Poetic Edda Havamal

[thearchdruidpagan]

HAVAMAL 1-164

[1]

AT EVERY DOORWAY

before you enter,

you should look around,

you should take a good look around–

for you never know where your enemies

might be seated within.

---

[2]

Hail to a good host!

A guest has come inside, where should he sit?

He is impatient,

standing on the threshold,

ready to try his luck.

---

[3]

He needs a fire,m

the one who has just come in,

his knees are shivering.

Food and dry clothes

will do him well,

after his journey over the mountains.

---

[4]

He needs water,

the one who has just arrived,

dry clothes, and a warm welcome

from a friendly host–

and if he cat get it,

a chance to listen and be listened to.

---

[5]

A man needs wisdom

if he plans to wander widely;

life is easier at home.

He’ll be laughed at

if he sits among the wise

and has nothing to say.

---

[6]

A wise man

is not showy about his wisdom;

he guards it carefully.

He is silent when he comes

to a stranger’s home.

The wise man seldom wanders into harm,

for you can never have

a more faithful friend

than a good supply of wisdom.

---

[7]

The watchful guest,

when he arrives for a meal,

should keep his mouth shut,

listening with his ears

and watching with his eyes–

that’s how the wise get wiser.

---

[8]

A man is happy if he finds praise and friendship

within himself.

You can never be sure

of where you stand

in someone else’s heart.

---

[9]

A man is happy

if he finds good advice

within himself.

Many men have received

bad advice

by trusting someone else.

---

[10]

A traveler cannot bring

a better burden on the road

than plenty of wisdom.

it will prove better than money

in an unfamiliar place–

wisdom is the comfort of the poor.

---

[11]

A traveler cannot bring

a better burden on the road

than plenty of wisdom,

and he can bring no worse a burden

than too much alcohol.

---

[12]

There is not as much good

as men claim there is

in alcohol for one’s well-being.

A man knows less

as he drinks more,

and loses more and more of his wisdom.

---

[13]

It’s as if a memory-stealing bird

flies overhead while you drink,

and steals your mind away.

I myself have been trapped

in that bird’s feathers,

when I drank at Gunnloth’s home.

---

[14]

I was drunk,

I was too drunk,

at Fjalar’s house.

The best kind of feast

is the one you go home from

with all your wits about you.

---

[15]

A noble man should be silent, thoughtful,

and bold in battle.

But every man should also be cheerful and happy,

till the inevitable day of death.

---

[16]

An unwise man

thinks he’ll live forever

if only he can avoid a fight,

but old age

will give him no peaces,

even if weapons do.

---

[17]

A foolish man

misuses his mouth–

he talks too much, or saying nothing.

As soon as

he gets drink,

he’ll say anything he knows.

---

[18]

Only a man

who i wide-traveled

and has wandered far

can know something

about how other mend think.

Such a man is wise.

---

[19]

Don’t hold on to the mead-horn,

but drink your fair share.

Say something useful or stay quiet.

And no one else

will judge you poorly

if you go to sleep early.

---

[20]

A gluttonous man,

unless he watches himself,

will eat to his own detriment.

Wise men will often

ridicule a fool

on account of his belly.

---

[21]

Even cows know

when they should go home

and leave behind the fields,

but an unwise man

does no know

the measure of his own appetite.

---

[22]

A stupid man

and an undisciplined one

laughs at everything.

He hasn’t learned

a lesson that would do him good:

he himself isn’t flawless.

---

[23]

A fool

stays awake all night

worrying about everything.

He’s fatigued

when the morning comes,

and his problems remain unsolved.

---

[24]

An unwise man

thinks anyone who laughs with him

is his friend.

He doesn’t understand

that the wise are mocking him,

even when he over hears them.

---

[25]

An unwise man

thinks anyone who laughs with him

is his friend,

but he won’t find these friends

when he goes to court–

no one will speak on his behalf.

---

[26]

A stupid man

thinks he knows everything

if he gets himself in a tough corner.

But he doesn’t even know

what he’ll answer,

if men ask him questions.

