vǫlva

See also: volva, völva, and vølva

Old Norse
FWOTD – 28 April 2017

Etymology

From Old Norse vǫlr (“staff”), an apparent characteristic of the vǫlva.

Pronunciation
  • (9th century West Norse) IPA(key): /ˈwɔlwa/
  • (12th century Icelandic) IPA(key): /ˈvɔlva/

Noun

vǫlva f (genitive vǫlu, plural vǫlur)

  1. völva; prophetess, seeress, witch
    • Baldrs draumar, stanza 4:
      Þá reið Óðinn
      fyrir austan dyrr,
      þar er hann vissi
      vǫlu leiði;
      nam hann vittugri
      valgaldr kveða,
      unz nauðig reis,
      nás orð of kvað.
      Then rode Odin
      before the eastern door:
      there, he knew, was
      the seeress’ grave;
      He began (wise in witchcraft)
      to sing a spell to wake the dead,
      until reluctantly she rose
      and spoke a dead woman's words.

Declension
  Declension of vǫlva (weak wōn-stem)
feminine singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative vǫlva vǫlvan vǫlur vǫlurnar
accusative vǫlu vǫluna vǫlur vǫlurnar
dative vǫlu vǫlunni vǫlum vǫlunum
genitive vǫlu vǫlunnar vǫlna vǫlnanna
Genitive plural forms are unattested.

Coordinate terms

Derived terms
  • Vǫluspá

Descendants
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