VÖLVA

Völva stands for the knowledge to foresee the time to come. She is a seer and derives from the finnougric shamanistic wave of culture that came across the Scandinavian countries about 6000 years ago. Völva is also a shaman, a woman shaman because most of the early Siberian shamans were women. She is beating a magic drum. About 1630 a Same, a Nåjd ( shaman ) was burnt to death together with his drums. The Swedish court in Skellefteå (tell me if I'm wrong) decided that he was blasphemous and sent him death. The sign on the drum is a stone carving of a women bearing a child. The sign is at the same time a full moon sign, that means that the child is holy.

The Völva is standing on top of a Skjalf ( shelf, old english scylfe) lateron called Hjälla (an inland- influence on the  Swedish word " hylla") and there are many names of places that have got their names from the cultplaces of the Völva. Skälvares, Skälvum and Skölvene in Västergötland in Sweden are just a couple of examples. It means " högsäte" ( high seat ) and probably the origin of the oldest king families in Scandinavia, Skilfingar.

The Vaners mingled with finnougric shamanistic culture and sometimes took over holy cultplaces and from there derives the mystical names of places of gods Hlidskjalf and Valaskjialf. Völva is very important to pinpoint the Scandinavian and anglo-sachsen identity because shamanistic influence play a big role when it comes to traditional names of places and feasts. Especially in the north of Scandinavia one can notice the finnougric-shamanistic influence.

Around the Skialf nine women helpers-dancers dances to evoke the right feelings and to make the Völva foresee the time to come.

Armed greystone and redstone (granite)
Height: 18 feet 2 inches (550 centimeters)
Weight: 7333 lbs (3.3 tons)