Galdr

Etymology

(plural galdrar) and or galdor (plural ġealdru) are derived from the reconstructed Proto-Germanic *galdraz, meaning a song or incantation. The terms are also related by the removal of an Indo-European -tro suffix to the verbs and , both derived from Proto-Germanic *galaną, meaning to sing or cast a spell. In Old High German the -stro suffix produced galster instead.

The German forms were Old High German galstar and Middle High German (MGH) galster "song, enchantment" (Konrad von Ammenhausen Schachzabelbuch 167b), surviving in (obsolete or dialectal) Modern German Galsterei (witchcraft) and Galsterweib (witch).

The Modern Scandinavian word for "crazy" (, , ) is a derivative of the same root as galdr, and originally referred to someone whose mind has been distorted by a spell. Other related descendants of these words are, ("to sing, call out, yell"), ("to yell, crowing of a rooster"), the latter component of English nightingale (from nihtegale), related to ġiellan, the verb ancestral to Modern English yell, also cognate with Dutch gillen ("to yell, scream").

Attestations

Old Norse

Some incantations were composed in a special meter named galdralag. This meter was similar to the six-lined ljóðaháttr, also used for ritual, but added at least one more C-line. Diverse runic inscriptions suggest informal impromptu methods. Another characteristic is a performed parallelism, see the stanza from Skirnismál, below.

A practical galdr for women was one that made childbirth easier, but they were also notably used for bringing madness onto another person, whence modern Swedish galen meaning "mad", derived from the verb gala ('to sing, perform galdr'). Moreover, a master of the craft was also said to be able to raise storms, make distant ships sink, make swords blunt, make armour soft and decide victory or defeat in battles. Examples of this can be found in Grógaldr and in Frithiof's Saga. In Grógaldr, Gróa chants nine (a significant number in Norse mythology) galdrar to aid her son, and in Buslubœn, the schemes of king Ring of Östergötland are averted.

It is also mentioned in several of the poems in the Poetic Edda, and for instance in Hávamál, where Odin claims to know 18 galdrar. For instance, Odin mastered galdrar against fire, sword edges, arrows, fetters and storms, and he could conjure up the dead and speak to them. There are other references in Skírnismál, where Skirnir uses galdrar to force Gerðr to marry Freyr as exemplified by the following stanza: 34. Heyri jötnar, heyri hrímþursar, synir Suttungs, sjalfir ásliðar, hvé ek fyrbýð, hvé ek fyrirbanna manna glaum mani, manna nyt mani. | 34. "Give heed, frost-rulers, hear it, giants. Sons of Suttung, And gods, ye too, How I forbid and how I ban The meeting of men with the maid, (The joy of men with the maid.)

A notable reference to the use of galdrar is the eddic poem Oddrúnargrátr, where Borgny could not give birth before Oddrún had chanted "biting galdrar" (but they are translated as potent charms, by Henry Adams Bellows below): 7. Þær hykk mæltu þvígit fleira, gekk mild fyr kné meyju at sitja; ríkt gól Oddrún, rammt gól Oddrún, bitra galdra at Borgnýju.

8. Knátti mær ok mögr moldveg sporna, börn þau in blíðu við bana Högna; þat nam at mæla mær fjörsjúka, svá at hon ekki kvað orð it fyrra:

9. "Svá hjalpi þér hollar véttir, Frigg ok Freyja ok fleiri goð, sem þú feldir mér fár af höndum." |

10. Then no more they spake, methinks; She went at the knees of the woman to sit; With magic Oddrun and mightily Oddrun Chanted for Borgny potent charms.

11. At last were born a boy and girl, Son and daughter of Hogni's slayer; Then speech the woman so weak began, Nor said she aught ere this she spake:

12. "So may the holy ones thee help, Frigg and Freyja and favoring gods, As thou hast saved me from sorrow now."

