... actually been doing some research on the subject. These magical incantations are known as galdr..songs and spells spoken in runic, and were practices by volva's(wise woman and men who carried the staff of stav), along with spacraft and seidr trance magic..europe has a whole vast history of magic that somehow my anthropology classes seemes to have left out...lots of interesting things to look into if you feel that calling.
Long live the unwoke.