Havamal pdf download

I am no different. Over a decade ago I turned to the Far East for direction and, whilst having found something to work with, I realise now that our own historical European traditions had it too; there is just nobody around to teach it these days. Many of these statements may appear basic, or simple examples of common sense, but in this case, that is exactly the point: most legitimately profound insights of any time period or culture are often incredibly simple.

Applying that realisation day to day is even harder. This does not mean that poetry was uncommon in the Viking Age. The poetical corpus of Norse poetry, in its varying styles and forms, is enormous, spans centuries, and encapsulates a highly sophisticated verse form and exhibits skilled practitioners. The words need chewing. Each stanza is a moment, and, like every moment, it is up to us to respond from where we are at any given time.

Where shall he sit? I desired only to possess that body. I had been appointed the path of misery. I fell from there after. I carved some myself. Do you know how to carve? Do you know how to interpret? Do you know how to colour? Do you know how to test?

Do you know how to ask? Do you know how to sacrifice? Do you know how to dispatch? Do you know how to immolate? I know the song to chant. I can improve matters swiftly. Hail he who recites! Hail he who knows! May he who learned benefit! Hail to those who heard! Nevertheless, it cannot be ignored that poetry, in numerous cultures across the globe, was a realm of the privileged and one in which the most complex or intense thoughts, emotions, concepts and social criticisms were expressed.

As David Hinton , one of the foremost translators of ancient Chinese poetry, describes, the strategy of including seemingly worthless material in this genre served two purposes: to give eminence to this apparently worthless material and to challenge the idea that some things are more worthy than others.

The very creation of this poem leads us to question nearly everything about it and hence, question ourselves. Yet this disjointed nature does require a minor diversion into literary scholarship in order to explain my divisions of the translated poem below. Furthermore, some that he had classified make for a poor fit.

It seems evident from the manuscript itself that the 13 th century compiler s of our surviving version intended his audience to read the piece as one due to the lack of division in the manuscript i.

It must be noted however that numerous scholars, including myself, do not agree with all of these conclusions. Nevertheless, McKinnell suggests that by theoretically removing stanzas , , and , one instead sees four more coherent poems emerge: 1.

Conversely, on the whole, academic opinion points toward a th century composition in the form we have it. One thing is known however. This in turn perhaps explains some of its oddities when compared to the surrounding mythological material. II On Translation This evaluation of the poem as an object leads to the version in your hands.

It from this edition that I take my version of the Old Norse text, with permission kindly given from the editorial team for its reproduction here, to allow for a bi- lingual presentation. First, any interpretation of a poem must be based on the text as we have it in the manuscripts, with as little emendation as possible, and must pay scrupulous attention to the grammar and the history of the Old Norse language.

This informs us that such a practice is allowed and undertaken, but this is understandable: scribal errors are far from uncommon. The second requirement has two primary issues and shall be tackled in turn.

This lies wholly on what the individual translator or scholar imagines — or has been educated to suppose — that the people of the Viking Age thought. This alone is an enormous, whilst of course unavoidable, presumption. The resulting psuedo-literal rendering of the words conveys no meaning; it instead makes parts of the poem dead words on a page.

That the words or terms themselves do not translate does not mean that the sense behind them is untranslatable. We are all human: be it in the 9 th century or the 21st, and going by world literature and history, we have the same emotional range now as we did then, only different ways of expressing it.

It also seems limiting to not compare the sense or meaning of the words and concepts with other cultures who were also trying to express similar ideas. This is not to say that we should use these cultures to understand Old Norse society i. Consequently, I feel that this problem can be surmounted with minor commentary to the translated stanzas where it is advisable to explain translation choices or concepts that have no modern equivalent.

Orality and oral culture is both an enormous and tricky subject, but, in the fewest words possible, when a society has no wide-spread writing system, the only way to remember things was to remember them.

Furthermore, whilst academia has little room for such things, the feeling behind each stanza is frequently different; in both the attitudes proffered and the language used. Nevertheless, the academic discussion on this topic is healthy, lengthy and ongoing, and there are numerous texts by excellent scholars that can provide more detailed information see Further Reading.

Thus, in contrast to McKinnell, and more in line with another school of thought, I feel that to translate a poem, one must write a new poem and thus, I have undertaken the following approach: an attempt at a human translation of the poem. This means an avoidance of archaic grammar, terms and sentence structure and my translation is accompanied by light scholarship in the form of end-notes a to ensure the reader is benefiting from the most modern, inter-disciplinary, research b to explain the occasional burst of non-literal or unorthodox translation where the meaning is more conveyable than the exact words and c to allow the poem to be read as a poem without obstructing prose or footnotes.

General commentary has also been included in these notes where the poem might not make much sense on its own or where particular words have curious etymologies that might be of interest. Much like Dr. Jones Snr. Whether this was a conscious choice or not remains unknown, especially when wisdom or insight in the Old Norse world was frequently seen as something feminine.

