A witch voodoo doll is a significant tool used in the practice of voodoo or hoodoo magic. Voodoo itself is an Afro-Caribbean religion that incorporates various elements of African and Catholic beliefs. This includes the use of spiritual rituals, charms, spells, and dolls. A witch voodoo doll is typically a small, handcrafted doll made from materials such as fabric, clay, or straw. It is often designed to resemble a specific person or creature, and can be personalized with specific features or items like hair or clothing. The doll is believed to represent an individual and serves as a conduit for performing magic on that person.

Of Weavers, Drums, Marking, and Beginnings

On my second viewing Matthew’s voiceover struck me a new. It has admittedly gone from exciting thrill to hearing in the trailer to a commonplace of each episode that is comfortingly familiar (and sometimes we need that comfort at the start of the episode, even though some of us know what’s happening!!). It stuck out on the second watch because of the way the camera pans over the box that houses Meridiana’s (brazen) head. There’s a certain symmetry recognisable here as the episode opens with Matthew speaking of endings and beginnings and Meridiana’s parting words to Satu ‘Thank you, Weaver.’ While we might not recognise it on the first watch (I mean, this episode is loaded – they all are, but this one!!), subsequent viewings highlight different things, and as one weaver’s life ends, by the end of the episode we have two weavers realising that they are not just witches. And for Diana, while she may question what exactly she is at the end of the episode, the start of her journey means a new beginning for weavers, and for creatures more broadly.

Oh, and spoilers for the trilogy.

The other thing worth noting about Meridiana in relation to this episode/the story is that some of the records say Gerbert was cursed by the female demon Meridiana. A 15th century manuscript now in Heidelberg shows the pope conversing with a demon, in the traditional sense, who is portrayed as a recognisably anthropomorphic hybrid with gills, hooves, and faces all over its body. In terms of the All Souls universe, the characterisation of Meridiana as weaver combines witch and d(a)emon.

It is thought, after all, that weavers have daemon blood in them, giving them their “extra” powers. (Side note: This leads me to wonder if there is anything in the blood of weavers that would call to vampires in an additional way? I.e. when Gerbert tastes Satu’s blood, not only is he learning something that makes him smile (it’s a bit of a terrifying smile, right?!), but is he recognising, through her blood, a distinct similarity between her and Meridiana?)

And let’s talk about Satu. We haven’t seen much of her in the show beyond a few scenes where she seems to be, like Gillian, a pawn of Peter Knox. (To be fair, in the books, we see her even less.) In the previous episode, we had a hint that she is willing to branch out on her own to solve the puzzle that is Diana Bishop. This week, though, we see the lengths that she will go to. She’s violated vampire territory. Not just any vampire territory, but the de Clermont family home/base/Knights of Lazarus sanctuary. As Baldwin (ahhhh Baldwin in this episode = heart eyes) notes, that’s basically an act of war (at least it will be if Matthew decides to keep pursuing his forbidden love affair with Diana). Satu first pleads with Diana to let her be her teacher, to let her show Diana how to control her magic. There’s two ways to read this: first, she really wants to help because she recognises something in Diana, or, second, it’s a ploy to get Diana to trust her and thus reveal her magic. It’s clear she does not believe Knox’s report that Diana is powerless, or at least less powerful than her parents’ lineages would suggest she should be. Diana (unsurprisingly given that she’s been taken from Sept Tours and dropped in a strange ruinous castle and that Gerbert is also threatening her at Satu’s side) doesn’t go for it, and refuses to tell Satu anything.

Before we get to the drum scene, it’s worth pointing out that the attention to detail between scenes is evident in part of the torture scene and flashes to Em scrying. In the smoke that we (Em) see(s), two figures are evident: one is being raised in the air and the other has its hand stretched out (anyone else get any Darth Vader vibes in this scene?) seemingly directing the other figure upwards. This is exactly what is happening in the scene with Diana and Satu. It’s not really to get this level of detail, but it is shocking in seeing it from both perspectives, and explains just how Em knows that it’s serious enough to call Matthew and demand an explanation.

The scene with the drum excited me so much. Once again the production utilises a recognisable artefact. While the show has “othered” these particular objects, connecting them to witches that are on the “bad” team, in other words against Matthew and Diana, they have not done this by distancing them from their cultural origins to a ridiculous – or arguably colonial – degree. Too often in TV and film we have seen objects taken from their original cultural contexts and colonised on-screen. (Black Panther is perhaps the best example of turning this tradition on its head to say something politically while also grounding the narrative by creating a believable world through the use of real artefacts and styles.) Yes, original function is somewhat reframed in a fictional context, but we are still seeing them in a similar enough context where original function and cultural context is not completely obscured. The materiality, cultural origins, and portrayal – like I discussed in regards to Ashmole 782 and medieval manuscripts – once more acts as experimental archaeology while introducing fantastic objects to a wider audience. I mean, the Finnish witch/weaver uses an object found in Finland to direct her magic. The Scottish Congregation member uses a Scottish object to direct his magic.

