vǫlva

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

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

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.

• seiðkona
• spákona

• Vǫluspá

• Danish: vølve c
• → English: völva
• Faroese: vølva f
• Icelandic: völva f
• Swedish: völva
• Norwegian: volve, volva
• Norwegian Bokmål: volve m or f