Winifred Hodge Rose
Here I discuss a healing charm from Anglo-Saxon times, one of the few written charms that show predominantly Heathen characteristics, though there are Christian admixtures as well. It is a perplexing piece of writing which a number of scholars have tried to interpret in different ways. Here I will present my own interpretation, which I believe is valid and which also provides useful guidance for those of us today who wish to engage in shamanic-type practices within an Anglo-Saxon / Germanic traditional framework. In my analysis of this charm, I believe it offers indications of shapeshifting, soul-theft, and both hostile and beneficial roles of otherworldly beings, which puts it into a framework of belief and practice which today we would call shamanism.
Because most readers are probably not interested in any detailed discussion of linguistic debates and proposed revisions of confusing parts of the text, I am keeping this to a bare minimum here. Those of you who are interested in more detail should consult the discussion on pages 166ff of G. Storms Anglo-Saxon Magic. I have here chosen the version of the text that makes the most sense to me (based primarily but not entirely on that of Rodriguez), which I present below in modern English. Two versions of the Old English text are provided at the end of this article. Here is the modern English version I am using:
Against a Dwarf
One must take seven little wafers, as are used in (Christian) worship, and write these names on each wafer: Maximianus, Malchus, Johannes, Martimianus, Dionisius, Constantinus, Serafion. Then the charm that is mentioned hereafter must be sung, first into the left ear, then into the right ear, then over the crown of the man’s head. And then let a virgin go to him and hang it on his neck. And do so for three days. Then he will be better.
Here came striding in Upon/Within (a) spider-wight,
He had his hama in hand, Said that you were his steed,
Laid his fetter on your neck. They began to set off from the land;
As soon as they had come away from the land, Then began his limbs to cool.
Then came striding in The dwarf’s sister;
Then she ended it And swore oaths
That this nevermore would be able To harm the sick,
Nor him who this galdor Could acquire,
Neither him who knew How to chant this galdor.
There is a good deal of scholarly debate about the symptoms or illness that this charm is supposed to cure. Most believe it is a fever because of the mention of the patient “cooling”, presumably the result of the cure. The fact that the herb dweorge dwostle (“dwarf dwostle” or pennyroyal) was used to treat fever, among many other ailments, seems to support this, with its apparent association of dwarves with fever (though this would not tell us whether dwarves are the bringers or healers of the fever). Those who credit this interpretation see the spider-wight in the charm as a beneficial being, binding the dwarf who is causing the disease and drawing him away from the patient.
Dweorgedwostle was also used to treat a sudden case of dumbness, an inability to speak. As Storms (p. 163) mentions, “sudden dumbness can only be caused by spirits or dwarfs, compare the sudden stitch”, referring to another Heathen charm against a sudden pain or cramp caused by elf-shot. My view is that the ailment here involves theft of one of the patient’s “souls” or vital bodies, most likely the Hama or etheric body of the patient. The sudden dumbness, probably caused or at least accompanied by mental disorientation, could certainly be a symptom of this condition. Here is my own line-by-line interpretation of this charm. I will discuss the instructions given at the beginning of the charm, later on in this article.
Line 1: Here came striding in Upon/Within (a) spider-wight,
The first line contains one of several points that I believe are significant but that have been dismissed by scholars I have read. All translations I have read make a significant change to the little word preceding “spiden wiht”. The Old English version reads Her com in gangan in spiden wiht. “In spiden wiht” is translated as “a spider wight.” However, “in” in Old English does not mean “a” or “an,” though scholars have assumed it was simply a scribal error and that “an” was the intended meaning. I disagree with this. “In” has several meanings, all having to do with time, purpose, or location; the meanings most likely to apply in this case are locational: “on, upon, into.” I believe this was not an error but the intended meaning: the dwarf, who is implied by the title of the charm but never mentioned by name, comes in where the patient is, riding upon or residing within a spider-wight. Here is the first clue that we are dealing with shape-shifting. Either the dwarf is riding in astral or etheric form upon a spider, or the spider itself is the shapeshifted dwarf. I incline toward the latter, for reasons contained in the next line of the charm.
