völva

Definitions

1. In Old Norse society, a female practitioner of magic divination and prophecy.
   Germanic, historical
2. A cup-shaped mass at the base of various fungi.
3. Any prophetess, sooth-sayer, or witch.
   broadly
4. The membranous covering which completely encloses many fungi in the early stage of growth.

Equivalents

Examples

“In the Eddas, Odin conjures up a dead volva and questions her about Baldur's fate.”

“In another account a volva was paid by a king to find⟳ his nephews who had been hidden by a man skilled in magick.”

“There is another story in Landnamabok telling of a volva who actively brought prosperity to the fishing activity of the people through her use⟳ of seidr.”

“The genus Amanita has both a volva and a veil; the spores are white, and the stem is easily separable from the cap.”

CEFR level