layered look.

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/hangeroc-alva-blue.html

Raghnild was buried with a box brooch. To fasten the hangeroc straps, she would have needed brooches as well. We have chosen a smaller set of box brooches. It is worth noting that drum brooches were probably not used to fasten hangerocs.

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/gotland-drum-brooch-bronze.html

Scarf

The reconstruction from the Danish national museum shows a thin scarf, or veil. Our scarves or wraps can be worn in various ways.

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/roman-wrap-tiberius.html

Box brooch

Raghnild was buried with a drum or box brooch. This is a type of brooch almost exclusively found on the island of Gotland, an important trade hub in the Viking age. We have used the brooch to fasten Raghnild’s scarf, but in her grave, the brooch contained white lead. White lead is a white dye, which is poisonous when concentrated. It could be used for skin ointments, or, possibly, face paint.

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/viking-drum-brooch-large.html

Footwear

Raghnild wears simple, low shoes, based on a find from Hedeby. Since she was well-off, she probably didn’t need to wear sturdier boots.

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/viking-shoes-alva.html

Belt

The belt used in this shoot is based on finds from Birka, Sweden.

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/birka-belt.html

Glass jar

Raghnild was buried with several objects hanging from her belt. A small glass object was fractured into several pieces. It has been interpreted as a glass container, which was a protective charm of some sorts, or contained ritual ingredients.

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/round-glass-jar.html

Pouch

Raghnild wore a purse which contained henbane seeds. When thrown into a fire, the smoke is hallucinogenic. The grave also contained a copper pot with traces of a fat of some sorts. A mixture of henbane and fat smeared onto the body would cause strong hallucinations. This ointment is also known as witch ointment.

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/historical-leather-pouch.html

Knife

A knife and wetstone were two very important tools, even for high status women. It would be used for mundane tasks, but possibly for ritual as well. Again, the knife used in this reconstruction is based on a find from Gotland.

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/gotland-vikingknife.html

Duck’s feet pendant

The duck’s feet pendant that was attached to her belt is one of the only two examples from the Viking world. It came possibly from Russia. Since we do not have this kind of jewelry, we have represented the pendant as a jewelry divider, and three fish head jewels from Gotland.

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/viking-jewelry-divider-oeland.html

https://www.celticwebmerchant.co.uk/gotland-fish-head-jewel-l-bronze.html

Staff

Raghnild was buried with her staff, which she probably used for magic rituals. Some interpret it as a ‘cooking spit’, though this seems unlikely. The original was from iron and had bronze fittings.