As a final note on this first line, my taking the “in” at face value leaves us with no subject for the sentence: “Here came striding in, upon/within (a) spider-wight, he had his “hama” in his hand.” I believe that the failure to include any reference to the dwarf directly is a safety measure for the healer. Calling or referring to the dwarf directly would attract his dangerous attentions to the healer. That our ancestors believed direct reference was dangerous is widely attested to by their custom of referring to elves and other Otherworldly beings by flattering euphemisms such as “the good folk,” “the good neighbors,” etc. The healer here has the tricky job of ridding the patient of the dwarf, while making sure that the dwarf does not attach himself to the healer in revenge. Later we shall see how this is done.
Line 2: He had his hama in hand,
Moving on to the second line, a spider strides into the room, carrying his “hama” in his hand. All other interpretations of this charm that I have read pay little attention to the “hama,” apparently regarding it as simply a quaint detail, but looking at the charm overall, we can see that it is very concise, carrying no extraneous detail. It is reasonable to assume, then, that like every other detail in the charm, the fact that the spider is carrying his “hama” is an important part of the picture, an item of information that the healer must know about. To me, this “hama” is another clue given to the healer that we are dealing with a shapeshifting phenomenon.
“Hama” in Anglo-Saxon and other Germanic languages normally refers to several kinds of clothing – a shirt, shift or dress. We know, however, that in Old Norse the hama or hamr is the externalized – often shapeshifted – form of a person who is “hamrammr” or shape-strong, which can travel etherically and sometimes physically outside of the body in that form. One example of this was Kveldulf, the grandfather of Egil Skallagrimmson (Egil’s Saga Skallagrimmson Ch. 1) Another word used for this was hamhleypa, the ability to let the Hama shape-soul fare out in shape-shifted form (Stromback p. 21). Though it appears that “hama” is not used in such a way in Anglo-Saxon texts (all of which were written during Christian times), I have found one other instance in Anglo-Saxon writings that could indicate this meaning. This occurs in one of the homilies of Aelfric, a Christian cleric.
Aelfric is retelling the legend of the fatal contest that took place in Rome between the apostle Peter and his adversary Simon the Magus. Simon claims that he, too, is able to perform divine miracles and offers to prove this by taking flight off a high tower. He does this successfully, but eventually Peter is able by prayer to cast him out of the sky, crashing to his death on a rock. In discussing this feat with the emperor Nero, who is witness and judge of the contest, Peter refers (in the words of Aelfric) to Simon’s “deofolisc fitherhama” – his devilish feather-hama which was given to him by spirits supporting him with magic. The word fitherhama is translated as “wings” in modern English texts, but I think that more lies behind the word than simply normal wings on a bird. The identical word in Old Norse – “fjadhrhama” – occurs in the Eddic Thrymskvida, the tale of the theft of Thor’s Hammer, when Loki borrows Freya’s magical feather cloak and turns into a hawk or falcon to fly out in search of the Hammer. In both tales, the Old English and the Old Norse, the donning of the feather hama refers to a change of shape and physical function, whether partial (wings on a human form) or full (change into a different, winged form). Interestingly, in other accounts of this Christian legend, no mention is made of wings or feathers; Simon instead is held aloft in simple human form by invisible demons. It seems here that Aelfric – a very lively sermonist – is drawing on a cultural memory of shapeshifting to add drama to his sermon.