Yet, the objects’ cultural origins, while accurate, are not recognisable within the context of the show as belonging to the same culture as the character who uses it; the viewer is left to identify the shared origins. In this, the production shows that they are thinking intelligently about design (umm, this is not always the case in television – I can think of one relatively large production whose producer said their story wasn’t based on a book and so they didn’t have things to use to ground it in a particular world. It *was* based on a book-length poem + the designers also used period objects from the correct historical period, so, yeah, this is a somewhat unusual attention to detail across a production!). They aren’t just thinking intelligently about it, either, but also encourage the viewers to do so, too. Why that stone? Why that drum? It also serves to manifest the differences in witchcraft and tradition in such a way that contributes to individual characters.

The drumbeat also references the heartbeat theme. Sure it is not a heartbeat per se, but it is a steady rhythm that recalls one. Coupled with the fact it is a decorated object on skin, that reference takes on a new, distinctly All Souls meaning. Skin and decoration (or marking – we’re getting there) are intimately linked in this universe. From manuscript to Matthew, objects and characters alike display a bodily materiality that turns them into things to be read.

I didn’t initially recognise the drum as Sámi, but I knew it was something old. (I have an old things radar. Find me an art historian or historian that doesn’t…) After a quick search the Sámi drum stuck out to me as the likely inspiration for it. (This has been confirmed!) The drum is important in the rituals of the Sámi people of Northern Europe (namely Norway, Finland, Sweden, and the Kola Peninsula in Russia), and only about 70 drums survive. (As a definite newbie to these AMAZING objects, a lot of my general knowledge comes from a variety of sources including here, here, here, and here.) It is evident that many more were destroyed during religious upheaval beginning in the 16th century with the Protestant Reformation. This also makes them important to witches of similar background: out of fear, and charges of paganism, etc, witches across time have rejected their powers, and therefore have destroyed their ability to do magic and the connection to their wider heritage (and the world) that the magic gave them. The tangible loss of such objects, in other words, parallels the less tangible loss of power.

The drums are usually made with reindeer skin (another skin-based object) and decorated with a range of symbols, including Rune-like forms, humans, and the sun and moon, amongst others. Used in Sámi rituals that sought to harmonise people with nature, travel to/from the spiritual world, and ask for guidance, the drum that Satu uses functions similarly. As she drums, Satu recites ‘I call upon the elements/I call upon the dark and the light to illuminate what is hidden/Power, power, I open thy/Power, Power, Let thy power tie with eye.’ As Diana later tells Matthew, Satu is unsuccessful in her attempt to open her up and read her. Satu’s power, her calling upon nature, fails her because Diana and her magic do not yield.

The British Museum example is described as ‘depicting maps, guides, and accounts of journeys to the worlds of spirits and gods.’ While it’s hard to make out the exact decoration of what is on Satu’s drum, it’s easy to see how such imagery can be manipulated by the show’s creative team to illustrate a (magical) journey or guide for such a journey to understanding another’s magic. I’d love to know what the team envisions Satu would use this object – or a similar drum – for outside of this scene.

As Matthew has demonstrated with Diana and manuscripts (no, I still haven’t quite forgiven him for trying to spill wine on a manuscript), her power is tied into her need for it. Once again we see this. At La Pierre, Diana is only able to rescue herself (aka fly out of the oubliette) once she recognises the need for it; when Matthew cannot rescue her (‘The Prince couldn’t fly so Diana had to help herself.’), she has to use her magic. This is loaded: we’re seeing her forced to embrace her powers at the same time she is forced to rely on herself and not Matthew, which she has been doing for a good part of the story so far. She might recognise Matthew as a partner and Matthew might wish to make her do things (or not do them), but they both have to acknowledge and accept her power.

In this scene we also get more spider webs. Throughout the series we have seen Diana dreaming of being entangled in them, which is a bit of a bizarre illusion when you don’t know that she is a weaver. In the books, it is coloured ribbons which Diana learns in The Shadow of Night she can use to control her magic, tying different knots to make her magic work. There has been a bit of grumbling about the lack of the ribbons in this scene. (In the book she unties and throws off the ribbons binding her ability to fly.) I can see how this might be a challenge for a TV show even as I really hope we see the ribbons in a second series. But, I do love the idea that the webs have been woven, as if they were ribbon knots, around her to prevent her magic from spilling out before it is time. As her magic becomes more important, and as Diana learns to embrace it, the webs are coming loose: she will be weaving soon, rather than being tangled in someone else’s weaving.

This scene, moreover, is interwoven with Satu rescuing Meridiana from Gerbert. Meridiana, restricted from using her power to free herself, is able to somehow ‘recharge’ Satu so that Satu can rescue them both. The fact that two weavers are being rescued in this part of the episode is interesting: whereas you might expect the weavers to all be united, there is something that sets Diana apart from the others. And I mean something more than just the obvious she’s with vampires and doesn’t know she’s a weaver yet. In a sense, this is the old world rescuing itself while the new world is also rescuing itself and securing its ability to manifest itself. Two types of creature loyalty is evident here: that within one’s own type and that which combines creature types. Ideas of purity, challenged by Nathaniel and Sophie later (I love Agatha reminding Nathaniel her loyalty is to her family, regardless of the fact her grandchild may be a witch.), and allegiance have been challenged throughout the series, but here they are juxtaposed. Because of creature separation and incest (for lack of a better word) magic dies; when creatures mix, magic is born, or, in the case of Diana, freed.

