Thorbjorg

This was a very lean time in Greenland. Those who had gone hunting had had poor catches, and some of them had failed to return.

In the district there lived a woman named Thorbjorg, a seeress who was called the ‘Little Prophetess’. She was one of ten sisters, all of whom had the gift of prophecy, and was the only one of them still alive.

It was Thorbjorg’s custom to spend the winter visiting, one after another, farms to which she had been invited, mostly by people curious to learn of their own future or what was in store for the coming year. Since Thorkel was the leading farmer there, people felt it was up to him to try to find out when the hard times which had been oppressing them would let up. Thorkel invited the seeress to visit and preparations were made to entertain her well, as was the custom of the time when a woman of this type was received. A high seat was set for her, complete with cushion. This was to be stuffed with chicken feathers.

When she arrived one evening, along with the man who had been sent to fetch her, she was wearing a black mantle with a strap, which was adorned with precious stones right down to the hem. About her neck she wore a string of glass beads and on her head a hood of black lambskin lined with white catskin. She bore a staff with a knob at the top, adorned with brass set with stones on top. About her waist she had a linked charm belt with a large purse. In it she kept the charms which she needed for her predictions. She wore calfskin boots lined with fur, with long, sturdy laces and large pewter knobs on the ends. On her hands she wore gloves of catskin, white and lined with fur.

When she entered, everyone was supposed to offer her respectful greetings, and she responded according to how the person appealed to her. Farmer Thorkel took the wise woman by the hand and led her to the seat which had been prepared for her. He then asked her to survey his flock, servants and buildings. She had little to say about all of it.

That evening tables were set up and food prepared for the seeress. A porridge of kid’s milk was made for her and as meat she was given the hearts of all the animals available there. She had a spoon of brass and a knife with an ivory shaft, its two halves clasped with bronze bands, and the point of which had broken off.

Once the tables had been cleared away, Thorkel approached Thorbjorg and asked what she thought of the house there and the conduct of the household, and how soon he could expect an answer to what he had asked and everyone wished to know. She answered that she would not reveal this until the next day after having spent the night there.

Late the following day she was provided with things she required to carry out her magic rites. She asked for women who knew the chants required for carrying out magic rites, which are called ward songs. But such women were not to be found. Then the people of the household were asked if there was anyone with such knowledge.

Gudrid answered, ‘I have neither magical powers nor the gift of prophecy, but in Iceland my foster-mother, Halldis, taught me chants she called ward songs.’

Thorbjorg answered, ‘Then you know more than I expected.’

Gudrid said, ‘These are the sort of actions in which I intend to take no part, because I am a Christian woman.’

Thorbjorg answered: ‘It could be that you could help the people here by so doing, and you’d be no worse a woman for that. But I expect Thorkel to provide me with what I need.’

Thorkel then urged Gudrid, who said she would do as he wished. The women formed a warding ring around the platform raised for sorcery, with Thorbjorg perched atop it. Gudrid spoke the chant so well and so beautifully that people there said they had never heard anyone recite in a fairer voice.

The seeress thanked her for her chant. She said many spirits had been attracted who thought the chant fair to hear – ‘though earlier they wished to turn their backs on us and refused to do our bidding. Many things are now clear to me which were earlier concealed from both me and others. And I can tell you that this spell of hardship will last no longer, and times will improve as the spring advances. The bout of illness which has long plagued you will also improve sooner than you expect. And you, Gudrid, I will reward on the spot for the help we have received, since your fate is now very clear to me. You will make the most honourable of matches here in Greenland, though you won’t be putting down roots here, as your path leads to Iceland and from you will be descended a long and worthy line. Over all the branches of that family a bright ray will shine. May you fare well, now, my child.’

After that people approached the wise woman to learn what each of them was most curious to know. She made them good answer, and little that she predicted did not occur.

Following this an escort arrived from another farm and the seeress departed. Thorbjorn was also sent for, as he had refused to remain at home on the farm while such heathen practices were going on.

With the arrival of spring the weather soon improved, as Thorbjorg had predicted. Thorbjorn made his ship ready and sailed until he reached Brattahlid. Eirik received him with open arms and declared how good it was that he had come. Thorbjorn and his family spent the winter with him.

The following spring Eirik gave Thorbjorn land at Stokkanes, where he built an impressive farmhouse and lived from then on.


- The Saga of Erik the Red (Eiríks saga rauða), Chapter 4


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Note: Though other terms are used here, the original text is referrring specifically to the use of seiðr. This is because of a translation choice, explained below. The following quotes are taken from the Glossary included with The Sagas of Icelanders: A Selection, the compilation which includes the translation of this source that I've used.

"magic rite: seiður: The exact nature of magic ritual, or seiður, is somewhat obscure. It appears that it was originally only practised by women. Although there are several accounts of males who performed this rite (including the god Odin), they are almost always looked down on as having engaged in an ‘effeminate’ activity. The magic rite seems to have had two main purposes: a spell to influence people or the elements (as in The Saga of the People of Laxardal, chs. 35–7, and Gisli Sursson’s Saga, ch. 18), and a means of finding out about the future (as in Eirik the Red’s Saga, ch. 4). There are evidently parallels between seiður and shamanistic rituals such as those carried out by the Lapps and Native Americans. See also seeress.

"magician: seiðmaður: Literally means ‘a man who practises seiður’. See also magic rite."