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Seidre
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 A new connection? 0.o
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So, I was feeling a little bored and I decided to type in "Seidre" on Google to see what it would come up with.
I originally discovered the name when I was a freshman. I was playing with a ouija board at a friend's house (without having any idea as to what I was doing, unfortunately) when it spit out those six letters and told me that was part one (out of five) of my true names. Okay. I will say that I was at least smart enough not to go "This must be true!" knowing that I did not know how to properly work a ouija board...Especially considering some of the other silly things that my friend and I "learned" that night.
So I forgot the name. Two years later, I developed my true self meditation. It was during this that I rediscovered the name. "Seidre, part one of five." Now...Why did that sound so familiar to me? I immediately started going through my pack-rat drawer (where I keep everything I ever write or draw). I soon found it. The list of names that the ouija board randomly spit out to me that night. And there it was. "Seidre."
I love the name. Love the way it sounds in my head. So me. And yet, I still didn't use it. I tend to doubt myself too much. Instead of following my instinct, I just assumed my meditation failed, or was playing off of forgotten memories. But I couldn't get it out of my head. It took a few months and several more meditations before I finally trusted myself enough to accept it.
So, back to the story. I typed it in on Google...And I discovered that it's an actual word! The Seidre were...Nordic seers/shamans?
Why has everything about me always been drawn to the Norse? The fact that I'm a Norwegian forest cat (a breed I'd never heard of before the meditation), the way I've always been drawn to Freya, her two cats, and the valkyries, my love of Norse mythology. Now I just wish I knew the language. xD That would make me happy.
I want to know more about the Seidre...Especially the origin of the word itself. Does anyone know anything about them or what the name means? That'd be cool. I was informed that it "roughly translates to 'death' in the language of the names, when used along with the other four names." I have to admit, I feel silly for posting this. I am, once again, doubting myself. Perhaps I am drawing connections where there aren't any...But I really want to know about it. It gives me tingly feelings. ^^
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 Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 10:42 pm
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Zuni
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I am good with research. found this little blurb. hope it helps. Credit for website: http://members.tripod.com/~bluegypsy/Seidre.html
The Seidre were shamanic folk who travelled from community to community speaking with the Other-world on behalf of the townspeople they visited. They would question the recently-deceased loved ones and ask favors of the gods through the town's dead kinfolk. It was believed that they were also able to obtain special favors for individuals from their passed-on relatives. Such favors might be something like a priestess who may ask that her grandmother endow her with the family's power in her physical body in this lifetime, rather than waiting for it to be bestowed on her. Many of the Germanic and Slavic peoples believed the power was passed from family member to famlily member on the death of the preceding generation's head witch- but it sometimes skipped a generation or two, and the newly-deprived head honcho of the family's witchery would likely feel inclined to ask why. The Seidre could ask this question for them.
Also, as a group, the community might be inclined to ask for a particularly good harvest, protection from flooding in the spring, a light snow-fall during winter, or an easy freeze instead of a harsh and windy winter. In the event of some mystery, such as who committed a murder that had no suspect, they might also be able find this out by asking the deceased or a representative of one of the gods or goddesses "who-dunnit".
The Seidre were also known as Bien-Sheidre. "Bien" is a French word meaning "excellent or beneficient"- now where does that fit in?? Was it a late-comer in the naming game? Or does it even matter here? So many questions. Most may not even be relevant, but I would not consider myself to have done very thorough research if I did not ask them all.
I believe the term to be a late addition from upper regions of France, since it is likely that by the time the Teutonic tradition was thoroughly rooted in Germanic cultures, they would have probably made contact and begun trading with French peoples from that region- indeed had probably done so for a thousand years or more. There is evidence of sea-travel up and down the coast of Prehistoric Europe- the routes from Italy to Gaul and the Rhineland areas (what would later be parts of Germany, via The Danube and Rhine Rivers) were travelled regularly in small boats. Even the occassional trip to Britain and Ireland was not unknown. It would certainly make sense to have a Seidre bless your trip, and then carry them across the water as extra protection!
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Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 11:52 pm
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Seidre
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Thanks, Zuni. =]
It's an interesting article...But I still want to know more. Like...what does the word itself mean? And...I don't know...It'd be interesting to know more about their lifestyle. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be much about them. (Of course, I've never really been good at research.)
I'll keep looking though. ^^ Hopefully I'll be able to find a book or something.
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Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2008 6:10 am
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Nanara
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Not much is known about those old norse holy people. But the supposed modern equivalent are called Asatru, you might also want to look into them. Though it's heavy going if you want to get right into them... they're often a very doctrine-based tradition... and reading the Eddas and all the other stuff about mythology.. even runes... is all extremely wordy.
Also, I think "seidre craft" is another one to look into for searching, when I went searching ages ago, that seemed to bring up more than just seidre... but I can't remember why.. and I don't have the time to go poking around right now.
