Icelandic magical staves
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Icelandic magical staves (sigils) are symbols credited with magical effect preserved in various grimoires dating from the 17th century and later.[1] According to the Museum of Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft, the effects credited to most of the staves were very relevant to the average Icelanders of the time, who were mostly subsistence farmers and had to deal with harsh climatic conditions.[1]
Table of magical staves
| Icelandic name and English translation | Manuscript description | Image |
|---|---|---|
| Að fá stúlku | Love from a woman to a man. [citation needed] |  |
| Ægishjálmur | Helm of awe (or helm of terror); to induce fear and to protect against abuse of power.[citation needed] |  |
| Angurgapi | Carved on the ends of barrels to prevent leaking.[citation needed] |  |
| Brýnslustafir | For use on whetstones.[citation needed] |  |
| Draumstafir | To dream of unfulfilled desires. [citation needed] |  |
| Dreprún | To kill an enemy's cattle.[2] |  |
| Feingur | A fertility rune.[citation needed] |  |
| Gapaldur | Two staves, kept in the shoes, gapaldur under the heel of the right foot and ginfaxi under the toes of the left foot, to magically ensure victory in bouts of Icelandic wrestling (glíma).[citation needed] |  |
| Ginfaxi |  | |
| Hólastafur | To open hills.[citation needed] |  |
| Kaupaloki | To prosper in trade and business.[citation needed] |  |
| Lásabrjótur | To open a lock without a key. |  |
| Máladeilan | To win in court.[3] |  |
| Nábrókarstafur | A pair of pants made from the skin of a dead man that are capable of producing an endless supply of money.[4] |  |
| Óttastafur | To induce fear.[5] |  |
| Rosahringur minni | A lesser circle of protection.[citation needed] |  |
| Smjörhnútur | Butterknot, to ensure butter was procured through non-magical means.[citation needed] |  |
| Stafur gegn galdri | Staves against witchcraft.[6] |  |
| Stafur til að vekja upp draug | To invoke ghosts and evil spirits.[citation needed] |  |
| Þjófastafur | For use against thieves.[7] |  |
| Tóustefna | To ward off foxes.[8] |  |
| Varnarstafur Valdemars | Valdemar's Protection Stave; increases favor and happiness. |  |
| Vatnahlífir | Protection against drowning. |  |
| Vegvísir | To guide people through rough weather. |  |
| Veiðistafur | For luck in fishing. |  |
Font
Following a visit to the Museum of Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft in the summer of 2006, Apostolos Syropoulos designed a font containing several of the magical staves.[9] This font is now included in the repositories of Fedora.[10]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Staves or magical signs"
- ↑ From a 17th-century grimoire, in the Antikvarisk-Topografiska Arkivet in Stockholm.
- ↑ From a 19th-century manuscript, lbs 4375 8vo, in the National Library in Reykjavík.
- ↑ http://www.galdrasyning.is/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=212&Itemid=60
- ↑ http://www.sunnyway.com/runes/warrior.html
- ↑ From a 17th-century manuscript, lbs 143 8vo, in the National Library in Reykjavík.
- ↑ From a 17th-century medical text, am 434a 12mo, in the Arnemagnean Collection in Reykjavík.
- ↑ From a 19th-century manuscript, lbs 4375 8vo, in the National Library in Reykjavík.
- ↑ "Magical fonts for the museum"
- ↑ Package "icelandic-fonts" at rpmfind.net
External links
- Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft
- List of the staves from the same page
- List of the staves at the Museum of Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft
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