Lexicon of Paganism, Mystery Religions, And Magical Creatures
(This is an excerpt from a University Of Metaphysical Sciences course at www.umsonline.org, please feel free to visit the school website)
Glossary of Terms T - W
Taufr:
Talismanic magic, a talisman used for magical purposes.
Thuurs: Giants renowned for their stupidity and strength.
Tine: A rune talisman that can be very simple or complex
in its construction.
Trolls: Trolls are a type of Ogre, unpleasant in every
way. They were very smelly as well. They supposedly lived in underground
cities and only came out at night, or else they would be turned to stone
in the sunlight. Scandinavian myths depict trolls as dwellers under bridges,
reeking of sewer water. In the British northlands, some rocks that are especially
bulbous and roundish are said to be trolls who were caught in sunlight.
Trolls dislike the noise of humans and are cannibalistic, liking women and
children the most.
Unicorn: A magical horse with one horn coming out of its
forehead. These were always white horses who represented spiritual virginity
and purity of the heart. They had silvery blood and their foals were born
pure gold. Their coats turn silver by the time they are two years old and
are pure white as a mature adult unicorn. Unicorns are found in the ancient
art of Mesopotamia, China, and India. A unicorn technically can never be
tamed, but it can be baited by a young virgin girl. The unicorn was able
to save a person's life as well as his or her soul. The horn, when dipped
in water, turns the water into an all healing medicine. Although it was
a terrible crime to hunt and kill a unicorn, many medievals did just that,
as depicted in the Unicorn Tapestry of France. The horns were used as a
drinking cup to cure all ills.
Veela: Seductive nature spirits from the legends of central
Europe. These are beautiful young women, elementals that lived in the woods,
with long white hair and perfect forms. Mostly they are kind to humans,
especially men whom they love and regard with great desire. They know of
all the natural remedies one can get from the forest. They are kind, but
if their dances are disturbed they become furious, whipping up winds and
storms. As spirits of the wind, they invoke gales and tempests when they
are angry.
Vikti: Magician, wise one, wizard; a wizard versed in rune
lore, who is not necessarily a priest (godhi) within the faith of the Aesir,
but who remains within the natural laws of that faith.
Vlupsa: Prophecy of the seeress, the first song of the
Elder Edda dealing with cosmogony, anthropology and eschatology. It sets
the whole world view for the rune magician and wizard.
Wands: Wizards use wands in every legend. Heiroglyphs show
priests holding small rods. Some Greek gods carried rods or staffs. Hermes
carried what was called a caduceus, and so did Thoth, an Egyptian god. The
caduceus had wings with two serpents twisted around it, signifying wisdom
and healing powers. Physicians adopted it as their symbol hundreds of years
ago and still use it in a commonly seen medical symbol today. Druids used
a different type of wand for their seven levels of priesthood. The elder
tree was considered especially magical and many wizards favored wands made
of this tree. Those who wanted to practice dark magic fashioned cypress
wands, for cypress was associated with death. The yew tree is also supposed
to have immense supernatural power and at one time was one of very few evergreens
in Britain. It is a symbol of both death and rebirth, resulting in immortality.
A wand is a necessary tool for the adept and the magician. It serves to
focus power and intention when casting spells, moving objects, and removing
curses. It is the magician’s personal extension of himself or herself
and serves to direct the magician’s intention with great directness.
A wand can be as long as a staff or as short as a one foot stick, even a
crystal that is only a few inches long. It can be made of any substance
that the magician feels an affinity with, but is most often wooden.
Witches Hammer: This book was as popular as the Bible when
it was published in 1486. It paralleled the popularity of the Bible for
200 years. The Malleus Maleficarum was written by famous witch
hunters who wanted to give a system for accusing, trying and executing witches.
Wizard: The word “wizard” is probably a British
invention. The earliest wizards were Druids; a Celtic name meaning “knowing
the oak tree.” They were priests, teachers and judges, the more educated
class in the population.
World (heim): The entire cosmos of universe, or one of the nine
levels or worlds of existence that make up the ordered cosmos.