galdr

Borrowed from Old Norse galdr (“witchcraft, sorcery, magic arts”), akin to Old English ġealdor (“incantation, magic”). Related to English gale, yell.

galdr (plural galdrar or galdrs)

1. 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.
2. 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.

galdr

1. imperative of galdra

From Proto-Germanic *galdraz, whence also Old English ġealdor.

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡaldr̩/

galdr m

1. magical chanting, especially relating to the Ljóðatal, gendered masculine and for protective effects
2. a term for magic generally; spell, incantation, charm, wizardry, witchcraft

• galdramaðr
• galdrakona
• galdrabók

• gala
• seiðr
• gjalla

• Icelandic: galdur
• Faroese: galdur
• Norwegian Nynorsk: galder
• Old Swedish: galder, ᚵᛆᛚᚦᚽᚱ
  • Swedish: galder
• →? Irish: goldar

• Zoëga, Geir T. (1910) “galdr”, in A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press; also available at the Internet Archive