And back to things meant to be read: Satu marks Diana with Matthew’s insignia. Satu declares that Diana’s body is vampiric in a way. Diana has (seemingly) turned her back (that part of her body which is marked) on her own kind in order to embrace a vampire. To those outside of Matthew and Diana’s family (with few exceptions – I see you Sophie/Nathaniel/Agatha), this is incomprehensible, and even to their family, it is hard to accept. In essence, by marking her in this way, Satu declares that Diana belongs to Matthew, and perhaps to the vampires more broadly. She is an object to be opened – and read.

I imagine to a historian, not to mention to a vampire who lived through the Middle Ages, marking Diana also carries connotations of her as property and belonging to Matthew. Like his Knights of Lazarus seal which includes his insignia, Diana bears Matthew’s mark and it could be argued comes under his control. Given that we see the insignia on his Lazarus seal and Diana and that Matthew puts her under the protection of the Knights, Diana is aligned with the brotherhood as something that Matthew controls – or is understood (tries) to control. Eventually, when Matthew puts the Knights in the hands of Marcus and Diana asserts her power, Matthew’s need for control is tested. It is also worth noting that it is Baldwin who questions both Matthew as head of the Knights and questions him (as his brother and a de Clermont) about whether Diana is worth the upcoming fight to be with her. Both the Knights and Diana can be read as Matthew’s, but are also not just Matthew’s. The order and Diana are also united in the fact that they, in a way, are bigger than themselves: the order serves to aid and protect those who cannot do it for themselves while Diana is key to the preservation of creatures because of her knowledge and ability to read (and understand) Ashmole 782.

Moreover, Diana herself, as noted, does not open. She refuses to be read by Satu. Her connection to Ashmole 782 is reinforced here: they both refuse to open, to allow themselves to be read, by just anyone. Only those with a particular connection to them can read them. Moreover, they both reclaim their agency by marking (claiming) others and asserting their own power/magic. Whereas Ashmole 782 marks Diana to demonstrate their connection, Diana has claimed Matthew and is beginning to claim her power. And, in foreshadowing Diana’s story arc, the mark also makes her a palimpsest. Her text is hidden. And, interestingly given Satu calls on the light to reveal Diana’s secrets, a palimpsest, as we learned in episode one, can only be read in the correct light. Eventually (spoiler…) Diana will absorb the knowledge of Ashmole 782 and her transformation into a palimpsest will be complete, and her body will function as more than just a body since it makes Diana a vessel of knowledge, or a walking magical manuscript, if you will.

Oh, and there’s a chain (invisible chain!) binding Matthew to Diana in the book narrative. And Ashmole 782 might’ve been chained… Literally tied together.

A Discovery of Witches – Weaver Yarn Bell – 8 in

Salutations, magical artisans and lore lovers! From the whimsical potter’s wheel of Southern Kentucky, Pawley Studios presents a bewitching ode to your enchanting passions – our spellbinding “Weaver’s Knot” from the All Souls Trilogy!

Salutations, magical artisans and lore lovers! From the whimsical potter’s wheel of Southern Kentucky, Pawley Studios presents a bewitching ode to your enchanting passions – our spellbinding “Weaver’s Knot” 20-ounce mug from the All Souls Trilogy!

This isn’t just any mug, dear magic enthusiasts. It’s a 20-ounce symbol of the Weaver’s craft, a vessel that pours out the beguiling world of Diana Bishop with every sip. Each gulp from this handmade ceramic masterpiece is like a draught from the wellspring of the All Souls universe.

But the charm of this mug doesn’t end at its unique design. Shaped with as much care and precision as a Weaver’s spell, this high-quality ceramic mug promises durability and practicality. Microwave and dishwasher safe, it’s as unyielding as a Weaver’s determination, ready to stand beside you in your everyday magical exploits.

Emblazoned with the image of the Weaver’s starting knot, this mug doesn’t just hold your brew, it tells a tale of magic, creativity, and the unfathomable power of a Weaver. It’s as fascinating as an ancient grimoire and as comforting as the warm hearth of Sept-Tours. Pawley Studios’ craftsmanship harmoniously merges Southern Kentucky’s ceramic traditions with the mystical charm of the All Souls Trilogy.

As committed to your safety as a Weaver is to her magical loom, Pawley Studios offers this lead-free and eco-friendly 20-ounce “Weaver’s Knot” mug, guaranteeing a magical and safe drinking experience.

