<u>Prophecy of the Volva</u>
Voluspa, or more accurately Völuspá is the first set of Viking Age poetry in the Poetic Edda, a Norse Mythology Book, some might say THE Norse Mythology book! The Völuspá translates to mean the “Prophecy of the Volva” or “Prophecy of the Seer.” A Volva was a wise-woman in old Norse culture.
It is commonly thought that the poem was composed in Iceland about the year 1000, when Icelanders perceived the fall of their ancient gods and the approach of Christianity. The story is told by an age-old seeress who was reared by primeval giants.
It tells the story of the creation of the world and its coming end, related to the audience by a völva(a Viking witch was known as a Völva, and they were considered to be powerful seeresses, shamans as well as workers of Seidr magic) addressing Odin. It is one of the most important primary sources for the study of Norse mythology. Henry Adam Bellows proposed a 10th-century dating and authorship by a pagan Icelander with knowledge of Christianity.
