galdr
English edit
Etymology edit
Borrowed from Old Norse galdr (“witchcraft, sorcery, magic arts”), akin to Old English ġealdor (“incantation, magic”). Related to English gale, yell.
Noun edit
galdr (plural galdrar or galdrs)
- An ancient form of shamanic chanting, an improvisational magical song, especially for a protective effect. Compare the custom of the joik and other chanting traditions among the Sámi shamanic noaidi who shares mutual influence with the Norse shamanic vǫlva and other Norse magical customs.
- A similar style of chanting that is a modern reinvention of Norse and later magical traditions.
- 2012, Raven Kaldera, Galina Krasskova, Neolithic Shamanism: Spirit Work in the Norse Tradition:
- There are different kinds of galdr; the most common is runegaldr, which consists of singing the various names of a single rune with Intent.
Norwegian Nynorsk edit
Verb edit
galdr
- imperative of galdra
Old Norse edit
Etymology edit
From Proto-Germanic *galdraz, whence also Old English ġealdor.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
galdr m
- magical chanting, especially relating to the Ljóðatal, gendered masculine and for protective effects
- a term for magic generally; spell, incantation, charm, wizardry, witchcraft
Declension edit
Declension of galdr (strong a-stem)
Derived terms edit
Related terms edit
Descendants edit
- Icelandic: galdur
- Faroese: galdur
- Norwegian Nynorsk: galder
- Old Swedish: galder, ᚵᛆᛚᚦᚽᚱ
- Swedish: galder
- →? Irish: goldar
References edit
- “galdr”, in Geir T. Zoëga (1910) A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press