So whether you’re brewing a robust coffee to kick-start a day of spell-weaving, or winding down with a soothing tea after a mesmerizing read, make our microwave and dishwasher-safe “Weaver’s Knot” 20-ounce mug your magical companion. But act faster than a witch’s spell, dear followers of the craft, these bewitching mugs are disappearing quicker than Diana Bishop in a time-walk. Order yours today, and toast to the magic of Weaving!

Food Safe Glazes. Dishwasher and microwave safe. We use food-safe glazes and clay on all our drinkware so you can fuel up without worry!

The Weaver and the Witch Queen

The lives of two women—one desperate only to save her missing sister, the other a witch destined to become queen of Norway—intertwine in this spellbinding, powerful novel of Viking Age history and myth from the acclaimed author of The Witch’s Heart.

Oddny and Gunnhild meet as children in tenth century Norway, and they could not be more different: Oddny hopes for a quiet life, while Gunnhild burns for power and longs to escape her cruel mother. But after a visiting wisewoman makes an ominous prophecy that involves Oddny, her sister Signy, and Gunnhild, the three girls take a blood oath to help one another always.

When Oddny’s farm is destroyed and Signy is kidnapped by Viking raiders, Oddny is set adrift from the life she imagined—but she's determined to save her sister no matter the cost, even as she finds herself irresistibly drawn to one of the raiders who participated in the attack. And in the far north, Gunnhild, who fled her home years ago to learn the ways of a witch, is surprised to find her destiny seems to be linked with that of the formidable King Eirik, heir apparent to the ruler of all Norway.

But the bonds—both enchanted and emotional—that hold the two women together are strong, and when they find their way back to each other, these bonds will be tested in ways they never could have foreseen in this deeply moving novel of magic, history, and sworn sisterhood.

Genevieve Gornichec earned her degree in history from The Ohio State University, where her study of the Norse myths and Icelandic sagas became her writing inspiration. Her national bestselling debut novel, The Witch's Heart, has been translated into more than ten languages. She lives in Cleveland, Ohio. The Weaver and the Witch Queen is her second novel. View titles by Genevieve Gornichec

A horn sounded across the water in two short bursts.

Upon hearing it, Gunnhild Ozurardottir dropped her spindle and distaff and ran, ignoring the admonishments of the serving women she'd been spinning with under the awning. They would scold her later, but she cared little.

Her friends were about to arrive. And at such times she found it hard to care about anything else.

Gunnhild rounded the corner of the longhouse and sprinted up the hill, making for her father's watchman on the eastern side of the island. He was stationed on a small platform overlooking the water and always had a blowing horn on hand.

"One ship!" he called over his shoulder at the other men milling about, not noticing as Gunnhild hiked up her dress and scrambled up the platform's short ladder. "It's Ketil's!"

Before he could protest, Gunnhild grabbed the horn off its peg and blew it twice. As she lowered it she heard noises of disappointment coming from the children on the incoming ship, and she pumped a fist in victory. "Yes!"

"Oi!" the man said, snatching the horn from her. "That's only for emergencies!"

"This is an emergency," Gunnhild replied with gravity. She pointed to a dark shape in the water. "As soon as they pass that big rock in the bay, they blow the horn. And if I don't respond before they dock, I owe them a trinket. Two blasts for 'hello,' three for 'goodbye.'"

"Aren't you a little old for games, girl?"

"Not when I know I can win!" With that, Gunnhild scampered back down the ladder and ran for the shore, leaving the watchman shaking his head.

As she approached, Gunnhild could see Ketil and his son, Vestein, tying up their ship at the rickety wooden dock. Three other people disembarked: Ketil's wife, Yrsa, and their daughters, Oddny and Signy, whom Gunnhild practically tackled in a hug. Sighing and shifting the bedroll in her arms, Signy rummaged in her rucksack and handed over a single glass bead, which Gunnhild snatched up with an air of triumph and stuffed into the pouch at her belt.

At twelve years old, Gunnhild was exactly between the sisters in age-Signy a winter older, Oddny a winter younger-and the girls rarely got to see one another except at gatherings, which made this day even sweeter.

"You're too fast," Signy complained as Gunnhild threw an arm around each of her friends and herded them up the hill toward her father's hall.

"Or maybe you're not fast enough," Gunnhild said, "because when I visit you I still win. I have a collection to prove it."

Oddny sniffed and picked at one of the furs in her bedroll, her thin shoulders hunched, her pinched face looking more so than usual. "Maybe we'd win every once in a while if Signy ever stopped daydreaming and paid attention."

"Hush, you. I pay attention," Signy said lightly, but her green eyes were brimming with mischief. Gunnhild appreciated that about her: Whether it was stealing oatcakes from the cookhouse or pulling a well-timed prank on the farmhands, Signy was always up for a little fun, whereas Oddny was more likely to sit back from whichever of her chores she was dutifully performing and give them a disapproving look. Oddny wasn't much fun, but at least she never tattled on them.