I believe, therefore, that the spider in our charm is actually the dwarf – the disease-causing entity – in shapeshifted form, and that the mention of the hama is a clue given to the healer about the shapeshifting nature of the spider/dwarf. A shaman-healer must always know about the nature of the spirit or entity one is dealing with, both for the healing to be effective and so that safety measures for oneself and one’s patient can be implemented. Failing to understand the nature of one’s adversary can be very dangerous. This is in principle the same as for a modern physician: making a false diagnosis and applying treatment based on this will be, at best, ineffective and at worst actually dangerous to the patient. In the charm, the dwarf has cleverly taken on the shape of a spider, in which he can easily sneak up on his victim and “bridle” him with his spider-silk. To undo the dwarf’s evil magic, this tactic of his must be recognized for what it is.
Lines 2-3: Said that you were his steed, Laid his fetter on your neck.
Proceeding to the next lines of the charm, the dwarf / spider says that you (the victim) are his steed and lays his fetter on your neck. Here we come to a kind of evil magic that occurs in folktales from Germanic lands, including Iceland and other Scandinavian countries, England and Germany. This is called the “Witch Ride” or the “Witch-Bridle,” performed by witches, sorcerers, elves and trolls (e.g. Simpson p. 180ff). In some areas of Scandinavia even in recent times, this magic is called reham or rehug: riding-hamr or riding-hugr, because the witch accomplishes it in etheric form (hamr) or by the power emanating from the mind-will-magical persona (hugr magic). (Stromback p. 17ff.)
The aim is to lay a magical bridle, cord, item of clothing or other enchanted object over the victim while sleeping, to enchant him (it is usually a man) into a steed, either in actual shape of an animal, or in human shape with supernatural powers of flight or running. The witch or sorcerer then rides their victim off on their own errands, often to a meeting such as a coven or an elf-gathering. Usually the victim is returned to his own form and bed by morning, if the perpetrator is a witch or elf-woman. If it is a sorcerer, the victim may be kept for a longer time as a slave, to be rescued only by someone with magical or divine aid. (In my view, the latter form of the story is more like a consciously-created adventure tale, as opposed to what I think are more authentic folk-anecdotes about witches/hags or elves.) Often the victim will be used again, night after night. Often no physical bridle is used; rather, the victim is held by an enchantment that has no physical form.
Scandinavian folklore offers many details about the witch ride, and this theme appears in the lore of other Germanic folk as well. Perhaps the earliest written record of this kind of magic occurs in Eyrbyggja Saga, chapters 15 and 16, where the witch Katla one night enchants and rides the man Gunnlaugr. After this ride, Gunnlaugr is found unconscious outside his father’s house, bloodstained over his shoulders and legs where Katla had whipped him. Katla is eventually tried and hanged for this and other witchcraft deeds. (See also Stromback p. 18ff.) Even more often than people, domestic animals are troll/elf/witch-ridden (Stromback p. 19). The symptoms of this affliction are the same as we can infer from the Charm against a Dwarf: exhaustion, weakness, paralysis, or very abnormal behavior – more about these symptoms, below.
The result is extremely deleterious for the victim, and in fact there is an English term for this condition that is still occasionally used today: ”Hag-ridden”. (Related to this is one of many German words for witch: Seelendieb or Soul-thief. Elves are also notoriously known for soul-theft in Germanic folklore.) Such a victim suffers from bed-ridden exhaustion, stupor, terrible nightmares, hallucinations, disorientation, bewilderment, inability to live a normal life. They may have fits or spells of insanity, and often they die from this condition, either suddenly in their sleep (while their soul/hama/energy is being ridden) or slowly wasting away.
Most tales imply that it is only the soul and energy or life-strength of the victim that is transformed and taken, while the unconscious body lies in bed – this is most common. Sometimes the implication is that the victim is physically transformed and taken; this occurs more often in tales that seem to me to be “constructed” rather than genuine folktales reflecting real beliefs. Either way, death or permanent insanity is often the result if a remedy is not found. In the case of this charm, as in most instances of the folktale that I have come across, the object of the theft is one of the souls or vital bodies of the patient, not the physical body, as I will discuss below.