Good luck hun. :3
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Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2008 10:53 am
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Miniar
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Joined: 25 Jun 2008
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Re: A new connection? 0.o
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| Seidre wrote: |
So, back to the story. I typed it in on Google...And I discovered that it's an actual word! The Seidre were...Nordic seers/shamans? |
First up, Tripod based sites, not a good source and the quoted material on that site is less than accurate.
Also, Asatru is less "doctrine" based than is suggested, all the reading you'd "need" to do is read Hávamál and there is a LOT known about the old-norse/teutonic "holy" people.
I consider myself a reconstructionist norse-/teutonic- heathen. I've spent a rather silly amount of time studying the old icelandic sagas, the poetry from the viking era, and everything else I can get my hand on.
Here's what I can tell you about the concept of "Seiđ" which is what I suspect the tripod page "thought" it was on about:
Seiđr (which is the closest thing to Seidre, spelling wise, in the old norse tounge) is not a person, or a job description, but much more accurately a "branch" of magic use. It "is" more shaman-esque than the other branches of norse/teutonic magic but it's not shamanism per say. Yes it includes the use of the fylgja (follower, a spirit-guide-like thing), some vision-questing, but mostly it involves the use of natural remedies and potions and the like. Practicioners of Seiđ were "usually" followers of Freya.
In later times (post initial christinatiation of the norse/teutonic people) seiđkonur (women who had practiced seiđ) were referred to as wise women and midwives in several writings and as such were allowed to practice a portion of their old magics but since they weren't able to teach the bulk of it, the practice died out.
Now, Seiđr is not pronounced as Seidre, and the similarities between the two (spelling wise) are not that great. It's a small word, a short little thing of two syllables (if that). I myself have found the word "miniar" to exist in spanish, this does not make me think that my name has spanish origins or anything to do with spanish. Small words are bound to be found in more than one language, doesn't mean they're actually connected.
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Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2008 11:29 am
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Seidre
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Small words are bound to be found in more than one language, doesn't mean they're actually connected.
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That's true...And the meaning I was given doesn't seem to relate to the Nordic meaning.
Either way, I am very interested in learning more about this branch of magic. Thanks for correcting the faulty information. ^^ That's what I hate about internet research. Although I suppose books can be faulty too...
Do you have any reading suggestions for me (other than the Havamal, which is already on my list as an interesting thing to read in general)?
Haha, I feel so lame for knowing so little. >.<
Nanara: Thanks for the luck. =3
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Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 4:09 am
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Miniar
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Well, when you've completed, and managed to "comprehend" Hávamál you might want to look into the rest of the Eddas and then go from there.
I'd read 2-3 translations of everything as there are few decent and mostly poor translations out there, a telltale sign in the case of Völuspá is if it mentions trees on a beach. The original version of Völuspá's creation of Askr and Embla mentions no trees, no wood, no nothing as Askr and Embla were completely without form or function before the gods "discovered" them (Which sounds an aweful lot like an "idea" to me rather than a piece of driftwood) not to mention, the "Elm" that Embla is supposed to represent in that tranlsation would be called Almr and is a highly masculine wood and word in the old ways and as such has nothing realy to do with Embla.
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Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 11:13 am
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Seidre
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Looks like I've got a lot of work ahead of me.
Thanks again, Miniar.
*scurries off to go study*
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Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 4:20 pm
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Zuni
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latin and greek are root languages, many other languages come from them, such as the romantic languages, that would be a good place to start. I don't personally reconize but it does look some-what like i have seen it before. i will check it out with my magister today
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Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 12:57 pm
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Seidre
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I've always wanted to learn Latin. ^^
That was one of my main reasons for choosing the college that I go to...And then I learned that they weren't going to teach it anymore. >.<
But yeah.
I'm not sure if knowing Latin will be helpful in this case, though I could be wrong. I am (quite obviously) no expert.
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Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 4:28 am
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Zuni
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talked to my latin teacher, cause i didn't reconize it. He said that it wasn't latin, said that it looked french. i will talk to the french teacher monday.
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Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 7:02 pm
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Seidre
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It's not French, either. French is one of the languages with Latin roots.
I know the language is similar to German. I think it's older than German, but I could easily be wrong. >.<
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Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 7:30 pm
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Zuni
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When you hear that a language is a romance language it does not mean that it is romantic but means that it derives of of Roam, hence ROAMANce. The Romance languages are latin, french, italian, spanish, portugues, and romania. countries have always been creating words as well as borrowing words from other languages. this word could be created of borrowed then slightly tweaked so that is sounds french. So this word could be a german word that the french took and tewaked. but i will call my grandfather, he speaks german.
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Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 7:59 pm
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Seidre
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*nod* I know what a romance language is. ^^
As for the word itself, I believe it means "seething."
*scurries off to find a full copy (or two) of Havamal.*
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Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 9:58 pm
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