Witchcraft

One kind of Seidr magician was the "burgrune" which means "whisperer from a high place". In the early centuries CE Romans sought to negotiate peace with Germanic tribes, and were surprised that they had to negotiate not with chieftans but with female burgruner. Tacitus said, "They believe that there resides in women an element of holiness and a gift of prophesy," he continues, "and as the superstition grows, attribute divinity to them." The burgrune was immured in a high tower, and one of her relatives would go back and forth with questions and answers as an intermediary.

Another kind of Seidr practitioner was the female Volva. People would invite them to their home and prepare a good reception with feasts and gifts. At one time the volva were able to travel in groups, but they became isolated as their practices were outlawed. They were not just mediums, but miracle workers and counselors.

The volva would carry a pouch suspended from her waist, containing numerous magical and practical tools. She also carried a staff which represented the World Tree, a means to travel from one world to the next. Later they were depicted as riding broomsticks. One saga tells that the volva needed a magical song to be sung to put her into a trance. This is common among shamans across the world, as well as dancing and drumming. The goddesses of the volva were Frigg, who was portrayed riding a staff, and Freya, who travelled between worlds in the form of a hawk.

Some seeresses presented themselves as earthly incarnations of goddesses, such as the Wyrd Sisters, controllers of fate. People would come to them with their new born children to ask what their fate would be.

The gifted magician would communicate with nature spirits, gods, and ghosts, on the behalf of normal tribes people. One story tells how when a wise woman put her hands on her hips, you could look through the gap under her arm and see spirits that were otherwise invisible.

The hedgerow symbolised the boundary between worlds. Someone who was capable of crossing the boundary whilst in life was called a Hedge-Rider or Hedge-Witch. They served a role similar to the Siberian Shaman, in that they would cross into the Otherworld on other's behalves. They could go to communicate to the dead, or to save the souls of those who's life was at risk.

Scrying crystals, the sieve and shears, poppets, written charms, divining rods, witch bottles, swords, wands and knives were used in Witchcraft. All sorts of animal (including human) parts, vegetables, cloth, glass, pottery, and metal or mineral fragments were employed in "receipts" for magical work.

Witches were often associated with certain animals, as it was believed that they could transform their spirits into other shapes while travelling outside of their own body. The Raven was associated with witches because it is often seen on the battlefield tending to the dead. The Goose was associated with witches because it could traverse the boundaries of the realms of earth, water, and air. Crepuscular animals were often associated with witches, because they are active at transition times between day and night. Times of transition were seen as allowing passage into the Otherworld.

The 12th centuryC. E. Law of Vastgotaland states:

"Woman, I saw you riding on a fence switch with loose hair and belt, in the troll skin, at the time when day and night are equal."

The troll skin is a mask that the witch wears to disguise herself in the Otherworld. The witch was also portrayed riding on a pole such as a broomstick, pitchfork, or distaff. It is thought that the pole was covered in a flying ointment, a concotion of drugs to aid the witch in spirit travel. Drugs commonly used were aconite, belladonna, and hemlock.

Witches were thought to gather together at times of transition between the Seasons of light and dark. Most popular were Beltane (April 31-May 1) and Samhain (Oct 31-Nov 1).

Using the word "witch" today implies a connection the Northern European tradition of magic. Anthropologists have used the word to describe all magicians across the world, but we must recognise that they have their own terms for their own traditions.

Witchcraft seems to have evolved over the years, dropping its paganism under the pressure of the church. Heathens found it quite easy to convert because their old temples were used as churches and their old gods could be turned into saints or angels. In Anglo-Saxon Britain, Jesus Christ was considered the same as the Heathen Hero-Gods and was even portrayed the same as them, with white skin, blue eyes, and similar dress.

It seems unlikely that Witchcraft was able to survive through the generations, because anglo-saxon witches were illiterate and could only have passed their information on as an oral tradition. Heathen practices had been outlawed, and in 1735 the Witchcraft Act was created to outlaw Witches.

Magical practices such as mediumship continued in Britain, becoming a popular entertainment in the 19th century. Finally in 1951 the Witchcraft Act was repealed and replaced with the Fraudulant Mediumship Act.