Phi Alpha Theta State Conference

Due to the lack of International Events last semester, I'm doing a few extra this semester to catch myself up.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to present the findings from my capstone research at the annual Phi Alpha Theta history conference. Though the organization is based in the U.S., my lecture material was decidedly international. Plus, events are hard to come by in pandemic times. Thusly, I thought I'd give a summation of what I presented—it's cool stuff.

My research looks at Viking witchcraft and drug use—already a sexy branch of academics. Viking witchcraft, or sei∂r, as it's known, was practiced for a variety of reasons in medieval Scandinavia. Practitioners might transform into whales to travel long distances by ocean, predict coming crop yields or military outcomes, petition a god(s) for success in a business venture, etc. One saga except even tells of a battalion of "battle mages" who are deployed to curse the enemy infantry. Upon casting their spell, their opponents are rendered blind and are dispatched with ease.

So how do drugs factor in? Well, the usage of intoxicants as a means of supplementing shamanism is widespread throughout history (i.e., peyote, ayahuasca, etc.). If we choose to interpret Viking shamanism through the same lens of drug use, we are afforded interesting insights. By reading through the Icelandic Sagas, we can list each occurrence of sei∂r. Then, we can detail the symptoms that practitioners commonly experienced (e.g., fleeing of flight, hallucinations, etc.). By comparing these symptoms to the symptoms of geographically-available intoxicants, we can form a shortlist of likely candidates that the Vikings were consuming:

So what? The Vikings knew how to have a good time. Well, yes, but attributing Viking sorcery to extended drug use gives us another insight: It helps to explain the motif of a "third gender of sorcerers" that emerges alongside the practice of sei∂r.

Sei∂r was solidly the domain of women. Men who practiced the art—or were suspected of practicing the art—were viciously stigmatized. They were branded "ergi," a term which carried connotations of uselessness and passive homosexuality. Indeed, seid-men became their own social class; not quite men, not quite women. There was a liminal space between the gender binary which they occupied.

Obviously, gender in a social construct. But, could there be a sex-based hormonal cause behind this gender-based societal perception? I'm thrilled that you asked.

Here are few charts that document the effects of drug use on the body's hormones:

Note the highlighted items. These are the same categories of intoxicants that are outlined in the chart of likely drugs. Across the board, male sexual performance plummets. Anorgasmia and erectile dysfunction plague drug users, testosterone drops, luteinizing hormone increases and causes testicular damage, and prolactin surges may have caused male lactation.

With these pieces, we can start to paint a picture of this third gender. A young male sorcerer starts practicing sei∂r. Maybe for the money. Maybe for the chicks. Regardless, he consumes intoxicants and hallucinogens regularly as he performs the rituals. Because of this, his hormones go awry; his endocrine system is haywire, and he begins to develop effeminate features (e.g., gynecomastia, higher pitched voice, etc.). Word gets around of his drug-induced sexual impotence, which may have been interpreted as disinterest. Either way, he's no longer viewed the same way by his male peers, who value the traditional warrior ethos.

Ultimately, we're left with a chick-egg scenario. Did connotations of male sorcerers get reinforced by the coincidental repercussions of drug use? Did the observed effects of male drug use during sorcery affect their perception?

Hard to say, but the drug-based theory for Viking gender roles in witchcraft seems plausible.