Written by Dyami Millarson
The Warlock World Principle or Witch World Principle is a fundamental belief in the Germanic worldview that the world is full of witches and warlocks. This belief centres around the notion of living in a completely magical world and its implications, such as the ability of people to influence fate through their actions. This belief in magic corresponds to the belief in the existence of witches and warlocks, which can be identified with various supernatural beings. This the Germanic belief in the magical powers of females persisted well into the Middle Ages and beyond, and remains an important aspect of Germanic folklore and religion today.
There are, for example, clear traces of a rich tradition concerning witches in Hindeloopen Frisian, and this lore about witches must trace its origins in a much primordial belief system; the Germanic folklore, as portrayed in the early records of the Germanic peoples written in Latin, the Eddas, Sagas, and later West and North Germanic folklore, teach that the Germanic world is full of witches and warlocks. This belief can be encapsulated in a theological principle that I call the Warlock World Principle, or Witch World Principle.
The Germanic world is considered fundamentally magical, thanks to the workings of fate, which underlies magic; for magic is what appears or “surfaces” when fate is influenced. People can influence fate through their actions, and therefore they can be practitioners of magic; actions, which are what influences fate, are what creates magic. The relationship between fate and magic is that the former is unferlying, the latter is superficial, which is to say that they are two sides of the same coin. After all, recognising that magic is the superficial manifestation of fate is recognising that magic is ultimately the same force as fate; someone who works fate is performing magic.
This view of the world led the Germanic peoples to believe in the existence of witches and warlocks. Giants, Hrímþursar, and Trolls are considered warlocks, while the Gýgur are witches. However, the skill of magic is not limited to these groups alone. The Æsir, Ásynjur, Vanir, Álfar, Dvergar, Dísir, Nykir, and other supernatural beings are also considered warlocks and witches. Germanic heroes and heroines are likewise are men and women who influence fate through their actions; they are powerful magicians. This belief in magic had already been strong among the Germanic tribes during Roman times, when it was reported that seeresses (later called Völur in Old Norse) were widely believed in. This belief extended to the worship of many female supernatural beings, as seen in the archaeological record, which must be identified with the Dísir and the Dísablót.
Even well into the later Middle Ages which was doninated by non-pagan elites, and up until the end of the Middle Ages and beyond, the belief in witches remained strong. This was due to the continuation of the Germanic belief in the magical powers of females, which was a prominent feature of ancient Germanic religion. the terminology used for witches in the Germanic languages of Continental Europe and Scandinavian Europe even remained largely the same as in pagan times. It is important to recognise that the belief in witches and warlocks was not a creation of the early modern or the late medieval period. It was an integral part of Germanic belief and has been present throughout the ages in an unbroken tradition; the pre-medieval Germanic beliefs transitioned into early medieval Germanic beliefs, which survived into late medieval Germanic beliefs, which finally informed the early modern and modern beliefs. In conclusion, the late medieval witch belief represents the remnants of a pristine belief system regarding the magical ability of females; for it can be traced back to ancient pagan times on several grounds, including etymological and literary evidence.
Thus are the essential points of this article:
- The Warlock World Principle is a doctrine of Germanic religiosity that the world is magical and full of witches and warlocks.
- This belief originates from the relationship between fate and magic, where people can influence fate through their actions.
- Giants and Giantesses are considered warlocks and witches, but the skill of magic is not limited to Them alone.
- Germanic Gods and Goddesses are likewise skilled in the arts of fate-working.
- Germanic heroes and heroines are also considered powerful magicians.
- The Germanic belief in magic and witches has persisted throughout the ages, from ancient times to the present day.
Viking Religion 