It was the magic of outlaws, witches, giants, and those who walked in the shadows of the wilds. The word trolldómr itself comes from "troll," referring not only to the supernatural beings of Norse mythology but also to magic-workers who operated outside of societal norms.
This was magic that belonged to the wilderness, to those who invoked the forgotten gods, the dead, and the dark places of the world.
Practices of Trolldómr.
Unlike seiðr, which was more structured and often performed by trained völvas or seiðr-workers, trolldómr was raw, primal, and deeply tied to the chaotic forces of the land. It was both feared and outlawed, yet remnants of it persisted in Scandinavian folklore, especially in the practices of cunning folk, healers, and those accused of witchcraft during later centuries.
1. Spirit-Calling and Binding
One of the primary aspects of trolldómr was the ability to summon and control spirits—whether those of the dead, land spirits (landvættir), or even creatures from the realm of trolls and jötnar.
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Necromantic rites were used to gain knowledge from the dead or bind restless spirits to do the sorcerer’s bidding. These rites were often performed at burial mounds, where the practitioner would leave offerings of blood, bones, or carved runes to awaken the dead.
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The spirit of a deceased enemy could be summoned and forced to haunt or curse another person. This form of spirit-binding was known as draugr-seiðr, as it called upon the powerful undead beings known as draugar (restless dead).
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Summoning land spirits involved chanting runes, drumming, and making sacrifices, particularly of black animals, to gain their favour or to curse someone by setting the spirits against them.
2. The Evil Eye and Verbal Curses
The use of spoken curses was a central aspect of trolldómr. These curses could be whispered over an object, carved into runestones, or spoken directly to a victim to cause harm, madness, or misfortune.
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The Nithing Pole (Níðstang) was a powerful curse in which a horse’s head was impaled on a stake, with runes carved into it condemning an enemy. The pole was turned toward their land, calling ill fate upon them.
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A practitioner of trolldómr could use glances and words to curse someone, akin to the concept of the "evil eye." This was called “blá-eygðr” (blue-eyed magic), as some believed that a sharp gaze could strike a person down.
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Blood curses, where a person’s name was written in blood on a bone or wood and burned, were said to weaken their will or make them susceptible to sickness.
3. Shape-Shifting and Animal Magic
Trolldómr often involved taking on the form of animals—not metaphorically, but through magic that allowed the practitioner to physically or spiritually shift.
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The use of wolfskins and bearskins was associated with the berserkers and úlfhéðnar, who invoked the spirits of these creatures to gain supernatural strength and ferocity.
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Some sorcerers were said to transform into ravens, wolves, or serpents through rituals that involved consuming parts of the animal, wearing its bones, or calling upon its spirit.
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Shape-shifting magic was linked to the jötnar (giants), trolls, and witches in the sagas. Many such beings could appear as humans but shift into monstrous forms at will.
4. Weather and Storm Magic
Trolldómr was often associated with controlling the elements, particularly wind, storms, and ice. This type of magic was known as “veðr-seiðr” (weather magic) and was feared by sailors, as a skilled witch could call storms to sink ships or calm the waves for their own journey.
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Witches were said to tie winds into knots, selling them to sailors. Untying a knot would release a strong wind; untying all three would cause a storm.
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Blóts (sacrifices) to the storm gods, including Thor and Ægir, were performed by some trolldómr practitioners to gain control over tempests.
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Ice curses were performed by witches in the north, freezing the feet or limbs of enemies by invoking the frost giants (hrímþursar).
5. Blood Magic and Bone Runes
Blood was a vital ingredient in trolldómr, as it was believed to carry power and intent.
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Blood was used to paint runes on stones, bones, or weapons to enhance their power.
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Human bones, especially skulls, were carved with runes to bind spirits or gain wisdom.
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The blood of an enemy was sometimes used in curses, mixed with earth and buried at a crossroads to prevent them from healing.
6. Protective and Warding Magic
Though trolldómr was often seen as a cursing art, it also involved powerful warding magic to protect practitioners and their kin.
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Iron nails and salt were commonly used to ward off spirits and dark magic.
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Galdr staves, particularly the Helm of Awe (Ægishjálmur), were drawn on the forehead or shields for protection in battle.
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Protective spells were sung over weapons, ships, and homes, particularly before long journeys or during childbirth.
How Trolldómr Was Perceived
Unlike seiðr, which was often associated with Odin and high-status völvas, trolldómr was more commonly feared and criminalized. It was the magic of outcasts, wanderers, and those accused of witchcraft in later centuries.
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Christianity demonized trolldómr, branding it as devil-worship and condemning those who practiced it. Many of the later witch trials in Scandinavia involved accusations of trolldómr.
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In the sagas, practitioners of trolldómr were often described as trolls, witches, or evil sorcerers, sometimes with monstrous features, hinting that they had become something beyond human.
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Some legends suggest that those who practiced too much trolldómr would be claimed by the land spirits or jötnar, disappearing into the mountains, never to be seen again.
Trolldómr was a raw, untamed form of magic that thrived in the wild places, the forgotten burial grounds, and the deep forests of the North. It was feared, revered, and practiced in secrecy, often by those who had no allegiance to gods or kings, only to the forces of nature, spirits, and the forgotten ways.
It was the magic of those who walked between the worlds, speaking with the dead, commanding the winds, and wielding the power of the unseen.
