Seidr
Norse sorcery of fate and vision, linked to Freyja, practised in the sagas by women called volur and seen as shameful for men.
Also: seiðr, seid, norse sorcery
Seiðr is an Old Norse word for a form of magic, in the sagas used to see the future, shape events and influence minds. The myths say Freyja taught it to Odin, and the sagas give it an ambiguous reputation: a man who practised it risked the charge of ergi, a word for unmanliness. Its main practitioner is the volva, who sits on a high seat, as in Eiríks saga rauða. Written sources are late and from Christian authors, so how Viking Age seiðr was done is uncertain, with some archaeological hints from graves. Modern Heathen and Pagan groups, including in Scandinavia and North America, have built practices on it. Scholars separate these revivals from the medieval record.