Another possible indication that this charm is meant to act against a condition of unconsciousness or stuporous sleep (occurring as a result of soul-theft) is the list of names at the beginning of the charm, that are to be written on communion wafers. Presumably these would then have been eaten by the patient, though the instruction does not specifically say so. This part of the charm is obviously Christian, though it is likely replacing Heathen elements that performed a similar function. I assume that originally runes were carved onto bark or some other object, scraped off into beer or mead, and then either sprinkled over, or consumed by, the patient. The method of carving runes and then scraping them off into a drink, which is then sprinkled around to distribute the magic where it is wanted, is mentioned in several places in the lore, including Sigrdrifumal in the Elder (Poetic) Edda.
The names that are magically used in this charm are those of the Seven Sleepers, characters from a Christian legend, though the legend may itself stem from a pagan legend from Mid-Eastern regions. According to the Christian legend, seven staunch Christians, refusing to recant, were shut up in a cave to starve by a pagan emperor. Two hundred years later, during the reign of a Christian emperor, they reappeared to prove the possibility of the resurrection of the body. These Sleepers, probably because of their power to resurrect in the body, were thought to have healing powers; they figure in no less than five other healing charms as well as this one. In several cases they are supposed to heal fevers, which would support the “fever” hypothesis of our charm here. But in one case they heal “all evil” (Charm 37 in Storms), and in their own nature, as “sleepers” who eventually awaken safely, they exemplify the desired outcome according to my interpretation of the charm’s meaning. The Anglo-Saxons, as most other elder folk, liked to use parallelism or “as this, so that” approaches in their magic. The patient who is in a somnolent or unconscious state would be helped by the power of the sleepers who themselves awakened naturally, in good health, when it was safe for them to do so.
Getting back to the charm itself, I believe that the lines about calling the patient a steed and fettering or bridling him, are provided to the healer as diagnostic information about a recognized condition: that of being magically bridled and hag-ridden or elf-ridden, or in this case dwarf-ridden. In this case, as in most instances of the folktale that I have come across, the theft is of the vital body-soul (hama) of the patient, not the physical body, as I will discuss below.
Thus the first lines of the charm indicate the nature of the perpetrator, while the next ones point toward the particular method or spell that is being used against the victim. The following lines tell the healer about the results of this attack.
Line 3: They began to set off from the land; as soon as they had come away from the land, then his limbs began to cool.
First considering the phrase “set off from the land”: I think it is clear that a soul-journey is the intended meaning. There is no suggestion whatsoever that anyone has physically taken the patient, put him in a boat and sailed away with him. If this had been the case there would be no point to all the business with feeding him wafers, singing into his ears and hanging charms about his neck. Here, the dwarf has magically bridled the victim and is riding or dragging his soul away from the “land” – from the physical world and his physical body. I do not see that any other interpretation of this phrase is possible.
Lines 5: Then came striding in The dwarf’s sister;
Concerning the “dwarf’s sister”: “dwarf” is not the original word. In the manuscript the word is “deor” (wild animal) rather than “dweorh” (dwarf). Rodriguez has emended it to “dwarf,” as I am using here. The “deor” is assumed by all, myself included, to refer to the spider-wight, the only entity in the charm that could be considered a “wild animal.” A possible reason to write “deor” instead of “dweorh” goes back to what I mentioned earlier about avoiding direct reference to a dangerous otherworldly entity. If my interpretation of the charm is correct, the “deor” and “dweorh” are the same being: a dwarf shapeshifted into a spider. Further evidence for this conclusion is the reference to actions of the ‘deor’s sister’ in the original words of the charm: are we really talking about a spider’s / wild animal’s sister who strides in, takes over the scene, and sings powerful healing galdors? This would be ridiculous!
For the purpose of analyzing the charm’s meaning, based on my interpretation, it hardly matters which word is used, since both words refer to the same being. For actual application in practice, when galdoring this charm it would probably be wise to follow the ancestors’ precautions and refer to “deor” or spider-wight, not speaking “dwarf” out loud.