Trolldómr was the raw and untamed magic of the North, an art feared, revered, and spoken of in hushed whispers. Unlike seiðr, which was often performed in service to the gods or society, trolldómr was the magic of the outcast, the lone wanderer, and the one who answered only to the spirits of the land and the forces of the unseen. This was the sorcery of wilderness witches, jötnar-blooded seers, and those who had stepped beyond the boundaries of the known world.
To practice trolldómr was to step into the dark, to embrace the mysteries of the earth and sky without fear, to command storms, whisper to the dead, bind spirits to one's will, and break the laws of both gods and men. It was dangerous, primal, and, above all, powerful.
The Origins and Nature of Trolldómr.
The word trolldómr itself comes from troll, which in Old Norse did not only refer to the supernatural beings of myth but also to those who wielded magic beyond human understanding. A trollkvinna (witch-woman) or trollmadhr (sorcerer-man) was one who had walked beyond the boundaries of what was natural, delving into the arts of curse-making, storm-calling, and spirit-binding.
Unlike other forms of magic, trolldómr was feared because it operated outside of divine law. The gods themselves could not always control its power, and those who practiced it often did so in defiance of the social order. The wilderness, the deep forests, the storm-beaten cliffs, and the burial mounds were its sacred places.
Those who walked this path did not serve kings or chieftains. They were beholden only to the spirits, to the wind, to the dead, and to the forgotten gods.
Practices of Trolldómr.
1. The Witch and the Land: Spirit-Calling and Hauntings
To walk the path of trolldómr was to understand that the land itself was alive. Every tree had a voice, every storm had a spirit, and every shadow could whisper secrets. Those who practiced this magic knew how to call upon these spirits, bind them, or set them loose upon their enemies.
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Grave-Magic: The dead were a source of power, wisdom, and danger. Those skilled in trolldómr would walk the burial mounds at night, speaking to the spirits of ancient warriors or forgotten ancestors. Some sought knowledge, while others bound the spirits into objects, weapons, or even people—forcing them to serve beyond death.
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Landvættir Bonds: The land was filled with spirits—some kind, some hostile, and some utterly indifferent. A practitioner of trolldómr might make offerings of blood, bone, or iron to gain the favor of a spirit or call forth an ancient force to do their bidding.
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The Draugr’s Curse: The dead who refused to rest—draugar, the walking corpses of the north—were both a source of terror and power. Those skilled in trolldómr could raise a draugr to serve them or, worse, send one to plague an enemy's house.
2. Word-Sorcery: The Curses and Spoken Spells of Trolldómr
Unlike some magical traditions that relied heavily on rituals and tools, trolldómr often relied on pure willpower, voice, and intent. The spoken word held power, and those who mastered this art could bless or curse with nothing but their voice.
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Níðstang – The Pole of Curses: A sorcerer could place a horse’s head on a stake, inscribe runes of destruction, and turn it toward an enemy’s land. This was an act of war, a sign that ill fate had been cast. Those marked by a níðstang often fell to ruin—whether by sickness, misfortune, or the spirits themselves.
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Blighting Runes and Bone Magic: Curses could be inscribed on bones, stones, or wood, then buried at a crossroads to send suffering to those named. Some witches carried cursed objects with them, releasing their power at the right moment.
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The Evil Eye and Spoken Doom: A sorcerer skilled in trolldómr could inflict sickness or madness with a single spoken phrase. Words, when spoken with true intent, were as deadly as a blade.
3. Shape-Shifting and Animal Spirits
Trolldómr was deeply tied to the magic of beasts and transformation. Many believed that those skilled in this craft could wear the skins of wolves or bears, becoming them in spirit—or even in flesh.
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Wolf-Shifting: Some practitioners walked the path of the úlfhéðnar, the wolf-warriors, calling upon the spirit of the wolf to guide them. They hunted as wolves, fought as wolves, and, some said, could even take on their form.
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Raven-Calling: Ravens, the birds of Odin and the messengers of the dead, were often tied to those who practiced shadowed arts. Some witches could speak through them, see through their eyes, or send them as omens.
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Serpent-Flesh: In the deep woods, witches of the old ways were said to become serpents, slithering through the undergrowth and whispering to unseen things.
4. Storms and Weather-Witching
A powerful practitioner of trolldómr could command the very skies.
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Witches of the storm-bound cliffs could raise winds with song, tying them into knots of rope and selling them to sailors. A single untied knot would bring a fair wind; three knots loosed would summon a maelstrom.
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Some sorcerers were said to ride the storms themselves, appearing as shadows on the waves or figures in the lightning.
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Ice curses were feared in the North, as some believed a skilled witch could freeze a man’s blood within his veins.
Persecution and Fear: The Fate of Trolldómr Practitioners.
As Christianity spread through Scandinavia, trolldómr became synonymous with evil and heresy. Those who practiced it were hunted, killed, or forced into hiding.
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In medieval Iceland, laws were written against "those who call upon trolls or spirits." The practice of old magic was punishable by exile or death.
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Many practitioners of trolldómr were branded as trolls or witches, feared even after their deaths. Their names were struck from records, their graves salted to prevent their spirits from rising.
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Some legends tell of witches who, sensing their end, turned themselves into stone, standing forever as cursed monoliths in the mountains.
It was a path of power, but also of exile. To practice it was to step beyond the limits of human law, to be feared and hunted, to walk forever in the space between legend and nightmare.
But for those who truly mastered it?
The world itself bent to their will.
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