---

[27]

It’s best for a fool

to keep his mouth shut

among other people.

No one will know

he knows nothing,

if he says nothing.

Ill-informed people

are also the ones

who don’t know when to stop talking

---

[28]

You will seem wise

if you know the answer,

and know how to explain it.

People are not able

to keep a secret

of what they hear about other people.

---

[29]

You will hurt yourself

with all your talking

if you never close your mouth.

A hasty tongue,

unless it’s disciplined,

often earns it’s owner punishment.

---

[30]

No one should

ridicule anyone else,

even if he owes him money.

Many a man seems wise

if he is never questioned,

but he may prove otherwise.

---

[31]

A man may seem wise

if he pokes fun at another

when the other man is away.

But the man who talks

behind another man’s back

is a fool, even if he listeners laugh.

---

[32]

Many men

are kind,

but can be driven to fight.

There will always

be conflict between men:

where there’s more than one, there’s a fight.

---

[33]

You should eat

your meals early,

unless you’re visiting a friend.

A hungry man

sits and gets sluggish,

and his wits are impaired.

---

[34]

It’s a long and crooked walk

to a bad friend,

even if he lives nearby.

But it’s an easy road

to a good friend,

no matter how long the journey.

---

[35]

You should keep moving.

You should never be a guest forever

in any one place.

Your welcome will wear out

if you stay too long

beneath another’s roof.

---

[36]

It’s better to have a home,

even if it’s little–

everyone should call somewhere “home.”

Even if you own just two goats

beneath a faulty roof,

that’s still better than begging.

---

[37]

Better to have a home,

even if it’s little–

everyone should call somewhere “home.”

Your heart will be wounded

if you have to beg for every meal

from somebody else.

---

[38]

Never go

even a single step

without a weapon at your side;

you never know

when you might find yourself

in need of a spear.

---

[39]

I have never met a man so generous

nor so hospitable

that he would not welcome repayment,

nor have I met a man

so giving that he’d turn down

a thing offered in return.

---

[40]

Do not be so sparing

in using your money

that you don’t use it for your own needs.

Often what you save for your children

will end up in the hands of your enemies–

many things will go worse than you expect.

---

[41]

Friends should provide their friends

with weapons and clothing;

this kind of generosity shows.

Generous mutual giving

is the key

to lifelong friendship.

---

[42]

Be a friend

to your friend,

and repay each gift with a gift.

Repay laughter

with laughter,

repay treachery with treachery.

---

[43]

Be a friend

to your friend

and also to his friend,

but never be a friend

to the enemy

of your friend.

---

[44]

If you have a good friend,

and really trust him,

and want good to come of your friendship,

you should speak your mind with him,

exchange gifts,

visit him often.

---

[45]

But if you have another friend,

and you mistrust him

but want to benefit from him, nonetheless–

you should speak to him kindly,

flatter him,

and repay his treachery with your own.

---

[46]

This same friend,

if you mistrust him,

and suspect him to be false in his works:

you should talk with him,

laugh with him,

but repay just what he gives you.

---

[47]

I was young once,

I walked alone,

and I became lost on my way.

I felt like I was rich

when I met another traveler–

people’s joy is in other people.

---

[48]

Kind, brave people

live best,

they never nurture a grudge.

It’s unwise

to spend your life worrying,

dreading your responsibilities.

---

[49]

I gave my clothes

to two scarecrows,

once when I walked in a field.

They though they were human

as soon as they had clothes on;

a naked man feels ashamed.

---

[50]

A fir-tree decays,

standing over a farm,

no longer protected by bark and needles,

A person is the same way

if nobody loves him;

how will he live much longer?

---

[51]

The friendship

among false friends

burns warmly for five days,

but then it’s extinguished

by the sixth day,

and the friendship is over.

---

[52]

You should not give

only big gifts;

often a little thing will win you favor.

I have won friends

with just half a loaf of bread

and a bowl of soup.

---

[53]

Where the beaches are small,

it’s a small sea that washes them–

and so it is with little mind.

