Illustrated Fiction: Seiðr's Block (Freyja / Völva)
Hello my beautiful demigoddesses and demigods,
The illustration took a while longer this time because my original plan was to hire an erotic model for a photo. Sadly, those I reached out to didn't feel comfortable posing for something with (semi-)public access. Arja, who created this drawing of Freyja's brother Freyr, was sadly unavailable. But I reached out to Li Österberg, whom many of you will know for her comic series Theia Mania, and I was so lucky because she had time and was happy to create an illustration for my story!
Li is incredibly knowledgable and she gave the völva not just historical Viking Age clothing, she based her appearance on the detailed description of a völva in the Saga of Erik the Red. Both Freyja and the völva wear expensive, high class clothing and jewellery with rich, deep colours. In Freyja's case the fabric is so delicate that you can see her nipples poking against it. The beautiful birches and flowers give the scene a decidedly Scandinavian look and feel. I love this amazing work of art and I hope you do too! A high resolution version is available for download at the bottom of the page.
Glossary
ð: a letter from the Old English and Icelandic alphabet that was used in medieval Scandinavia. It is pronounced like a voiced th, i.e. in the word father.
Dís: a female deity, ghost, or spirit associated with Fate, protective spirits of Norse clans. Freyja's name Dís of the Vanir might just mean Woman of the Vanir or Goddess of the Vanir but it could also paint her as a protector of the Vanir, her people.
Freyja: Norse goddess of love, fertility, war, and sorcery. It was her who introduced the practice of seiðr ("magic", see below) to the Æsir, the gods of Asgard.
fuð: Old Norse word for vulva and vagina in the same way that "pussy" doesn't really discriminate between the two.
mugwort: part of the Anglo-Saxon Nine Herbs Charm and a plant with oneirogenic properties, therefore I chose it for Freyja and her aspect as a Goddess of Magic.
Norns: three goddesses who spin the destinies of gods and mortals, the Fates akin to the Moirai in Greek mythology.
Seiðr: a type of magic that Freyja is said to have taught to Odin. It seems to have been used as a tool for seeing into the future and for cursing enemies. Women and men practiced seiðr but since it was seen as a feminine craft, there was a stigma for men who practiced it.
Vanir: a groups of gods known for fertility, wisdom, and magic who are the namesake of the location Vanaheimr ("Home of the Vanir"). After the Æsir–Vanir War, the Vanir became a subgroup of the Æsir. Freyja is one of the Vanir.
völva: a staff-bearing seeress and sorceress in Germanic paganism. Völvar (plural) enjoyed a high status in Germanic society. Even the god Odin himself consulted them.
The title is a play on "writer's block".