Consequently, I have made the purposeful choice to move towards a gender neutral translation, unless a man or woman is the subject of the stanza. As I suggested in the introduction, insight is human. III Notes to the Poem 1 Whilst the translation presented here reflects my attempt to render the sense behind the Old Norse, I wonder if this is the voice of the poet or compiler making a subtle joke: before leaping into judgement about the advice of the poem, maybe give each part some thought.

Line 3 relates to the social hierarchy that hall seating operated under: place yourself at the bottom and you will be treated accordingly. Place yourself in the middle and be prepared to defend that presumption — most likely with words or wit.

Placing oneself at the top suggested extreme confidence. In this case, it seems that going straight to the fire was socially inadvisable. If you are possessed of good sense or wit, you will receive words in return.

If not? More positively, it may suggest that you will enter into a give-and-take relationship when holding a conversation. Among the travelled, or simply among new people, one needs to be able to bring more to the table. This may even apply to local dialects or customs: suddenly, despite being in your own country, you are out of your depth. This produces a number of interpretations. Social disgrace, alive or dead, was not to be taken lightly.

It is also interesting to note that Old Norse society considered both thoughts and feelings to issue from the heart, the breast, and not the head. It would at least fit the warnings about drinking too much and making a fool of yourself — in this case referring to the dwarf who has given up his secret. By acting this way, anyone could be considered the progeny of kings.

This was also true for everyday life in Old Norse society — skill in orality was greatly prized, especially if one could mock someone without actually doing so. Either way, this is the life of a coward — a longer perhaps, but one with unrest and without honour. Yet, this seems too one-dimensional for perhaps the most varied mythological figure. To a false friend the footpath winds Though his house be on the highway.

To a sure friend there is a short cut, Though he live a long way off. Hotter than fire among false hearts burns Friendship for five days, But suddenly slackens when the sixth dawns: Feeble their friendship then. The generous and bold have the best lives, Are seldom beset by cares, , But the base man sees bogies everywhere And the miser pines for presents.

The young fir that falls and rots Having neither needles nor bark, So is the fate of the friendless man: Why should he live long? Little a sand-grain, little a dew drop, Little the minds of men: A11 men are not equal in wisdom, The half-wise are everywhere.

It is best for man to be middle-wise, Not over cunning and clever: The fairest life is led by those Who are deft at all they do. It is best for man to be middle-wise, Not over cunning and clever: No man is able to know his future, So let him sleep in peace.

It is best for man to be middle-wise, Not over cunning and clever: The learned man whose lore is deep Is seldom happy at heart. Brand kindles brand till they burn out, Flame is quickened by flame: One man from another is known by his speech The simpleton by his silence. Early shall he rise who has designs On anothers land or life: His prey escapes the prone wolf, The sleeper is seldom victorious.

Early shall he rise who rules few servants, And set to work at once: Much is lost by the late sleeper, Wealth is won by the swift,. A man should know how many logs And strips of bark from the birch To stock in autumn, that he may have enough Wood for his winter fires. Washed and fed, one may fare to the Thing: Though one's clothes be the worse for Wear, None need be ashamed of his shoes or hose, Nor of the horse he owns, Although no thoroughbred.

As the eagle who comes to the ocean shore, Sniffs and hangs her head, Dumfounded is he who finds at the Thing No supporters to plead his case. It is safe to tell a secret to one, Risky to tell it to two, To tell it to three is thoughtless folly, Everyone else will know. Often words uttered to another Have reaped an ill harvest: Two beat one, the tongue is head's bane, Pockets of fur hide fists. Moderate at council should a man be, Not brutal and over bearing: Among the bold the bully will find Others as bold as he.

These things are thought the best: Fire, the sight of the sun, Good health with the gift to keep it, And a life that avoids vice. Not all sick men are utterly wretched: Some are blessed with sons, Some with friends, some with riches, Some with worthy works. The halt can manage a horse, the handless a flock, The deaf be a doughty fighter, To be blind is better than to burn on a pyre: There is nothing the dead can do.

It is always better to be alive, The living can keep a cow. Fire, I saw, warming a wealthy man, With a cold corpse at his door. A son is a blessing, though born late To a father no longer alive: Stones would seldom stand by the highway If sons did not set them there. He welcomes the night who has enough provisions Short are the sails of a ship, Dangerous the dark in autumn, The wind may veer within five days, And many times in a month. Cattle die, kindred die, Every man is mortal: But the good name never dies Of one who has done well.

Cattle die, kindred die, Every man is mortal: But I know one thing that never dies, The glory of the great dead. Fields and flocks had Fitjung's sons, Who now carry begging bowls: Wealth may vanish in the wink of an eye, Gold is the falsest of friends.

