Get the Look: Viking Völva from Fyrkat

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

The fort of Fyrkat

The fort 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 reclaim South Jutland.

The fort consisted of a circular wall with four gates facing each other, connected by two main roads. Within the walls stood 16 longhouses. Outside the northeastern gate lay a cemetery with at least 30 graves. The grave of völva Raghnild, grave 4, was the most luxuriously furnished. She was buried in a wagon, which was more often done for women of high rank. This may have been intended to transport her body to the afterlife, or was a status symbol.

The völva, or seeress

Harald Bluetooth was Denmark's first Christian king and reportedly demanded that his subjects convert as well. Nevertheless, Raghnild's grave is clearly pagan and perhaps testimony to a period when old and new religions were practiced side by side.

The name völva literally means 'staff bearer' and indeed there are various Scandinavian graves where women were buried with a metal staff. According to the sagas, the völva regularly traveled through the land to the houses of chieftains and wealthy farmers. She sat on a high seat, with her staff in hand, and sang or performed some other kind of ritual to enter a trance. In trance she would be able to predict the future.

The magic of the völva was called seiðr and was associated with the manipulation of fate. It involved the use of rituals, songs and sometimes the help of spirits. Seiðr was often considered the magic of a woman and 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 arrival of Christianity, seiðr was gradually considered harmful and laws were passed to ban the practice.

Völva composition

Völva dress & underdress

Völva Raghnild was buried in a blue and red dress, decorated with gold thread.

During her lifetime, the völva would also have worn an underdress. She could easily afford to wear multiple layers.

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

Hangeroc & brooches

The hangeroc is a garment often associated with Viking women. Because no pair of brooches was found, our völva probably did not wear a hangeroc when she was buried. We've added the hangeroc to create a more layered look.

Raghnild was buried with a box brooch. To fasten the hangeroc straps, the völva would have also needed brooches. We chose a smaller set of box brooches. It should be noted that drum brooches were probably not used to fasten hangerocs.

Shawl

The reconstruction from the Danish national museum shows a thin shawl or veil with the völva. Our shawls or wraps can be worn in various ways.

Box brooch

Our völva was buried with a drum or box brooch. This is a type of brooch found almost exclusively on the island of Gotland, an important trade hub in the Viking age. We used the brooch to fasten Raghnild's shawl, but in her grave the brooch contained lead white. Lead white is a white dye that is toxic when concentrated. It can be used for skin salves or possibly for face paint.

Shoes

Völva Raghnild wears simple, low shoes, based on a find from Hedeby. Because this völva was well-off, she probably didn't need to wear sturdier boots.

Belt

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

Glass pot

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

Pouch

Völva Raghnild carried a bag containing henbane seeds. When thrown in fire, the smoke is hallucinogenic. The grave also contained a copper pot with traces of some kind of fat. A mixture of henbane and fat smeared on the body would cause intense hallucinations. This salve is also known as witch's ointment.

Knife

A knife and whetstone were two very important tools, even for women of high status. It would be used for everyday tasks, but possibly also for rituals. Here too, the knife used in this reconstruction is based on a find from Gotland.

Duck foot pendant

The duck foot pendant attached to her belt is one of only two examples from the Viking world. It may have come from Russia. Because we don't have this type of jewelry, we've depicted the pendant as a jewelry distributor, and three fish head jewels from Gotland.

Staff

Völva Raghnild was buried with her staff, which she likely used for magical rituals. Some interpret it as a 'cooking spit', although this seems unlikely. The original was made of iron and had bronze fittings.

Drinking horn

The reconstruction from the Danish national museum shows two drinking horns, placed at Raghnild's feet.