As they entered the longhouse, Gunnhild saw that preparations were well underway for the ritual and feast taking place that evening. Near her father's high seat at the far end of the hall, a small square platform had been raised for the visiting seeress to sit on, so she could look out over the crowd as she revealed their futures. It sat just under the wooden statues of the gods Odin, Thor, and Frey, which loomed beneath the jutting lintel above the entrance to the antechamber where Gunnhild's family slept.

Gunnhild had never seen her father's hall looking quite like this: buzzing with activity, the air charged with excitement. The seeress's impending arrival had turned the entire household upside down, and Gunnhild considered herself lucky to have escaped from her spinning in the chaos.

A knee-high platform ran the length of the hall on each side, where guests would feast and then sleep. By day, light streamed in through the holes in the roof above the two center hearths; by night, the longhouse would be dim and smoky, lit only by the hearth fires and by the lines of oil braziers hanging from the posts that ran down either side of the hall and divided the seating areas into sections.

"Where is our family sitting?" Oddny asked her as they neared the center of the hall.

"My mother assigned the seats," Gunnhild said. "We can ask-"

As if on cue the woman in question came out of the antechamber, already dressed to welcome the guests in her finest brooches and beads, and with a gauzy linen head scarf knotted at the nape of her neck. Before Gunnhild could so much as speak, her mother was upon them.

"What mischief have you been up to, Gunnhild?" Solveig demanded. "Why aren't you spinning with Ulfrun and the others? They're supposed to be keeping you out of the way."

They didn't tell on me, Gunnhild thought with short-lived relief, for the look on her mother's face was nothing short of hostile.

Oddny and Signy moved in fractionally closer on either side of Gunnhild, Signy's arm tightening around her friend's back, and even Oddny-a paragon of submitting to parental authority-stiffened as if bracing for an attack. Solveig would never dare strike her daughter in front of guests, but that didn't mean she hadn't done so in private, and both Ketilsdottirs knew this. They had seen the proof more than once.

"I-I heard the horns," Gunnhild said at last, her friends' presence giving her strength, helping her find her voice. "I had to win."

"Not this silly game again," Solveig said scathingly, and she echoed the watchman's earlier sentiment: "Aren't you girls a little old for this?"

"It's only a game." Gunnhild raised her chin. As she stared her mother down, Oddny and Signy held their ground beside her until their own mother entered the hall.

"Hello, Solveig," said Yrsa with forced politeness. "Are my daughters causing trouble already? We've only just arrived."

Solveig plastered a look of equally strained courtesy onto her face. "Not so. I only suspect that mine is, as always, up to no good."

Yrsa's voice turned cold. "Gunnhild just came down to the dock to escort us to the hall. Why does this offend you?"

"I feel compelled to remind you, Yrsa, that you are a guest in my home," Solveig said stiffly. "I don't recall asking for your opinion on the way I choose to deal with my own daughter."

"Of course." Yrsa's eyes narrowed, but she gave her host an insipid smile. "Before we get settled in, is there anyone in need of my services?" There was usually no shortage of sick or injured people on any given farm, and Yrsa was a skilled healer.

"Not that I know of. Please, make yourselves comfortable." Solveig gestured to the section of the platform two spaces down from the high seat, then looked to Gunnhild. "Clean yourself up and get ready at once." She made to breeze past them but stopped to hiss in her daughter's ear, "And do not embarrass me tonight."

Then she was gone, and Gunnhild could breathe again.

Yrsa's keen eyes followed Solveig as the woman went to greet the next guests. "Oddny, Signy-why don't you help Gunnhild get ready?"

The sisters dumped their bedrolls and scurried off with Gunnhild to the antechamber. Her parents slept on the right side, and behind a curtain on the left side were two wooden bunks with thin straw mattresses atop them.

Gunnhild had once shared this room with her sisters, but as they were much older and had long since been married off, she now bunked with Solveig's most trusted serving women, and she was glad to see that none of her aged roommates were present. Besides the bunks, the only other fixtures were a few small chests, one of which was Gunnhild's. She opened it and added the bead Signy had given her to the little pouch full of smooth skipping stones, seashells, and other baubles she'd won over time from the Ketilsdottirs. Then she took out a bone comb and began to assault her thick dark red hair.

Gunnhild's feast clothing was already spread out on her bunk: a linen dress soft from years of use; a woolen apron-dress, faded and threadbare but woven in a fine diamond pattern; and a pair of tarnished oval brooches with a simple string of beads. All had been handed down to Gunnhild from her older sisters.

"Mother asked to foster you again at the midsummer feast, last time we were all together," Signy said as she sat down on the bunk with the clothing on it, the beads clinking together at the movement. "Your mother refused."

"She said you were too old now." Oddny sat down on the opposite bunk. "As if she hasn't been asking forever."

Gunnhild grimaced, but this came as no surprise; she knew there was no escape for her. She'd tried to run away once or twice, slipping out during the commotion of a feast after stealing some finery from her parents' chests to pay her way to . . . Where? If not to Ketil's farm-the first place they would look for her-where could she possibly go? Each time, she'd ended up returning in the dead of night, putting her parents' things back where she'd found them, unpacking her bag, and slipping into bed.

