Seidr itself is a magical practice of incantation, the binding and summoning of spirits and other supernatural creatures. These staffs can also be regarded as a metaphor for a spear. Odin, who had been previously linked in this tour with magicians, had a magical spear named ‘Gungnir’ which had been forged by dwarfs and inscribed with runes. Notably, Odin didn't use his spear as a weapon but rather as a magical tool (Gardela, 2008). The staff is also a symbol of ultimatum power in several cultures such as ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia where kings held them. They symbolised the eternal vitality of Mother Earth (Retief, 2002).
Staffs were important elements of divination and ancient priests in Judea used them to fall into a trance and proclaim prophecies of the future (Burnell, 1948). Similarly, druids also relied on staff in Irish legends (Burnell, 1948). As mentioned before, Odin and Merlin have been the inspiration for the present-day depictions of wizards, so the evolution of a staff being used as a magical tool is a plausible explanation of how present-day depictions of wizards also include a staff.