seiðr

See also: seidr

English

Alternative forms

• seidr

Etymology

Borrowed from Old Norse seiðr.

Noun

seiðr (uncountable)

1. (Germanic paganism) A form of magic originating in Viking society and revived by modern pagans, incorporating ritualistic, shamanistic, and divinatory elements.
   • 2004, Leo Ruickbie, Witchcraft Out of the Shadows: A Complete History‎^[1], page 48:

     One of the special methods of seiðr was to cover oneself with a cloak or similar garment like a blanket, or an animal skin, or even just a hood.

   • 2016, Nicholas E. Brink, Beowulf's Ecstatic Trance Magic: Accessing the Archaic Powers of the Universal Mind‎^[2], page 212:

     To find the magic of seiðr we must give up our belief in the value of physical strength and power and our need to control others.

   • 2016, Stephen E. Flowers, Witchcraft Out of the Shadows: A Complete History‎^[3], page 13:

     It has also sometimes been said that seiðr is closer to what is commonly thought of as “shamanic” practice.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:seiðr.

Derived terms

• seiðworker

Old Norse

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsɛiðr̩/

Etymology 1

From Proto-Germanic *saidaz (“magic, charm”), from Proto-Indo-European *soytós (“magic; string rope”). Cognate to Lithuanian saitas (“tie, tether”), Proto-Germanic *saiþa- → Old High German seid (“cord”) (German Saite).

Noun

seiðr m

1. shamanism
2. magic, especially that influences the mind, such as charm, delusion, and hallucination
3. witchcraft, sorcery

Declension

Declension of seiðr (strong a-stem)

masculine	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	seiðr	seiðrinn	seiðar	seiðarnir
accusative	seið	seiðinn	seiða	seiðana
dative	seiði	seiðinum	seiðum	seiðunum
genitive	seiðar, seiðs, seiz	seiðarins, seiðsins, seizins	seiða	seiðanna

Derived terms

• seizla
• seiða
• seiðberendr
• seiðgaldr
• seiðhjallr
• seiðkona
• seiðlæti
• seiðmagnan
• seiðmaðr
• seiðskratti
• seiðsla

Related terms

• síða (“to bewitch”)

Descendants

• Icelandic: seiður
• → Norwegian Nynorsk: seid (learned)
• → Swedish: sejd (learned)
• → Danish: sejd (learned)
  • Norwegian Bokmål: seid
• → Proto-Samic: *siejtē (see there for further descendants)

See also

• galdr

Noun

seiðr m

1. (poetry) cord, string

Derived terms

• (kenning) endiseiðr (“Jǫrmungandr”, literally “the end-cord, the boundary-serpent”)
• (kenning) grafseiðr (“Fafnir”, literally “the grave cord, the cave-serpent”)

  Synonym: grafþueingr

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

seiðr m (genitive seiðs)

1.  coalfish, pollack, saithe (Pollachius virens)

Descendants

• Icelandic: seiður, ⇒ seiði
• Faroese: seiður
• Norwegian Nynorsk: seid, sei
  • Russenorsk: сайка (sajka)
  • → Swedish: sej
  • → Danish: sej
    • Norwegian Bokmål: sei
  • → Finnish: seiti, sei
• → English: saithe
• → Russian: сайда (sajda)