The Little Bones Women

About the Book

The Vǫlva, sometimes referred to as the little bones women, were herbal healing seers who were feared and respected by all. Young and fit, a Vǫlvas maintained their professional knowledge, protected their skills from outsiders, and safeguarded their practice through illusionary arts. Unfortunately, the church eliminated most of them around the fourteenth century. In a comprehensive history of these important figures to the Proto-Germanic tribes, Rig Svenson attempts to clear many of the misunderstandings that have been developed through modern interpretations of the Vǫlva’s original purpose. Within his unique presentation, he shares fascinating details about the Vǫlva’s wisdom and herbal knowledge, the iron age Nordic female magic, rites of passage, healing magic, magical staffs of old, Heimðallr and other supernatural beings, rune stick divination, hexes and killing arts, the nine main elements of a Vǫlva, and the chicanery of Seiðr. The Little Bones Women offers a thought-provoking historical account of the life and times of healing women whose practices during elder times became the forerunners of modern medicinal drugs and holistic therapies.

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