Niding Pole
From Traditional Witchcraft Wiki Project
A Niding Pole, Nidhstong or Nidstang is literally a "curse pole", and an ancient Scandanavian cursing custom; nidh being Old Norse for "curse" and stong or stang being Old Norse for "pole". One method of using this technique is to harvest a hazel pole, erect it on high land facing the direction to which the curse is to be sent. Upon this pole a horse head is placed as an incantation is spoken, pronouncing the target of the curse. With that done the horse head is turned to face the direction of the chosen quarry. Such a curse is intended also to cajole the land wights into working against the victim(s). Oftentimes the pole is etched with various runic inscriptions related to the curse, and the horse's head is now more normally replaced with a horse skull or the pole itself is carved with the image of a horse head.
Such tool is depicted by Olaus magnus in his book historia de gentibus Septentrionalibus (published in 1555),where two witches are seen warding off shipmen approaching from sea; in the picture, one witch is seen summoning a rain storm and the other holding a niding pole, they are cursing in the direction of the ship, which is begining to sink causing the shipmen to drown. There is a spell spoken by Egil while using a niding pole to curse king Eric and queen Gunnhilda:
"And when all was ready for sailing, Egil went up into the island. He took in his hand a hazel-pole, and went to a rocky eminence that looked inward to the mainland. Then he took a horse's head and fixed it on the pole. After that, in solemn form of curse, he thus spake: 'Here set I up a curse-pole, and this curse I turn on king Eric and queen Gunnhilda. (Here he turned the horse's head landwards.) This curse I turn also on the guardian-spirits who dwell in this land, that they may all wander astray, nor reach or find their home till they have driven out of the land king Eric and Gunnhilda.' This spoken, he planted the pole down in a rift of the rock, and let it stand there. The horse's head he turned inwards to the mainland; but on the pole he cut runes, expressing the whole form of curse." - Egils Saga, Chapter LXXV (75)
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