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galdr. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
galdr, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
galdr in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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English
Etymology
Borrowed from Old Norse galdr (“witchcraft, sorcery, magic arts”), akin to Old English ġealdor (“incantation, magic”). Related to English gale, yell.
Noun
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
Verb
galdr
- imperative of galdra
Old Norse
Etymology
From Proto-Germanic *galdraz, whence also Old English ġealdor.
Pronunciation
Noun
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
Declension of galdr (strong a-stem)
Derived terms
Descendants
Further reading
- Zoëga, Geir T. (1910) “galdr”, in A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press; also available at the Internet Archive