spae-craft (uncountable)
(paganism) The magical art of foretelling the future, used especially in Heathenry.
the art of determining orlog (defined as the law of how things will be, laid down by wyrd or fate and the three Norns)
usually by intuition or personal gnosis. Many of the Gods showed this ability:Odin and Freyja, for example. In the earlier
days of our folk, the most honoured female leaders of the tribes were the spae-women who advised the war-chiefs
concerning their battles with Rome. The most notable of these women was the Veleda, who fore-saw the victory of the
Batavi and gave rede for the tribe to rise against the Romans in 69 C.E. (Gundarrson). This is not the only example within
the literature, however. In fact, there are several instances where men and women possess fore-sight. Unlike seidr,
the spae-craft was not seen in as a negative practiced and those who practiced it tended to be looked up highly, even
honored.
How exactly spae-craft was practiced varies. Sometimes it seemed to call for special trance-techniques, as in the case of
[Norse name] the Lawspeaker who went under the cloak for two days before deeming Icelands religious future.
Other times, as in [long Norse name of specific saga] spae-craft seems to have been a matter of psychic sensing with no
special effort made. The matter was clearly a question of both personal character and the situation at hand (Gundarrson).
Like the term volva in Seidr, another term for spae-workers comes about: Thule. Like the volva, the thule sits upon a
raised seat and speaks inspiried words- believed to be from the Well of Wyrd. There, the thule has access to Oorlog and
divines from this. The thule may have sat on top of burial mounds as well- giving in to the idea that the wisdom and
information from the dead is given to, and channeled through, the speaker. This can overlap with the practice of
mound-sitting.
According to the 19th century Orkney folklorist, Walter Traill Dennison, the Orcadian wise-woman, or spae-wife, was
said to possess: “..all the supernatural wisdom, some of the supernatural power, without any of the malevolent spirit of
witches.
He goes on:
"The women of this class were skilled in medicinal and surgery, in dreams, in foresight and second-sight, and in forestalling
the evil influence of witchcraft. Such women were looked upon with a kind of holy respect.”
The spae-wife in Orkney was generally well-regarded in her local community, treated with an awed-respect that, in many
The spae-wife in Orkney was generally well-regarded in her local community, treated with an awed-respect that, in many
cases, probably bordered on fear.
Primarily regarded as healers, these women were indispensable members of each community, called upon for healing,
Primarily regarded as healers, these women were indispensable members of each community, called upon for healing,
childbirth, charms, protection from evil.