Not everyone

is equally wise,

but the average is moderately wise.

---

[54]

You should be

only a little wise,

never to wise.

The happiest people

throughout their lives

are the moderately wise.

---

[55]

You should be

only a little wise,

never too wise.

A wise man’s heart

is seldom glad

if he’s truly wise.

---

[56]

You should be

only a little wise,

never too wise.

It’s best no to know

your fate beforehand;

you’l live happier if you don’t

---

[57]

A torch is lit by another

and burns till it’s burned out’

a fire is kindled by another fire.

A man becomes wise

by speaking with other men,

but foolish by keeping to himself.

---

[58]

Rise early, if you want

to take another man’s

property, or his life.

A sleeping wolf

seldom wins a sheep,

or a sleeping warrior a victory.

---

[59]

Rise early

if you have no one to work for you,

and get straight to work.

You lose more than time

if you sleep when it dawns’

for the early riser, wealth is half-won.

---

[60]

You should know how

to dry logs for firewood

and bark for roofing

and also this:

how to measure

time and the seasons.

---

[61]

You should always go out

with your hair combed

and a meal in your belly,

even if you can’t afford good clothes.

You should not be ashamed

of your shoes and pants,

nor of your horse,

even if it’s not a good one.

---

[62]

A hungry eagle snaps his beak

and stretches out his neck,

when the sea comes into sight.

People get the same look about them

when they walk among strangers

and have no one to speak well of them.

---

[63]

If you want to be called wise,

you should know how

to ask and answer wisely.

Tell your secret to one person,

never to two–

everyone knows, if three people know.

---

[64]

A wise man

should use his abilities

only in moderation.

Otherwise, when he

is in battle, he’ll learn

that no one is bravest of all.

---

[65]

You will often

get repayment in kind

for the words you speak to others.

---

[66]

I have dome too early

to some events

and too late to others,

The drinks were all gone,

or else not even made;

a hated man gets little hospitality.

---

[67]

Now and then

I’ve been invited to a friend’s home,

as long as I had no need for food,

or as long as I could make

my inhospitable host’s cellars

fuller rather than emptier.

---

[68]

Fire is best

for mortals,

and sunshine–

and also good health,

if you have it,

and living beyond reproach.

---

[69]

No one is totally wretched,

even if his health is bad–

some find happiness in their children,

some in their kin,

some in their money,

some in work well done.

---

[70]

Better to be alive,

no matter what, than dead–

only the living enjoy anything.

I saw a rich man’s house,

but it was on fire,

and he lay dead outside the door.

---

[71]

A limping man can ride a horse,

a handless man can herd,

a deaf man can fight and win.

It’s better even to be blind

than fuel for the funeral pyre;

what can a dead man do?

---

[72]

Better to have a son than not,

even if he’s born lat in life,m

even if he’s born after you die.

You’ll rarely see memorials or graves

standing near the road

that were raised for men without son.

---

[73]

two men will defeat one;

your tongue can endanger your head.,

In every hand hidden by a cloak,

I expect to see a weapon.

---

[74]

the seaman is glad at evening,

looking forward to his dinner,

with just a short distance to row home.

But an autumn night is untrustworthy.

Many things can get worse

in only five days,

and even more in a month

---

[75]

The ignorant man

does not know how little he knows.

One man is rich,

another man is poor,

neither has the other to blame.

---

[76]

Cows die,

family die,

you will die the same way.

But a good reputation

never dies

for the one who earns it well.

---

[77]

Cows die,

family die,

you will die the same way.

I know only one thing

that never dies:

the reputation of the one who’s died.

---

[78]

I saw big herds of cattle

owned by a rich man’s sons;

now they carry a beggar’s staff.

Wealth is like

the twinkling of an eye–

no friend could be more faithless.

---

[79]

If an unwise man

chances upon money

or a woman’s love,

he will grow more arrogant

but not more intelligent;

he will be deceived about his own worth.

---

[80]

What you ask for the runes

will prove true;

they are gifts of the Aesir,

made by the gods

and painted by Odin

You’ll learn best with your mouth shut.