In the fool who acquires cattle and lands, Or wins a woman's love, His wisdom wanes with his waxing pride, He sinks from sense to conceit.

Now is answered what you ask of the runes, Graven by the gods, Made by the All Father, Sent by the powerful sage: lt. For these things give thanks at nightfall: The day gone, a guttered torch, A sword tested, the troth of a maid, Ice crossed, ale drunk.

Hew wood in wind-time, in fine weather sail, Tell in the night-time tales to house-girls, For too many eyes are open by day: From a ship expect speed, from a shield, cover, Keenness from a sword, but a kiss from a girl. Drink ale by the hearth, over ice glide, Buy a stained sword, buy a starving mare To fatten at home: and fatten the watch-dog. Trust not an acre early sown, Nor praise a son too soon: Weather rules the acre, wit the son, Both are exposed to peril,. A snapping bow, a burning flame, A grinning wolf, a grunting boar, A raucous crow, a rootless tree, A breaking wave, a boiling kettle, A flying arrow, an ebbing tide, A coiled adder, the ice of a night, A bride's bed talk, a broad sword, A bear's play, a prince' s children, A witch' s welcome, the wit of a slave, A sick calf, a corpse still fresh, A brother's killer encountered upon The highway a house half-burned, A racing stallion who has wrenched a leg, Are never safe: let no man trust them.

No man should trust a maiden's words, Nor what a woman speaks: Spun on a wheel were women's hearts, In their breasts was implanted caprice,. To love a woman whose ways are false Is like sledding over slippery ice With unshod horses out of control, Badly trained two-year-olds, Or drifting rudderless on a rough sea, Or catching a reindeer with a crippled hand On a thawing hillside: think not to do it. Naked I may speak now for I know both: Men are treacherous too Fairest we speak when falsest we think: many a maid is deceived.

Gallantly shall he speak and gifts bring Who wishes for woman's love: praise the features of the fair girl, Who courts well will conquer. Never reproach another for his love: It happens often enough That beauty ensnares with desire the wise While the foolish remain unmoved. Never reproach the plight of another, For it happens to many men: Strong desire may stupefy heroes, Dull the wits of the wise.

The mind alone knows what is near the heart, Each is his own judge: The worst sickness for a wise man Is to crave what he cannot enjoy. So I learned when I sat in the reeds, Hoping to have my desire: Lovely was the flesh of that fair girl, But nothing I hoped for happened.

I saw on a bed Billing's daughter, Sun white, asleep: No greater delight I longed for then Than to lie in her lovely arms. Afire with longing" I left her then, Deceived by her soft words: I thought my wooing had won the maid, That I would have my way.

After nightfall I hurried back, But the warriors were all awake, Lights were burning, blazing torches: So false proved the path. Towards daybreak back I came The guards were sound asleep: I found then that the fair woman Had tied a bitch to her bed. Many a girl when one gets to know her Proves to be fickle and false: That treacherous maiden taught me a lesson, The crafty woman covered me with shame" That was all I got from her.

Let a man with his guests be glad and merry, Modest a man should be" But talk well if he intends to be wise And expects praise from men: Fimbul fambi is the fool called " Unable to open his mouth. Fruitless my errand, had I been silent When I came to Suttung's courts: With spirited words I spoke to my profit In the hall of the aged giant.

Rati had gnawed a narrow passage, Chewed a channel through stone, A path around the roads of giants: I was like to lose my head. EVANS, , p. The Poetic Edda. Austin: University of Texas Press, , p.

Hollander e Carolyne Larrington. Levando ao surgimento de algo completamente diferente da obra original. Gefendr heilir 2. Para maiores detalhes, cf. At hyggjandi sinni 6. Hinn vari gestr 7. Lee M.

Mais tarde, Odin consegue roubar o hidromel seduzindo Gunnlod. Defenda-se caso seja atacado. Afhvart mikit Fanka ek mildan mann Eldi heitari NORTH, , p.

Brandr af brandi Snapir ok gnapir Fregna ok segja Mikilsti snemma Para maiores detalhes sobre esta passagem cf. Eldr er beztr Para outras possibilidades cf.

Tveir ro eins herjar Veita hinn Esta palavra estaria relacionada ao nome de uma fazenda na ilha de Stord em Hordaland, Noruega. A qual teria chegado a pertencer a Harald I o Louro. Brestanda boga Segundo David A. Eyvitar firna Aptr ek hvarf O que frustra os planos do deus. Entretanto, David A. Rata munn Vel keypts litar Tornando-se assim uma referencia ao deus Odin.

Ins hindra dags Segundo Lee M. Para um debate mais aprofundado sobre algumas possibilidades cf. HILL, , p. Ele fala sobre Buri, que teria nascido do gelo, retirado pelas lambidas da vaca Audhumla.