kylec | Slow Havamal: 40

The 40th verse advises us not to be so frugal that we forget to spend on our own necessities. Though we may intend to save it up to pass to our children, our money may fall to our enemies, and many things will turn out worse than expected.

Verse 40 reveals a couple of old Norse attitudes toward money and savings that will seem familiar to contemporary readers, and they imply a third. There would be no point in advising people not to save every penny while the roof falls apart if that weren’t an occasional habit then as it is now. The alternative offered is to save what you can but use what you need to keep yourself and your property in good condition. I assume from this verse and human nature that there were also those who pasted every income as soon as possible on any frivolity that caught their attention. That’s a habit in much older periods of history, though I may be emphasizing it due to its popularity in my own culture.

Besides being a Debbie Downer, this verse advises the cautious middle approach. There are good reason to horde cash. We may want to buy a house, pay for a future education, or just have something for a rainy day. Havamal advises us to balance these goals with an awareness of our current situation and needs. There are n bonus points for asceticism. If we have the chance to improve our health and our holdings in the here and now, we should take it. Those actions may enrich our futures in unexpected ways.

The danger of having too much, more so then than now, is that there are a lot of nasty ways to lose it once people become aware. We’re less likely to be murdered and robbed blind, but both societies had to contend with monetary penalties and lawsuits. What we think will go to our kids may end up in the hands of a creditor, a thief, the taxman, or the plaintiff. Money has value, but it lacks durability. This warning is for those with rose-colored glasses who think the future will play out according to their wishes. While I don’t personally like pessimism, a measure of consideration for the unfortunate possibilities never hurts. As I mentioned in the generosity essay linked last week, our communities prosper most when the giver is in good condition. If I can find a good use for my money today, I’m likely to have the same or more opportunities to earn it again. Or I’ll pile up goodwill, skills, or other things that benefit my offspring more than a fat check they didn’t earn and aren’t likely to spend wisely. Depriving someone of the education of how to earn and manage money is almost a curse more than a blessing. The ideal may be to use money to teach children the skills and attitudes they need, then give them the minimum amount of assistance needed to get going under their own power.

I like to see money as stored energy, at least as long as people want it. It isn’t wealth. It stands for wealth, and must be used in order to move anything. Havamal is eminently practical. We shouldn’t horde, or waste, but it also doesn’t expect us to donate it all to the poor. Tend to our needs, be kind to strangers. Let our example be the thing we share more so than our income. There are far more important things than money, but money can bring some of them along, provided that we spend it wisely.

The future is a story we tell ourselves. There are a lot of reasons to make it a happy one, but we have to remember it’s under no obligation to comply. The present is the only moment we have the power to act. By acting wisely, we set up a present that has a better chance of leading to a desirable future. Better to keep ourselves strong, that me might be generous, and live well that our children might emulate us. If the only thing we carry into the future can be easily stripped away, some of us are bound to live miserly lives and leave our benefactors in poverty through unforeseen circumstances. Money isn’t bad. Havamal suggests that we merely change it into a more durable form of inheritance.