---

[81]

Don’t praise the day until it’s night,

don’t praise your wife until she’s buried,

don’t praise the sword till after the fight,

nor your daughter till she’s married,

dont’ praise the ice until it’s crossed,

nor the ale until you’re sloshed.

---

[82]

Cop wood when the wind blows,

row your boat on the sea,

court a lover at nighttime

(for the day has many eyes).

Value a ship for it’s speed,

a shield for it’s protection,

a sword for it’s sharpness,

and a woman for her kiss.

---

[83]

Drink ale by the fire,

skate on the ice,

buy a thin horse

and a rusty sword.

Give your horse food,

and let your dog feed itself,

---

[84]

No man should trust

the words of a girl,

nor anything a woman says.

Women’s hearts are molded

on a wobbly wheel.

Deception lurks in their words.

---

[85]

A breaking bow,

a burning fire,

a howling wolf,

a cawing crow,

a grunting pig,

a rootless tree,

a swelling wave,

a boiling kettle,

---

[86]

a flying spear,

a crashing wave,

one-night-old ice,

a striped snaked,

the words of a bride in bed,

a broken sword,

a playful bear,

the child of a king,

---

[87]

a sick calf,

a stubborn servant,

a prophet who foresees good things,

a corpse on the battlefield,

---

[88]

Do not put too much trust

in your newly planted crops,

nor in your child too early–

weather will shape the field

and whim will shape the child,

and neither will stay the same.

---

[89]

your brother’s killer

(even if you meet him in public),

a half-burned house,

a horse that’s too fast

(remember, a horse is unusable

if only one foot breaks)–

may you never be so trusting

that you trust all these things.

---

[90]

Take care not to love

a deceitful woman,

it is like driving an unshod horse,

a playful, young

poorly-tamed foal,

across slippery ice,

or like sailing a ship

in a wild wind,

or trying to catch a reindeer on foot

after the mountains thaw.

---

[91]

I’ll speak plainly now, since

I know both men and women:

men lie to women.

We speak most eloquently

when we tell the biggest lies,

and seduce even wise women with lies.

---

[92]

A man should speak eloquently

and offer gifts

to a woman whose love he wants.

Praise the body

of a beautiful woman;

you will win her if you praise her,

---

[93]

No man

should mock another

for falling in love.

Love-sickness

often strikes harder

on a wise man than a fool.

---

[94]

No man

should mock another

for falling in love;

love is strong enough

to make a fool

out of a man who once was wise.

---

[95]

Only you know

what dwells in your heart

when you are alone;

but nothing is worse

for a wise person

than to have nothing to love.

---

[96]

I experienced this

when I waited among the reeds

and my lover did not come to me.

That wise girl

was my flesh and my heart,

though I could not call her my own.

---

[97]

I found Billing’s daughter,

fair as a sun-ray,

asleep on her bed.

The life of a lord

seemed as nothing to me

unless I could live with that woman.

---

[98]

“You should come back

in the evening, Odin,” she said,

“if you want to woo me–

it is improper

for others to know

of such scandal.”

---

[99]

I turned back,

and though that I

would win her.

I imagined

that I would win

the woman’s love and all her joy.

---

[100]

But when I cam back that night,

there was a good company of warriors

awake and ready for me.

With burning flames

and torches held high,

I was shown my miserable way out.

---

[101]

And when morning came,

and I returned,

everyone in the hall was sleeping–

and then I found a watchdog

tied to the bed

of that good woman.

---

[102]

There’s many a good woman,m

if you get to know her,

who’ll change her mind about a man;

I learned that

when I tried

to seduce a wise woman.

That lady

showed me every kind of shame,

and I gained no wife for my trouble.

---

[103]

If you want to be very wise,

be happy at home,

and cheerful with a guest.

Cultivate wisdom,

a good memory, and eloquence,

and speak kind words often.

You’ll be called a fool

if you can’t say much–

that’s the mark of the unwise.

