The Svefnthorn “Sleep Thorn” : A Vikings Trick to a Good Night Sleep

I recently went through a spell of having some interesting other worldly dreams. One in particular I had written down on a social media board:

"Have you ever actually felt pain in a dream? Last night I dreamed a shadow jumped onto my back. It had two sets of hands - one set grabbed my wrists to try and hold me, and the other two had knives carving into my palms. It was painful, and I don't think I've felt such a sensation in a dream."

"I wasn't afraid, and just struggled with the thing, but even in the dream I was perplexed that I felt the actual pain of what being cut by knives feels like... it was painful.

"I knocked the fucker off, then awoke..."

After that post people were giving ideas about it, but it made me be remind of The Svefnthorn “Sleep Thorn”.

What is the The Svefnthorn “Sleep Thorn”?

Here is a set of sleep thorn symbols I created for making sleep thorns for myself and others.

Back in the Viking Age, battle would be tough - especially when it came to sleeping. Having these symbols near by would be the trick to feeling safe from danger so they would be fully rested for the next day.

The Svefnthorn (Old Norse svefnþorn, “sleep thorn,” pronounced “SVEFN-thorn”) is a symbol that features in several of the Norse sagas and in folkloric magical formulas recorded long after the Viking Age.

In the Saga's the Svefnthorn symbols (not of particular shape) were used to put their adversaries in a deep sleep for which they would have difficulty to awaken from.

An example, The ninth spell from the Huld Manuscript, an early modern book of Icelandic spells, references the Svefnthorn and reads, “This sign would be carved on oak and laid under the head of the one who is supposed to sleep so that he can not awaken until it is taken away.”

However, In the viking age and in recent times the Svefnthorn has been used to help one's own self have a good night sleep in troubling times.

Modern Use

Now a days we like to keep these symbols and stories alive by using them in ways that may be practical for modern use. A lot of people have problems getting sleep. It seems those daily battles keep us awake.

Also, having a sort of charm by one's self does indeed help calm the mind to better rest.

New Item in the Odin's Eye Shop

This is available in our Etsy shop

These are approx 5" x 7" double sided screen printed and hand painted canvas scrolls tied with a leather chord. The corners have been dipped in a solution to keep the canvas from fraying.

Instructions on using the Sleep Thorn

There are several ways to you can utilize this tool. Some unroll the scroll and lay it under the pillow to sleep on. Another way is to unroll the Sleep Thorn and tuck it into the pillow case to sleep on.

You can also keep it rolled up with the leather chord and keep it by you.

---

Thanks for reading this blog. Hail the gods, and hail the folk! - Heathen Howl

---