Vé (shrine)


In Germanic paganism, a vé or wēoh is a type of shrine, sacred enclosure or other place with religious significance. The term appears in skaldic poetry and in place names in Scandinavia, often in connection with an Old Norse deity or a geographic feature.

Functions

Andy Orchard says that a vé may have surrounded a temple or have been simply a marked, open place where worship occurred. Orchard points out that Tacitus, in his 1st century CE work Germania, says that the Germanic peoples, unlike the Romans, "did not seek to contain their deities within temple walls."

Etymology

Vé derives from a Common Germanic word meaning sacred or holy, cf. Gothic weihs, Old English wēoh, wīg, German weihen, German Weihnachten. It shares etymology with the phrase Þor vigi found on the Canterbury Charm, Glavendrup stone, Sønder Kirkeby Runestone, Velanda Runestone and Virring Runestone. The name of the Norse god Vé also shares this etymology.
An alternative word for "sanctuary" is alhs ; for this etymology see Alu.

Attestations

Toponyms

Examples of -vé appearing in toponyms after the names of Norse gods and goddesses:
  • Dís - Disevid in Östergötland in Sweden.
  • Freyja - Härnevi in Uppland, and probably Järnevi in Östergötland, Sweden.
  • Freyr - Frösvi in Östergötland, Sweden.
  • Njörðr - Nalavi in Närke and two locations named Mjärdevi, in Sweden.
  • Odin - Odensvi in Närke, Sweden. In Denmark, all 5 place names using the -vé suffix focus on Odin.
  • Rindr - Vrinnevid in Östergötland, Sweden.
  • Skaði - possibly Skövde in Västergötland, Skadevi in Uppland, and a number of locations named Skedvi in Sweden.
  • Thor - Torsvi in Uppland, Sweden.
  • Ullr - numerous locations named Ullvi or Ullavi in Sweden.
Eight old farms in Norway have the name Vé. It is also common as the first element in compounded names: Vébólstaðr, Védalr, Véló, Vésetr, Véstaðir, Vésteinn, Vévatn, Veøya.
The names of the Danish city of Viborg, Jutland, and the former Finnish city of Vyborg, located along the trade route from Scandinavia to Byzantium, are also considered related.