Séra Eiríkur Magnússon í Vogsósum (c.1637(?)/1638–1716), was an Icelandic priest and

Galdr A (plural ') or (plural ) refers to a spell or incantation in Old Norse and Old English respectively; these were usually performed in combination with certain rites.The article ''Galder'' in ''Nationalencyklopedin'' (1992) Etymology and or ...

master. While he was a real person, he has been the subject of many folk tales because of his interest in and study in witchcraft. He is known in Icelandic folklore, where there are many folktales about his alleged magical abilities. He owned the far
Vogsósar
and was the vicar of Selvog church in the parish o
Selvogur
from 1677–1716. Some tales with him as the hero center on his magical duels with

Stokkseyrar-Dísa Thordis Markusdottir (''Þórdís Markúsdóttir''), known as Stokkseyrar-Dísa (1668–1728), was an Icelandic magician (Galdrmaster). She is known in history for her alleged magical powers. She is the subject of a least ten different folk sagas d ...

. As a child he attended the Cathedral School at

Skálholt Skálholt (Modern Icelandic: ; ) is a historical site in the south of Iceland, at the river Hvítá, Árnessýsla, Hvítá. History Skálholt was, through eight centuries, one of the most important places in Iceland. A bishopric was established ...

to about 1658 and was ordained in 1668 by Bishop

Brynjólfur Sveinsson Brynjólfur Sveinsson (14 September 1605 – 5 August 1675) served as the Lutheran Bishop of the see of Skálholt in Iceland. His main influence has been on modern knowledge of Old Norse literature. Brynjólfur is also known for his support ...

as curate of Arnarboeli. He became the parish priest of Vogsósar in 1667.

Folklore and variations

One folktale recounts how Eírikur rescued a woman who had been kidnapped by trolls. He is also said to have exorcised the ghost of a woman named Guðrún or Gunna. In life she had owed a man named Vilhjálmur a debt but could not pay it as she was too poor. In consequence he took her cooking pot as payment. After she died Guðrún became a

draugr The draugr or draug (; ; ; , ''drauv''; , ''dröger'') is a corporeal undead creature from the sagas and folktales of the Nordic countries, with varying ambiguous traits. In modern times, they are often portrayed as Norse mythology, Norse super ...

and soon Vilhjálmur is also found dead. Eírikur exorcises the ghost by means of a slip of paper and a ball of wool with two knots in it which he gives to two men seeking his help. Gunna unties the knots and runs after the ball until she falls into a hot spring. Another story, which Jacqueline Simpson Legends of Icelandic Magicians, Jacqueline Simpson, D.S.Brewer Limited, 1975 calls "How Eírikur Learned His Arts At School," takes place when Eírikur is at school in

. He and two of his friends, Bogi and Magnús, plan to learn magic. One night they journey to the cathedral graveyard and raise the ghost of an old man, obtaining the fragments of his magic book, and later compile the grimoire Gráskinna, making use of the many spells in the fragment. Years later he is summoned to Biskupstungar, where the

Bishop of Skálholt A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of dioceses. The role ...

shows him Gráskinna and asks him whether he knows any of the signs in it. He answers that he does not know a single one of the signs but later admits he knew all but one of them. In folklore, Eírikur is a kind, generous and compassionate man who only uses his powers for good.

References

* Ghosts, Witchcraft and the Other World: Icelandic Folktales I, Iceland Review Library, 1977 * Legends of Icelandic Magicians, Jacqueline Simpson, D.S.Brewer Limited, 1975 {{DEFAULTSORT:Eirikur I Vogsosum 1637 births 1638 births 1716 deaths 17th-century Icelandic people 18th-century Icelandic people Icelandic Christian clergy Icelandic folklore Witchcraft in Iceland