Lítr, The Soul’s Hue

The old world believed you could see the health of a soul in its color.

Lítr was the hue, the shine, the way a person’s presence met the light. A strong lítr might be bright and steady. A weakened one pale or dim.

Some said you could read lítr in the skin and eyes, others in the unseen glow around a person. A völva might note a change before illness or misfortune struck.

I picture standing in a crowd and feeling drawn to someone without knowing why, only later realizing it was the brightness of their lítr that called to you.

Even now, we know when someone “looks well” in a way that goes beyond skin. That is lítr speaking.