With the entry of the dwarf’s sister the entire situation turns around. She is clearly a powerful, protective, rescuing being. In some of the other Anglo-Saxon healing charms showing strong Heathen influence, the healer takes a more personally combative stance against the disease-causing entities (Charm against a Sudden Stitch, Charm against a Wen, both in Storms). That is not the case here; the healer prefers to call in outside help rather than challenging the dwarf in single combat. My thought is that the dwarf, or at least the dwarf’s mode of attack, is more dangerous than the conditions the other charms are meant to heal: sudden pain, and a wen (a severe mole, wart, boil, or other disfiguring blemish). The risk to the healer in our case is that the dwarf will turn on him/her and steal his/her own soul – a more serious, even fatal, condition in comparison to the other afflictions. The risk to the healer is too high, therefore the choice is to “call in the big guns” – here, the dwarf’s sister – in preference to taking on the dwarf in personal combat.
The magical power of both the dwarves in this charm is consistent with general Germanic lore about the dwarves: “Magic power over the forces of nature and the mysterious processes of life are still held by dwarfs of the sagas who can heal and curse in ways not approachable by ordinary men. The word dvergsnattura (dwarf-wisdom) …designates supernatural skills of healing and craftsmanship.” (Motz p. 103)
I take the dwarf’s sister to be a shamaness-magician of her tribe, a galdor-master and healer, and by her actions in the charm I suspect that this is not the first time she has had to step in and put a lid on her brother’s misdeeds. She seems rather fed up with it all! As a minor point, it is possible that the shamaness is not literally the dwarf’s sister, but is referred to as such simply because they are both of the same kindred.
To my mind, the entry of the dwarf’s sister illustrates some important points about Anglo-Saxon healing methods, which I believe do show indications of techniques similar to shamanism as it is generally understood today. In other shamanic cultures of recent times, the common procedure during a shamanic healing follows the same steps as this charm. The healer diagnoses the condition, and by doing so, identifies the entity causing the affliction. The healer shows power by knowing what has happened: he “laid his fetter on your neck”; “set off from the land”. The healer can see through the machinations of the dwarf; he/she is not fooled but has clear sight.
The next step is to call on “the spirits” for aid. I propose that when the charm was performed during Heathen times there was an interval between the diagnostic part of the charm – after the “cooling of the limbs” – and the second part when the sister arrives. I think there would have been an interval of some kind of power / trance-raising activity: galdoring, dancing, perhaps breathing smoke, or other means that shamans use to reach the shamanic state of consciousness. It would have been during this time, in a trance state, that the healer called on the dwarf’s sister. The healer would know that this is the right helping entity to call, in this case, because of the guidelines in the charm. The shamanic trance would enable the healer to reach the dwarf-shamaness in the otherworld, know when she has arrived in spirit form bringing her otherworldly power with her, and would allow the healer to hear her words.
Line 6ff: Then she ended it And swore oaths
That this nevermore would be able To harm the sick,
Nor him who this galdor Could acquire,
Neither him who knew How to chant this galdor.
These lines clearly indicate the power of this otherworldly dwarf-shamaness and galdor-master. Here she offers not only healing and protection to the victim, but importantly, to the healer as well: she says that this entity (the dwarf/spider-wight) will not be able to harm either the sick or the chanter of the galdor – the healer. Here is more evidence that the danger to the healer is an important aspect of this whole situation.
The words of the charm itself do not have healing power. If the charm, during post-Heathen times, was taken at face-value without an understanding of the underlying shamanic and magical assumptions and their applications in practice, I cannot think that it would have been very effective. I believe there are important things that are left out of the written version of the charm, which “non-initiates” probably did not realize.