Old English

In Beowulf, ġealdru are used to protect the dragon's hoard that was buried in a barrow:

discas lágon ond dýre swyrd ómige þurhetone swá híe wið eorðan fæðm þúsend wintra þaér eardodon, þonne wæs þæt yrfe éacencræftig, iúmonna gold galdre bewunden þæt ðám hringsele hrínan ne móste gumena aénig nefne god sylfa sigora sóðcyning sealde þám ðe hé wolde --hé is manna gehyld-- hord openian· efne swá hwylcum manna swá him gemet ðúhte. | Beside them goblets and ewers stood, and dishes lay and precious swords, rusty and eaten through, as had they dwelt there a thousand winters in the earth's embrace. In that day that heritage had been endowed with mighty power; gold of bygone men was wound with spells, so that none among them might lay a hand upon that hall of rings, unless God himself, true King of Victories, granted to the man he chose the enchanter's secret and the hoard top open, to even such among men as seemed meet to Him.|attr1=Old English text|attr2=Tolkien Translation}}

Medieval tradition

During the Middle Ages, the term galdr (Old Swedish: galder, gallir; Old Icelandic: galdr; ) often became synonymous with "witchcraft" and "magic" as a whole. In Old Swedish and Old Icelandic, a word for witch was "galdr woman" (Old Swedish: galderkona, gallirkona; Old Icelandic: galdrakona; ).

In Medieval Sweden, a drawn or written spell or incantation was called a "galdr letter" (Old Swedish: galdra breff, , roughly "written spell"). Such, intended to make the holder invulnerable, could be worn as an amulet (for example around the neck) and was called a "sword letter" (Old Swedish: swärdhbref, ; Old Danish: sværdbrev, ). This type of drawn spell was later banned.

There exist records from the 16th century of Icelandic Medieval magic sigils called "galdr staves" (, roughly "magic glyph"), today commonly referred to as Icelandic magical staves in English.

Interpretation and discussion

It was performed by both women and men. Some scholars have proposed they chanted it in falsetto (gala).

Notes

Bibliography

• Schön, Ebbe. (2004). Asa-Tors hammare, Gudar och jättar i tro och tradition. Fält & Hässler, Värnamo. .
• Steinsland, G. & Meulengracht Sørensen, P. (1998): Människor och makter i vikingarnas värld. .

References

1. The article ''Galder'' in ''[[Nationalencyklopedin]]'' (1992)
2. (14 October 2021). "galdr".
3. (15 October 2021). "gealdor".
4. (22 July 2022). "gala".
5. (24 October 2020). "galan".
6. [https://runeberg.org/svetym/0265.html Hellquist, E. (1922). ''Svensk etymologisk ordbok''. C. W. K. Gleerups förlag, Lund. p. 177]
7. "galen". [[Swedish Academy]].
8. (4 July 2022). "nightingale".
9. The article ''Galdralag'' in ''[[Nationalencyklopedin]]'' (1992)
10. Steinsland, G. & Meulengracht Sørensen 1998:72
11. The article ''[https://runeberg.org/nfbi/0309.html galder]'' in ''[[Nordisk familjebok]]'' (1908).
12. Turville-Petre, E.O.G. (1964). "Myth and Religion of the North: the Religion of Ancient Scandinavia". Holt, Rinehart and Wilson.
13. Schön 2004:86
14. ''[http://www.heimskringla.no/original/edda/skirnismal.php Skírnismál]'' {{webarchive. link. (2007-09-10 at «Norrøne Tekster og Kvad», Norway.)
15. ''[http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/poe/poe07.htm Skirnismol]'' in translation by [[Henry Adams Bellows (businessman). Henry Adams Bellows]].
16. ''[http://wayback.vefsafn.is/wayback/20070508165347/http://www.heimskringla.no/original/edda/oddrunarkvida.php Oddrúnarkviða]'' at «Norrøne Tekster og Kvad», Norway.
17. ''[http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/poe/poe33.htm The Lament of Oddrun]'' in [[Henry Adams Bellows (businessman). Henry Adams Bellows]]' translation.
18. "Beowulf".
19. (2014). "Beowulf : a translation and commentary, together with Sellic spell". Harper Collins Publishers.
20. (14 October 2021). "galder".
21. The article ''galder'' in Henrikson A., Törngren D. and Hansson L. (1998). ''Stora mythologiska uppslagsboken''. {{ISBN. 91-37-11346-1