The Havamal: A Heathen Path of Living (Part 1)

1.

The man who stands at a strange threshold,

Should be cautious before he crosses it,

Glance this way and that:

Who knows beforehand what foes may sit

Awaiting him in the hall?

2.

Greetings to the host,

The guest has arrived,

In which seat shall he sit?

Rash is he, who at unknown doors,

Relies on his good luck.

This is an interesting topic to begin a path of living. These stanzas are essentially a warning: be careful before you enter into something new and don’t rely on “good luck” to get by. The Wanderer tells us that you should always keep your eyes open and be aware of what you are getting into. Do you tend to just leap into new projects or new relationships without thinking? Have you ever been accused of being “too impulsive”? Have you ever bought something that you couldn’t really afford? Ever taken out a loan that you couldn’t afford to pay back? Maybe put something expensive on your credit card that gets you stuck in a cycle of debt? Are you always hoping that things will “just work out somehow”? If you answered ‘yes’ to any of the questions (hopefully not all of them!), then these first stanzas are for you.

The notion of “luck” in the Old Norse was a bit different than we think of today. The Old Norse word for “luck” was wyrd, but is much more than just luck. When I think of “luck”, I think of something that just happens. You’re either lucky or you’re not. But, the Old Norse, wyrd was a bit of luck, a bit of destiny, and a bit of determination. Wyrd is the notion that everyone is destined for something. But, this destiny is a potential destiny rather than one set in stone. For instance, your wyrd might dictate that you are going to be a great painter so you were born with a natural talent and interest in art. But, if you never follow up with that talent, work at it, study it, and really foster it, then you will forever be known as someone who is a pretty good artist, but nothing really special. In these stanzas that speak of luck, The Wanderer is warning us not to be complacent about our wyrd because it will not always save us.

The advice from The Wanderer in these stanzas are simple: think before you act, look before you leap, and always consider the consequences. Notice The Wanderer doesn’t say that you shouldn’t act. In the case of these stanzas, The Wanderer doesn’t say that you should avoid crossing strange thresholds. He just says that you should be ready to deal with whatever happens once you do.

I suppose this is a good place to decide if you really want to continue reading this blog, which is just a path of personal exploration. Have you really considered what it will be like to have your assumptions challenged? Are you ready to deal with the foes of bigotry of people who may not like you reading a book with “heathen” in the title?