The Layman’s Havamal: A Modern Interpretation of Viking Age Wisdom

by Paul Begadon

This book is an exploration of the wisdom in the Viking Age poem Havamal, specifically as it relates to the average person who isn't a scholar of Old Norse or even an enthusiast of Viking culture. This book is for the layman, the average person who simply wants to improve their life using proven advice. The poem Havamal is earthy, cynical, stoic, and grim in its depiction of human life. Havamal means “The Words of the High One.” The poem's speaker is none other than Odin, King of the Gods, who has traveled the many worlds seeking power and suffered greatly in his quest. Through suffering, he has won great wisdom, which he shares with us in this poem. Though the speaker of Havamal is a god, it was actually composed by human poets during the Viking and Medieval Ages. Therefore, the text's advice is not lofty and ethereal, like some other gnomic literature, but very human. This book will interest people who want to live well in the modern world. The advice given in the poem is specific. For keep your eyes open when you enter a gathering because there could be enemies inside. But the wisdom behind the words can be extracted out and applied to more general situations, which is what the author has done for each of Havamal’s 164 verses. The Layman’s Havamal contains an original rendering of the poem into English and a complete analysis of each verse as it relates to modern life, in a way which is sure to improve your standing in this slippery world.

242 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 1, 2021

Reviews

[Elyrria · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. I couldn't get through this. From victim shaming and reinforcing the idea that victims don't exist (only volunteers) to the idea that Lot, the Biblical character, was demonstrating hospitality by offering his daughters to the mob to r***. What the hell, dude. The Havamal itself is an okay source of inspiration, although it has big flaws, but this interpretation is a shitty take and is written by someone who sounds like they were woven and spun in the redpill community. The flippant way the author discusses very serious social problems is disturbing. I almost never rate books this low, but I couldn't believe what I was reading. This is why spiritual spaces and "old age wisdom" are so dangerous for women and other oppressed groups... Rather than utilizing wisdom to resolve the problems facing us, armchair philosophers rebrand violence as virtue and perpetually miss the point.

[Carol Bourque · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit too male chauvinistic to suit me

It started out not too bad, but I feel like he missed the point on a few of the verses, made too much out of the verses that were simple to understand and turned the verses into a chauvinistic playground. I didn't appreciate the way he made comparisons between men and women or the example using the women as the prime example using the ugly words and then a few lines later say that men can be that way too. The title says Layman's, well the man is emphasized.

[Joey · Rating 3 out of 5]

It has some silly moments, like telling you how you should be on your guard at a party by envoking “The Red Wedding” from Game of Thrones, or saying that homeless people are homeless because they weren’t prepared enough. But otherwise it’s got pretty solid rules for life. Probably better than 12 Rules For Life.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this book on Audible and found the author clear and precise. It made the Havamal open up to me in a way that further study will be easier.

[Tom Romine · Rating 5 out of 5]

An must for any wandering soul.