Thorbjörg líilvölva

The prophetess in Eiriks Saga Rauda, a 13th century Icelanders' saga. Thorbjörg earned the name líilvölva, which means "little sibyl", because she was known for her prophecies.

Thorbjörg had nine sisters, and they were all prophetess, but they had all died by the time she visited the farming district of Herjolfsness in Greenland.

Thorbjörg arrived in time to attend the winter feast and enjoyed the hospitality of Thorkel, the chief farmer of Herjolfsness. There's an interesting description of what she wore that evening.

They gave her the seat of honour. After the meal, Thorkel and the other villagers were curious about their futures, because they were in the midst of a famine, but she refused to give them an answer until the morning.

The next day, Thorbjörg asked the people if anyone knew the seið on the guardian songs, known as Varðlokkur. No one knew the incantation except a young woman named Gudrid, who had learned this from her foster-mother, Halldis. However, Gudrid refused to perform the ritual since she was a Christian.

Since many people were suffering from the famine and illnesses, Thorkel pressured Gudrid into performing the seið, for the good of the whole village.

So while Thorbjörg sat on seiðhjallr - a raised platform with a chair, Gudrid drew a large circle around Thorbjörg and chanted the song (Varðlokkur).

Once completed, Thorbjörg finally disclosed what she knew of the famine. Thorbjörg assured the villagers that the famine and illnesses would come to an end when the last winter days had passed, because the guardian spirits had returned when they heard Gudrid's beautiful voice, when she was chanting.

More importantly, the prophetess revealed Gudrid's own fate. Though the young woman would marry a man of a distinguished family in Greenland, Gudrid would leave and go to Iceland, where she would become the ancestor of a great line.

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The Eiriks Saga Rauda gave us perhaps the most detailed account about witches. Other sources are rather vague with their accounts.

Thorbjörg líilvölva bears a remarkable resemblance with the first century seeress Veleda, on the sort of reverence and respect witches and prophetesses received from the people.