One is the need for shamanic trance-induction, already discussed. Another is the actual galdor – the magical chant – given by the dwarf-shamaness to the healer. One might assume that the words of this written charm are supposed to be the galdor given by the shamaness, but I believe this is incorrect. I think she would give a special galdor to the healer in secret, during the otherworldly trance-journey. The written charm is not the magical galdor; it is a map or guideline for obtaining the galdor, which may very well be unique to that specific healer and the specific healing occasion.
I think that each time such a healing is attempted the whole procedure must be repeated and the true galdor – perhaps the same or perhaps a different one – must be obtained, through an otherworldly shamanic journey, from the dwarf-shamaness. She is the helping spirit, and I think it is necessary to invoke her each time, be guided by her and be aware of her powers. She and her protection are not to be taken lightly and dismissed under the assumption that after one time around one “knows it all.” The ill-intentioned dwarf one faces tomorrow might not be the same dwarf one faced yesterday; a different galdor might be needed both to heal and to protect the healer.
I also believe that it is not simply the words of the galdor which have power; the galdor gains a great deal of its power because of its source – the galdor-master. In a dangerous situation like soul-theft it is necessary to have a very “high-octane” galdor which is powered by a spirit-master such as the dwarf-shamaness. And to obtain her power the healer must contact her directly each time. It is not only the galdor-words or sounds that are needed, but the power that flows from the galdor-master herself, through the galdor and the healer into Midgard. The galdor is the medium for the transfer or flow of the otherworldly galdor-master’s power, and both the dwarf-shamaness and the human healer have a necessary role to play in this.
(From the introductory instructions:) Then the charm that is mentioned hereafter must be sung, first into the left ear, then into the right ear, then over the crown of the man’s head.
There are several interesting points in these instructions. A common method used by today’s traditional and neo-shamans to return a lost soul to a person is to take an otherworldly journey, retrieve the soul, and then “blow it” by means of one’s breath into the crown of the patient’s head. (Ref. Harner.) In our charm the instruction is to galdor over the crown of the head, a very similar practice. The mention of the ears is intriguing as well; one is put in mind of Odin’s ravens Huginn and Muninn perched on his shoulders, whispering wisdom and knowledge into his ears. It is not known whether in the Anglo-Saxon traditions the ravens had specific names indicating Thought and Memory, or any names at all, although the association of two ravens with Odin goes way back to pictorial archaeological evidence.
Whether this connection with the ravens was consciously intended or not, though, I think there must be an instinctive connection between galdoring into the ears and a restoration of mental faculties which would have been lost due to soul theft, including thinking (Huginn) and remembering (Muninn). Certainly shamans working in our tradition today can and should make this connection with the Ravens and their functions when they engage in the restoration of souls or soul-faculties.
….And then let a virgin go to him and hang it on his neck. And do so for three days. Then he will be better.
I mentioned above that there are probably several instructions that were left unsaid in this written charm, either because they would have been self-evident to the properly trained healer, or because they needed to be kept secret for various reasons. In any case, the final “mystery” I discern in this charm is the “it” which is hung around the patient’s neck. It could be the communion wafers inscribed with the names of the Seven Sleepers, but it seems more likely that these would have been eaten by the patient, not hung around his neck. Not only would this have been in accordance with some Heathen practices (consuming a healing runestave or other substance), but also Christian law was very strict about use of communion wafers: almost every use of the wafers other than being eaten (by a Christian in good standing) would have been strictly against the rules. Also, during Heathen times it is unlikely that any charm would have been written out verbatim; they seldom used runes for simple text-writing during that period.
My guess is that in addition to bringing back a song-galdor from the spirit-master, the healer may have obtained instructions for making an amulet or charm, using herbs, rune-staves, knots, or all sorts of other things, to hang about the patient’s neck. That the making of amulets in this way was a common practice is attested to by several words in Anglo-Saxon. A lybesn was an amulet, a magical knot, or other charm-object. The witch who made such objects, as well as dealing in herbs, drugs and poisons, was called a lybbestre. Obviously there was enough traffic in such items to give rise to common words for the object (amulet) as well as the practitioner who produced it. So I think it likely that the “it” referred to here was an amulet of some kind, made in accordance with secret, trance-derived instructions from the spirit-master.
