Pronunciation: Lay-teer
Lytir (from the root word for lot, fate, destiny”) ‘Flateyjarbók records a wagon-borne deity, Lytir, who is consulted as an oracle by a Swedish king. The god’s carriage is led to a particular place, and the king waits; when the wagon becomes heavy, it is taken as a sign that the god has entered it, and the vehicle is led to the king’s hall, where it answers questions. Apart from this tale, Lytir is unknown except for a handful of place-names that are derived from his name (Lytisbergh, Lytislunda)
A lytir priest was then probably a kind of fortune-teller, a seer, hence conducting a well-known practice in prehistoric Scandinavian society. Lytir was certainly consulted before one went away on a long journey, before starting a plundering expedition, to see if it was going to be profitable for example.
