A soothsayer warns Charles the Great of the coming of a Danish fleet to the Seine's mouth.
"Rain and bad weather" may be brought on, as in a battle against the enemy, but in this, as in other instances, the spell may be counteracted.
"Panic Terror" may be induced by the spell worked with a dead horse's head set up on a pole facing the antagonist, but the spell may be met and combatted by silence and a counter-curse.
"Magic help" may be got by calling on the friendly magician's name.
The magician has also the power of summoning to him anyone, however unwilling, to appear.
Of spells and magic power to blunt steel there are several instances; they may be counteracted (as in the Icelandic Sagas) by using the hilt, or a club, or covering the blade with fine skin.

In another case the champion can only be overcome by one that will take up some of the dust from under his feet.

This is effected by the combatants shifting their ground and exchanging places.

In another case the foeman can only be slain by gold, whereupon the hero has a gold-headed mace made and batters the life out of him therewith.

The brothers of Swanhild cannot be cut by steel, for their mail was charmed by the witch Gudrun, but Woden taught Eormenric, the Gothic king, how to overcome them with stones (which apparently cannot, as archaic weapons, be charmed against at all, resisting magic like wood and water and fire).