Conclusion
The key to interpretation of this and other charms of Heathen origin is to take them seriously, as technical tools of skilled practioners, and I think this is where conventional scholars sometimes miss the boat. Firstly, they may not have the know-how of shamanism, magic, and the Heathen world-view necessary to make these interpretations, and secondly they may simply assume without question that the original developers and users of the charms were primitive, unsophisticated and superstitious.
True, our written records of these charms are probably somewhat garbled, and certainly the strange mixture of Christian and Heathen elements adds more confusion. A lot of digging and feeling around needs to be done, but as I believe I have shown, when we do so, we find that this charm is an entire procedural outline for a shamanic healing. All of the actions and the underlying assumptions of this charm fit into the world-view and techniques of shamanism:
a) The diagnosis of symptoms is based on the assumption that diseases and afflictions are caused by evil spirits / otherworldly entities.
b) These entities are able to steal people’s souls / life force for their own purposes.
c) They are powerful and dangerous; the healer must beware in dealing with them.
d) There are also beneficent otherworldly entities who have healing and protective powers.
e) The shaman-healer can call upon these entities for help.
f) The helping entity will give the healer a power-song, which will overcome all attempts of the evil spirit to harm either the sick person or the healer.
g) The helping spirit may also give follow-up instructions, such as making an amulet, for ongoing protection of the patient during recovery.
All of these are common in healing practices of many cultures around the world which practice shamanism, to the best of my knowledge. (See Harner for an overview.)
The only necessary shamanic element that is missing from the charm is any explicit mention of trance induction and soul-travel by the healer. I cannot think that this instruction would ever have been written in a charm, however. For one thing, it would not have been written about at all by a Christian monk-scribe addressing (presumed) Christian healers. For another, the need for a shamanic trance, if such were indeed used in Heathen times, would have been self-evident to the healer. That would have been something he/she would have been trained for during apprenticeship. The healer would have known that when one is dealing with otherworldly entities one needs to be in a certain state of mind to perceive and interact with them; there would be no need for a reminder about this in the text of any specific charm.
The usefulness of a specific charm, such as this one, is as a diagnostic tool and as a procedural guideline for knowing which otherworldly entity is at fault here, and which one to call upon for help in this specific situation. The actual calling and interaction with the otherworldly entity would have depended on the healer’s ability to enter into the necessary trance-consciousness before doing so.
In addition to evidence of shamanic healing, this Charm Against a Dwarf offers indications that our Heathen Anglo-Saxon forebears shared a common knowledge of shapeshifting with other Germanic peoples. Such knowledge is clearly evidenced in Old Norse writings and traditional Germanic tales such as the Nibelungenlied (German version of the story) / Volsungasaga (Norse version of the story), where Sigmund and his brothers shapeshift into wolves, the dwarf Alberich / Andvari turns into a pike-fish, Ottar becomes an otter and Fafnir turns into a famous dragon. Folklore throughout the Germanic lands mention the shapeshifting abilities of magical folk, such as witches turning into cats or hares. Shapeshifting is a very broad subject which needs to be covered in articles dedicated fully to the topic, so I will not pursue it further here except by noting this charm as probable evidence of its presence in Heathen Anglo-Saxon belief.
This charm, I believe, provides evidence that Heathen Anglo-Saxons did indeed use healing methods of a shamanic nature, based upon a shamanic world-view and premises about how and why things happen as they do. Our practice of oracular seiðr or spaeworking in various forms is certainly within the shamanic tradition as well. I think there is great scope for us to use the insights of shamanic healing and shapeshifting as a basis for further development of such skills within our own tradition today, as a good number of Heathens today are exploring.