She had thought that nothing would frighten her more than Solveig, but it turned out that the unknown was more terrifying still.

"Of course she refused," Gunnhild said hollowly. She loves to deny me anything I could possibly want. "And on top of everything else, I'm not allowed to have my fate told tonight."

Signy had been running her hand enviously over the diamond twill of the apron dress on the bed, but her head snapped up at this. "What do you mean, you're not allowed to have your fate told?"

"My mother decided it." And, as usual, she hadn't offered an explanation besides because I said so. Her father, however, had been a bit more willing to talk after a few drinks and a prolonged exposure to Gunnhild's whining. "But Papa said it's because I had my fate told when the last seeress came through."

"But you were three when the last one was here," Oddny said with a frown. "That's not fair. You can't possibly remember what she said."

"Of course I don't." Gunnhild crossed her arms. "And no one will tell me!"

"For once, I agree with Oddny Coal-brow," Signy said, and her sister hmphed at the nickname, earned because Oddny's thin eyebrows were a much darker brown than her fine, mousy hair. "What if you just came with us when our mother calls us forward? Solveig can't make you sit back down without embarrassing you both. People would want an explanation."

"She'll make my life even more miserable this winter if I disobey her," Gunnhild said glumly, and neither of her friends disagreed.

Gunnhild braided her hair into a thick plait, donned her dresses, and pinned her beads and brooches in place. When she was done, Signy gave a sigh of admiration and Oddny gave a nod of approval. Neither of the sisters owned a set of brooches. The two wore faded woolen gowns-red for Signy and dull yellow for Oddny-and Gunnhild knew Oddny's was a hand-me-down, for the younger girl had it tightly cinched at the waist with a thin overlong leather belt.

Nevertheless, their dresses were free of stains and didn't show any obvious signs of mending or patching, so Gunnhild knew that these were likely the best garments her friends had; even their mother's weren't much better. And yet, though the family had so little to their name, Yrsa was still adamant about bringing their neighbor's mistreated daughter into their home.

Gunnhild swallowed the lump in her throat and sat down beside Oddny. "Let's stay out of the way until the ritual starts."

"Otherwise Mother might put us to work," Signy said, disgusted, as she flopped onto her back on the bed. "I want to go one single day without picking up a spindle. Is that too much to ask?"

"Just because you pick up a spindle doesn't mean that you get anything accomplished with it," Oddny said under her breath, and Signy stuck out her tongue.

To keep themselves busy, they decided to rebraid Oddny's and Signy's hair, which had become windswept during the crossing. By the time Gunnhild had fixed Oddny's twin plaits and Oddny had done the same to Signy's, they could hear more and more voices coming from the main hall.

"I suppose we should go before our mothers come looking for us," Gunnhild said at last, standing. The ritual would begin at dusk, and by now the sunlight outside was spent; the start of winter was almost upon them, and the days were getting shorter. Soon the sun would barely rise at all, and she'd be trapped inside this hall, weaving and sewing by firelight, completely under her mother's thumb.

But not yet. Tonight, she had her friends by her side, and the future awaited.

The hall was full and the braziers had been lit, and the seeress herself was the last to arrive, borne north by King Harald’s tax collector and his retinue.

Along with the neighboring farmers, Gunnhild's father's friends among the Sámi had been invited to attend. They clustered together at the back of the hall, although Gunnhild saw that a few of the women had wandered over to chat with Yrsa in Norse. Ketil and Ozur had stopped to talk with the Sámi in their language, and Gunnhild heard Ketil's roaring laugh from across the room as the largest of the men clapped him on the back with a grin.

Gunnhild would have to go sit with her parents once the feast began, but for now she sat with Signy and Oddny, content to watch their fathers conversing in a tongue the girls didn't understand.

"I wonder what they're talking about," Signy said.

"I wonder what the Sámi will think of the seeress," Oddny replied. "Did you know Papa said their men are more likely to be seers instead of the other way around? I'll bet their rituals are much different, too-"

Signy batted her sister's arm. "Shh. It's starting!"

A hush came over the hall as the seeress finally appeared. The old woman was frail and peculiar, from her lambskin cap and gloves to the multitude of mysterious pouches at her belt. But what drew Gunnhild's eye most of all was her iron staff, twisted at the top, its brass fittings gleaming in the firelight.

Copyright © 2023 by Genevieve Gornichec. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

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“Intimate and sweeping, richly detailed and propulsive, tragic and uplifting, The Weaver and the Witch Queen proves Genevieve Gornichec really can do it all. Oddny and Gunnhild's story is epic, timeless, and most of all honest in its portrayal of the indomitable strength of women, the joys and pains of sisterhood, and the limitless power of love in all its many forms.”
-Vaishnavi Patel, New York Times bestselling author of Kaikeyi

“Gornichec is a masterful storyteller, crafting remarkable characters full of bravery and heart, a rich world, and the intimate and unbreakable bonds of sisterhood and love. I was both moved and fascinated by this wonderful historical fantasy – epic, tragic, with a slow burn enemies-to-lovers romance.”
–Sue Lynn Tan, bestselling author of Daughter of the Moon Goddess.

