Slow Havamal: 15
Jul. 21st, 2021 12:27 pm
In the fifteenth verse, we hear that a noble man is expected to be silent, thoughtful, and bold in battle, but that every man should also keep in good cheer right up until death.
This verse presents a puzzle for me that may be an artifact of the translation, but since I don’t speak Old Norse, I’ll have to consider whether the phrasing was intentional. The issue arises in the line, “But every man should also be,” as it implies a contrast. In contrast to noble men being silent, thoughtful, and bold, every man (which I read as including common men) should also be happy, cheerful. This seems to imply that Noble men don’t necessarily need to be happy and cheerful, though commoners must have all the aforementioned traits. Why is the standard for them set higher? And why might the noble be excused for not seeming cheerful?
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