---

[104]

I visited an old giant,m

and now I’ve returned.

I didn’t stay silent there.

I spoke many words

in support of my cause

at Suttung’s hall.

---

[105]

Gunnloth, his daughter,

gave me a drink of his precious mead

while I sat on a golden chair.,

I would later give her

a bad repayment

for her trusting mind,

for her troubled mind.

---

[106]

Giant’s dwelling were

over and under me.

I used Rati’s tusk

to burrow out

and gnaw away the rock–

in this way, I got out with my head.

---

[107]

I made good use

of the disguise I used;

few things are too difficult for the wise.

Now Othrerir

is rescued

from the clutches of the giants.

---

[108]

I doubt

I could have escaped

Jotunheim

if I hadn’t used Gunnloth,

the good woman

who rested in my arms.

---

[109]

The next day

the frost-giants came

to ask news about Odin

in Odin’s hall;

they inquired about that evildoer,

whether he was among the gods,

or whether Suttung had killed him.

---

[110]

I believe that Odin

swore and oath to them–

but who can trust Odin?

He left Suttung deceived

in his own home,

and he left Gunnloth weeping.

---

[111]

It is time to speak

on the wise man’s chair

at Urth’s well.

I saw and was silent,

I saw and I thought,

I listened to men’s speech.

I heard about runes,

they were not silent with counsel

at Odin’s hall,

in Odin’s hall,

I hear them say so:

---

[112]

I counsel you, Loddfafnir,

if you’ll take my advice,

you’ll profit if you learn it,

it’ll do you good if you remember it:

Do not rise at night,

unless you’re spying on your enemies,

or seeking a place to relieve yourself.

---

[113]

I counsel you, Loddfafnir,

if you’ll take my advice,

you’ll profit if you learn it,

it’ll do you good if you remember it:

Do not sleep in the arms

of a sorceress,

or else she will lock your limbs.

---

[114]

She will enchant you

so that you won’t care

for advice nor a powerful man’s words;

you will want neither food

nor the pleasure of friends’ company,

and you will sleep full of sorrow.

---

[115]

I counsel you, Loddfafnir,

if you’ll profit if you learn it,

it’ll do you good if you remember it:

Never seduce

another man’s woman

with whispers in her ear.

---

[116]

I counsel you, Loddfafnir,

if you’ll take my advice,

you’ll profit if you learn it,

it’ll do you good if you learn it,

If you spend time wandering

by land or by sea,

bring plentiful provisions.

---

[117]

I counsel you, Loddfafnir,

if you’ll take my advice,

you’ll profit if you learn it,

it’ll do you good if you remember it:

Never let

a bad man

know of your misfortune,

for you will never

profit at all

for telling him about it.

---

[118]

I saw

a bad woman’s words

bite a man in the neck–

a lying tongue

was his death,

and not even with good cause.

---

[119]

I counsel you, Loddfafnir,

if you’ll take my advice,

you’ll profit if you learn it,

it’ll do you good if you remember it:

If you have a friend,

and you trust him,

go and visit him often.

Weeds and high grass

will grow on a path

that nobody travels.

---

[120]

I counsel you, Loddfafnir,

if you’ll take may advice,

you’ll profit if you learn it,

it’ll do you good if you remember it:

Get a good man

to teach you the runes,

and learn a healing spell while you live.

---

[121]

I counsel you, Loddfafnir,

if you’ll take my advice,

you’ll profit if you learn it,

it’ll do you good if you remember it:

Never be

the first to break

friendship with your friend.

Sadness will eat up you heart

if you have no one

you can talk to.

---

[122]

I counsel you, Loddfafnir,

if you’ll take my advice,

you’ll profit if you learn it,

it’ll do you good if you remember it:

You should never

exchange words

with someone who won’t see reason.

---

[123]

You will never

get a reward for speaking

with a bad man,

but a good man

will make you happy

with his praise.

---

[124]

Men become friends

when they can share

their minds with one another.

Anything is better

than being lied to:

a real friend will disagree with you openly.

