Galdrastafir: A Collection of Icelandic Magical Staves

Galdrastafir are magical staves, symbols, or Sigils from Iceland which are believed to have evolved from the common Germanic tradition of Bindrunes. They are documented in Icelandic manuscripts from the Late Middle Ages until the 20th Century, and they give us a glimpse of a rich tradition of magic in the Norse world.

Preserved manuscripts contain a wealth of these magical symbols drawn by hand in personal hand books. In some cases there are accompanying sentences explaining their meanings and instruction on their use, and in many cases the very name of the symbol told them all they needed to know, with their uses open to interpretation.

There are a series of common elements of the design of Galdrastafir which are described as 'modifiers'. Because of the frequency of their occurrence, there are varied yet inconclusive theories on each of their special purposes or functions, such as energy flowing in and out of the stave, being amplified etc., or even invoking gods from the Norse pantheon.

Galdrastafir include positive invocations of good luck, success, talismanic protection, and also darker and more morally complex intentions. They show how practitioners of magic attempted to influence the universe in the Late Medieval and Early Modern periods. Some of them even incorporated references to biblical seals and elements of the Christian faith, showing that the relationship between traditional magic and religious symbolism is a complex and varied one.