"The women will do everything in their power to find their blood-sworn sister, and Gornichec carefully weaves multiple story lines full of political upheaval, romance, and self-discovery into their quest. there's plenty to enjoy in this lush, Norse mythology-infused world. Fans of Circe and The Book of Gothel will be especially enchanted."
–Publishers Weekly

“An epic novel about magic, sisterhood, and the bonds that can both bind and break us. This story stayed with me long after I finished reading.”
–Alexis Henderson, author of The Year of the Witching

"Gornichec showcases her knowledge of Icelandic folklore and history, while her storytelling reveals the complex and engrossing lives and emotions of her characters."
–Library Journal

“From the moment I picked up The Weaver and the Witch Queen, I was enthralled. This is a rich, magical reimagining of Viking history, with all the bloodshed, tragedy and tangled webs of fate required of any great epic—but it is above all a gloriously woven tapestry of love, loyalty, and the extraordinary bonds of sisterhood.”
–Sangu Mandanna, national bestselling author of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

“Gornichec presents a page-turner that gives readers a look into prejudices and what one can see when looking past them. It’s a lesson in knowing someone truly to the core, creating bonds that cannot be broken. Friendship, love, power, and resilience reign in this historical fantasy full of witches, Vikings, raids, and braids.”
–Booklist

“Entwines impeccable storytelling, fascinating historical detail and characters so nuanced and mercilessly human that I fell for every one of them and still can’t let them go. Give me everything Gornichec writes—I will devour it.”
–H.M. Long, author of Hall of Smoke

“A saga of blood and magic and hardship that explores what we owe to those we love—and what it costs to actually pay that debt.”
–BookPage

"Beautifully woven and achingly human…a masterful tale about sisterhood, destiny, and what we're willing to do for the people we love. Gunnhild and Oddny's journeys cut to the heart of what it feels like to be right and wrong, together and alone, bold and afraid, all at once. I loved it."
–Allison Epstein, author of A Tip for the Hangman

"They say your second book is the hardest one to write, but Genevieve Gornichec - leaning on her Norse mythology love yet again as with debut The Witch's Heart - performs a magic hat trick with her sophomore novel. The ingredients are there for a heroine's journey and the result is a delicious Christmas pudding - crunchy, sweet, rich and a little bit hot once you set it on fire."
–Associated Press

“Filled with sea voyages, political intrigue, surprise betrayals, and tender love, this historical fantasy will thrill readers and capture their hearts.”
–Shelf Awareness

The Weaver and the Witch Queen (Hardcover)

Powerful bonds of sworn sisterhood are tested in this immersive journey through tenth-century Norway. In childhood, sisters Oddny and Signy take a blood oath with their friend Gunnhild, swearing to always help each other. After years apart, Gunnhild reunites with Oddny to search for a kidnapped Signy. This is a story of love and power: from chosen family to tender care and enemies-to-lovers slow burn romance; from political intrigue and tough choices to resilience and self-determination. The landscape of this pivotal era in Norse history is infused with magic and folklore, brought to life in Gornichec's enchanting voice. Complex characters and a captivating plot make this one of my favorite books of 2023. The Weaver and the Witch Queen is an excellent fit for readers who loved Circe and historical fiction that humanizes figures of myth, spinning new meaning from their stories.

Description

The lives of two women—one desperate only to save her missing sister, the other a witch destined to become queen of Norway—intertwine in this spellbinding, powerful novel of Viking Age history and myth from the acclaimed author of The Witch’s Heart.

Oddny and Gunnhild meet as children in tenth century Norway, and they could not be more different: Oddny hopes for a quiet life, while Gunnhild burns for power and longs to escape her cruel mother. But after a visiting wisewoman makes an ominous prophecy that involves Oddny, her sister Signy, and Gunnhild, the three girls take a blood oath to help one another always.

When Oddny’s farm is destroyed and Signy is kidnapped by Viking raiders, Oddny is set adrift from the life she imagined—but she's determined to save her sister no matter the cost, even as she finds herself irresistibly drawn to one of the raiders who participated in the attack. And in the far north, Gunnhild, who fled her home years ago to learn the ways of a witch, is surprised to find her destiny seems to be linked with that of the formidable King Eirik, heir apparent to the ruler of all Norway.

But the bonds—both enchanted and emotional—that hold the two women together are strong, and when they find their way back to each other, these bonds will be tested in ways they never could have foreseen in this deeply moving novel of magic, history, and sworn sisterhood.

About the Author

Genevieve Gornichec earned her degree in history from the Ohio State University, but she got as close to majoring in Vikings as she possibly could, and her study of Norse myths and Icelandic sagas became her writing inspiration. Her national bestselling debut novel, The Witch’s Heart, has been translated into more than ten languages. She lives in Cleveland, Ohio.