---

[125]

I counsel you, Loddfafnir,

if you’ll take my advice,

you’ll profit if you learn it,

it’ll do you good if you remember it:

Don’t speak even three words

with a man worse than you.

Often the better man will lose

when a worse man fights him.

---

[126]

I counsel you, Loddfafnir,

if you’ll take my advice,

you’ll profit if you learn it,

it’ll do you good if you remember it:

Don’t make shoes,

and don’t make weapons,

except for yourself;

if there’s a flaw in the shoe,

or the spearshaft is crooked,

your name will be cursed.

---

[127]

I counsel you, Loddfafnir,

if you’ll take my advice,

you’ll profit if you learn it,

it’ll do you good if you remember it:

When you are at war,

call it war,

and give your enemies no peace.

---

[128]

I counsel you, Loddfafnir,

if you’ll take my advice,

you’ll profit if you learn it,

it’ll do you good if you remember it:

Never be glad

to hear bad news,

but be cheerful about good news.

---

[129]

I counsel you, Loddfafnir,

if you’ll take my advice,

you’ll profit if you learn it,

it’ll do you good if you remember it:

You should never look up

when you’re in a fight–

men who do so

may get turned to stone–

beware, or someone may curse you.

---

[130]

I counsel you, Loddfafnir,

if you’ll take my advice,

you’ll profit if you learn it,

it’ll do you good if you remember it:

If you want to win a good woman,

speak cheerfully with her,

and enjoy it while you do,

make promises to her,

and keep your promises,

you’ll never regret winning such a prize.

---

[131]

I counsel you, Loddfafnir,

if you’ll take my advice,

you’ll profit if you learn it,

it’ll do you good if you remember it:

I advise you to be wary,

though never fearful:

be most wary about drinking,

about other men’s women,

and about a third thing:

about men and their temptation to steal.

---

[132]

I counsel you, Loddfafnir,

if you’ll take my advice,

you’ll profit if you learn it,

it’ll do you good if you remember it:

Never mock,

never laugh at,

a guest nor a wanderer.

---

[133]

Those inside the house

rarely know anything

about the stranger who knocks at their door,

but there is no man so good

that he has no flaw,

nor a man so bad he’s good for nothing.

---

[134]

I counsel you, Loddfafnir,

if you’ll take my advice,

you’ll profit if you learn it,

it’ll do yo good if you remember it:

Never laugh

at an old man.

There is often wisdom in what old men say;

wise words will often

come from a gray-bearded mouth.

From those who hang with dried skins,

those who swing with dried skins,

those who wave with dried skins.

---

[135]

I counsel you, Loddfafnir,

if you’ll take my advice,

you’ll profit if you learn it,

it’ll do you good if you remember it:

Never spite a guest

nor be stingy with your food–

treat a poor wanderer will.

---

[136]

Otherwise it’s a bitter tree

you’ll find yourself hanging from

in the sight of all.

Give a beggar something,

or he will call

a curse down on your every limb.

---

[137]

I counsel you, Loddfafnir,

if you’ll take my advice,

you’ll profit if you learn it,

it’ll do you good if you remember it:

When you drink beer,

choose the might of the earth,

for the earth is good against beer,

and fire against sickness,

oak against an irritable bowel,

wheat against magic,

an elder-tree against family quarrels,

maggots against venomous bits,

runes against distress,

ground against water.

Swear your hate beneath the moon.

---

[138]

I know that I hung

on a wind-battered tree

nine long nights,

pierced by a spear

and given to Odin,

myself to myself,

on that tree

whose roots grow in a place

no one has ever seen.

---

[139]

No one gave me food,

no one gave me drink.

At the end I peered down,

I took the runes–

screaming, I took them–

and then I fell.

---

[140]

I learned nine spells

from the famous son of Bolthorn,

\the father of Bestla,

and I won a drink

of that precious mead,

poured from Othrerir.

---

[141]

My imagination expanded,

I became wise,

I grew, and I thrived.

One word chased another word

flowing from my mouth,

one deed chased another deed

flowing from my hands.

