The seithrs were likely some form of shamen (mostly female but sometimes male) amongst the Norse, and possibly some early Germanic and Scythian tribes. (The two seemed more or less interchangeable in Roman times.) Seithr is largely a practice that involves 'seeing' and prognostication of future events, but it is more than that in that these women were likely healers, midwives and spiritual guides as well. It is said that the goddess Freja was the one who taught Odin the secrets of seithr. There are things about their practices and their god Odin that are very similar to the early shamanistic form of Shiva as the sort of 'ultimate shaman' that was worshipped in northern India and the Indus Valley civilization. The Caucasoid mummies found in the Takla Mahkan desert and other places there, were tall, fair haired and skinned in comparison to the native populations. Cherchen Man, who was also part Asian, was around six and a half feet tall. Tall, even by today's standards. They were said to have spoken 'a guttural language' and were referred to as 'foreign barbarians' - 'mlecchcha'. The mummies of three of the women found were evidently a type of shaman from their attire and grave goods - one of which was a tall pointed hat. Yes, one of those sorts of hats, although the brim was not wide. They also wore fabrics of wool woven in intricate patterns not unlike tartan or plaid patterns. The patterns in which they wove them are like the patterns of the weavings of the Nordic peoples, as well as the Scots. Tall pointy hats were quite the fad with certain groups of Scythians - the Tigrixauda-Saka, to be exact - the noble Scythians. We know that the Scythian peoples travelled back and forth across the Steppes of southern Russia rather extensively...so, it's not so impossible that seithr and it's beliefs and rituals may have come from the Far East. ***** I won Sydd Raven's "LurcreZia" and a couple of the extra packs that go with her in a contest elsewhere. I just got them tonight and this is my first render with one of these skins. There are many of them, so it'll be awhile before I play with them all. The character is one of my girls, but she looks nothing like 'herself' here. Completely different. I must say the LucreZia skins are rather intriguing. ***** Character is SRG_Koku (YD) Veil and dress from 'Keeper of Dreams' and HMG's 'The Witch' (DAZ) for the MFD. Back by me