Old English Texts:
Her com in gangan in spiden wiht,
Haefde him his haman on handa, cwaeth that thu his haencgest waere,
Legde the his teage an sweoran. Ongunnan him of thaem landan lithan;
Sona swa hy of thaem landan coman, tha ongunnan him tha tha colian.
Tha com in gangan deores sweostar;
Tha geaendade heo and athas swor
Thaet naefre this thaem adlegan derian ne moste,
Ne thaem the this galdor begytan mihte,
Oththe the this galdor ongalan cuthe. Amen. Fiath.
(Storms p.166)
Her com in gangan In spiderwiht,
Haefde him haman on handa, Cwaeth that thu his haencgest waere,
Legde the his teage an sweoran. Ongunnan him of thaem landan lithan;
Sona swa hy of thaem landan coman, Tha ongunnan him tha lithu colian.
Tha com in gangan Dweores sweostar;
Tha geaendade heo And athas swor
Thaet naefre this thaem adlegan Derian he moste,
Ne thaem the this galdor Begytan mihte,
Oththe the this galdor Ongalan cuthe. Amen. Fiath.
(Rodriguez, p. 140-1, see also note p. 35-6)
Bookhoard
Adalsteinsson, Jon Hnefill. “Folk Narrative and Norse Mythology” in Arv: Scandinavian Yearbook of Folklore Vol. 46, 1990. Published by The Royal Gustavus Adolphus Academy, Uppsala; distributed by The Almqvist & Wiksell Periodical Company, Stockholm, Sweden.
Aelfric’s Catholic Homilies, The First Series, Text. Ed. Peter Clemoles. Oxford University Press, Oxford. 1997.
Byock, Jesse L. The Saga of the Volsungs: The Norse Epic of Sigurd the Dragon Slayer. University of California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles, 1990.
Egil’s Saga, transl. by Hermann Palsson and Paul Edwards. Penguin Books, London, 1976.
Eyrbyggja Saga, transl. Hermann Palsson and Paul Edwards. Penguin Books, London. 1989.
Erich, Oswald A. and Richard Beitl. Woerterbuch der Deutschen Volkskunde. Alfred Kroener Verlag, Stuttgart. 1955.
Hall, J.R. Clark. A Concise Anglo-Saxon Dictionary, Fourth Edition. University of Toronto Press, Toronto, 1960.
Harner, Michael. The Way of the Shaman. Harper & Row, Publishers, San Francisco, 1990.
Larrington, Carolyne, transl. The Poetic Edda. Oxford University Press, Oxford. 1996
Motz, Lotte. “Of Elves and Dwarfs” in Arv: Tidscrift for Nordisk Folkminnesforskning (Journal of Scandinavian Folklore) Vol. 29-30, 1973-4. Published by The Royal Gustavus Adolphus Academy, Uppsala; distributed by The Almqvist & Wiksell Periodical Company, Stockholm, Sweden.
Rodriguez, Louis J. Anglo-Saxon Verse Charms, Maxims and Heroic Legends. Anglo-Saxon Books, Chippenham, Wiltshire, England. 1993
Simpson, Jaqueline. Icelandic Folktales and Legends. University of California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles. 1972. (Includes notes relating the “witch bridle” theme to those of other countries as well.)
Storms, G(ustav). Anglo-Saxon Magic. Gordon Press, New York. 1974 (reprint of 1948 publication)
Stromback, Dag. “The Concept of the Soul in Nordic Tradition” in Arv : Tidscrift for Nordisk Folkminnesforskning (Journal of Scandinavian Folklore) Vol. 35, 1975. The Almqvist & Wiksell Periodical Company, Stockholm, Sweden. (“witch ride” references)
(Note: the title of the journal Arv changed slightly over time; in each reference above I give the title as it appeared in that issue of the journal.)
This article was originally published in Idunna: A Journal of Northern Tradition, #61, Fall 2004. Revised May 2020.