Praise For…

“Intimate and sweeping, richly detailed and propulsive, tragic and uplifting, The Weaver and the Witch Queen proves Genevieve Gornichec really can do it all. Oddny and Gunnhild's story is epic, timeless, and most of all honest in its portrayal of the indomitable strength of women, the joys and pains of sisterhood, and the limitless power of love in all its many forms.”
-Vaishnavi Patel, New York Times bestselling author of Kaikeyi

“Gornichec is a masterful storyteller, crafting remarkable characters full of bravery and heart, a rich world, and the intimate and unbreakable bonds of sisterhood and love. I was both moved and fascinated by this wonderful historical fantasy – epic, tragic, with a slow burn enemies-to-lovers romance.”
–Sue Lynn Tan, bestselling author of Daughter of the Moon Goddess.

"The women will do everything in their power to find their blood-sworn sister, and Gornichec carefully weaves multiple story lines full of political upheaval, romance, and self-discovery into their quest. there's plenty to enjoy in this lush, Norse mythology-infused world. Fans of Circe and The Book of Gothel will be especially enchanted."
–Publishers Weekly

“An epic novel about magic, sisterhood, and the bonds that can both bind and break us. This story stayed with me long after I finished reading.”
–Alexis Henderson, author of The Year of the Witching

"Gornichec showcases her knowledge of Icelandic folklore and history, while her storytelling reveals the complex and engrossing lives and emotions of her characters."
–Library Journal

“From the moment I picked up The Weaver and the Witch Queen, I was enthralled. This is a rich, magical reimagining of Viking history, with all the bloodshed, tragedy and tangled webs of fate required of any great epic—but it is above all a gloriously woven tapestry of love, loyalty, and the extraordinary bonds of sisterhood.”
–Sangu Mandanna, national bestselling author of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

“Gornichec presents a page-turner that gives readers a look into prejudices and what one can see when looking past them. It’s a lesson in knowing someone truly to the core, creating bonds that cannot be broken. Friendship, love, power, and resilience reign in this historical fantasy full of witches, Vikings, raids, and braids.”
–Booklist

“Entwines impeccable storytelling, fascinating historical detail and characters so nuanced and mercilessly human that I fell for every one of them and still can’t let them go. Give me everything Gornichec writes—I will devour it.”
–H.M. Long, author of Hall of Smoke

“A saga of blood and magic and hardship that explores what we owe to those we love—and what it costs to actually pay that debt.”
–BookPage

"Beautifully woven and achingly human…a masterful tale about sisterhood, destiny, and what we're willing to do for the people we love. Gunnhild and Oddny's journeys cut to the heart of what it feels like to be right and wrong, together and alone, bold and afraid, all at once. I loved it."
–Allison Epstein, author of A Tip for the Hangman

"They say your second book is the hardest one to write, but Genevieve Gornichec - leaning on her Norse mythology love yet again as with debut The Witch's Heart - performs a magic hat trick with her sophomore novel. The ingredients are there for a heroine's journey and the result is a delicious Christmas pudding - crunchy, sweet, rich and a little bit hot once you set it on fire."
–Associated Press

“Filled with sea voyages, political intrigue, surprise betrayals, and tender love, this historical fantasy will thrill readers and capture their hearts.”
–Shelf Awareness

• Fiction / Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, Legends & Mythology
• Fiction / Fantasy / Historical
• Fiction / Fantasy / Romance

The doll is believed to represent an individual and serves as a conduit for performing magic on that person. In voodoo practice, the witch voodoo doll is used to cast spells or perform rituals aimed at influencing or controlling the person it represents. This can be done for both positive and negative purposes, such as healing or bringing harm.

The doll is believed to be connected to its human counterpart, allowing practitioners to manipulate their physical or emotional well-being. To perform a spell or ritual using a witch voodoo doll, a practitioner may use various methods. This can include sticking pins into specific parts of the doll, which is believed to cause pain or harm to the person it represents. Other practices involve chanting or reciting incantations while manipulating the doll, with the intention of transferring energy or intent to the individual. It's important to note that voodoo dolls are often misunderstood and associated with harmful practices due to their portrayal in popular media. In reality, voodoo and hoodoo traditions vary greatly and may not involve the use of witch voodoo dolls or harmful intent. These dolls are seen as tools for spiritual empowerment rather than instruments of evil. In conclusion, a witch voodoo doll is a versatile tool used within voodoo or hoodoo practices to perform spells or rituals on a specific individual. While they have gained a negative reputation through media portrayals, it is important to approach the topic with an understanding of its cultural significance and the varying practices of voodoo and hoodoo traditions..

Reviews for "Unlocking the Mysteries of Witch Voodoo Dolls: Lessons from Practitioners"

1. Sarah - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with "Witch voodoo doll". The story felt disjointed and poorly developed. The characters lacked depth and I couldn't connect with any of them. The writing style was also repetitive and the dialogue felt forced. Overall, I found this book to be a letdown and it didn't live up to my expectations.

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Witch Voodoo Dolls: How They Can Help You Manifest Your Desires