---

[142]

You will find runes,

runic letters to read,

very great runes,

very powerful runes,

which Odin painted,

and which the holy gods made,

and which Odin carved.

---

[143]

Odin carved for the gods,

and Dain for the elves,

Dvalin for the dwarves,

and Asvith for the giants;

I carved some myself.

---

[144]

Do you know how to write them?

Do you know how to read them?

Do you know how to paint them?

Do you know how to test them?

Do you know how to ask them?

Do you know how to bless them?

Do you know how to send them?

Do you know how to offer them?

---

[145]

It is better not to pray at ll

than to pray for too much;

nothing will be given that you won’t repay.

It is better to sacrifice nothing

than to offer too much.

Odin carved this

before the birth of humankind,

when he rose up

and returned again.

---

[146]

I know magic spells

that no woman knows

and no man, either.

The first is called “Help,”

and it will help you

in lawsuits and sadness,

and al kinds of worries.

---

[147]

I know a second spell

which men need

if they want to heal others.

---

[148]

I know a third spell;

if I have a great need

to thwart my enemies,

I dull the edges

of their weapons,

and none of their blades will bite.

---

[149]

I know a fourth spell;

if chains and locks are placed

upon my limbs,

so that I can escape.

The chain burst from my hands,

the locks burst from my feet.

---

[150]

I know a fifth spell;

if I see a spear cast

into a crowd of battling foes,

it cannot fly so fast

that I can’t change it’s course,

as long as i can see it.

---

[151]

I know a sixth spell;

if a man carves a curse against me

in runes on the root of a tree,

I call this spell down

upon that man,

and his curse harms him instead of me.

---

[152]

I know a seventh spell;

if I see a great flame

consuming a hall full of people,

it cannot burn so bright

that I cannot save those inside;

I know how to cast this spell.

---

[153]

I know an eighth spell;

it would be useful

for anyone to learn it.

When hate arises

between any two people,

I can cool their tempers.

---

[154]

I know a ninth spell;

if the need arises

for me to save a ship upon the sea,

I can calm the wind

upon the waves

and soothe the sea to sleep.

---

[155]

I know a tenth spell;

if I see witches

at play in the air,

I can cast this spell

so that they get lost,

so they can’t find their skins,

so they can’t find their minds.

---

[156]

I know an eleventh spell;

if I lead old friends

into battle,

I enchant their shields

so that they will have the victory;

they will go to battle unharmed,

and return from battle unharmed.

They will come home without harm.

---

[157]

I know a twelfth spell;

if I see, hanging from a tree,

a dead man’s corpse,

I carved some runes

and paint them,

and then that corpse will walk

and speak with me.

---

[158]

I know a thirteenth spell;

if I sprinkle water

upon a new-born boy,

he will never be killed

even if he goes into battle;

that man will not die from violence.

---

[159]

I know a fourteenth spell;

it allows me to count

all the gods for men.

I know the names

of all the gods and elves,

and few who are fools can say that.

---

[160]

I know a fifteenth spell;

the dwarf Thjothreyrir

cast it upon Delling’s doors.

He conjured power for the gods,

and courage for the elves;

they knew Odin.

---

[161]

I know a sixteenth spell;

if I want to win over a cunning woman

and have her all to myself,

I can change the mind

of that lovely-armed beauty

and win her favor for myself.

---

[162]

I know a seventeenth spell,

to prevent a beautiful woman

from shunning me.

Loddfafnir,

all these spells would be

useful to you all your life.

They would profit you if you learned them,

they’d do you good if you remembered them,

they’d suit your needs if you could use them.

---

[163]

I know an eighteenth spell

which I will never teach

to a girl or a woman,

unless maybe to the one

I call my wife,

or my sister.

It is much better

that one alone should know this,

which is the last of the spells.

---

[164]

Now the words of the One-Eyed

are heard in Valhalla,

for the benefit of human,s

for the harm of giants;

health to you who speak them,

health to you who know them,

joy to you who learn them,

health to you who hear them.

[Author]

Posts