Slow Havamal: 42

The 42nd verse tells us to repay every gift from a friend with another gift of the same kind—be it laughter, or treachery.

In contrast with the prevailing Christian wisdom, verse 42 encourages us to repay our friends with the same generosity they showed us. In a classic turn of Havamal humor, that includes treacherous behavior. There’s no obligation to take it on the chin from anyone else. The duty of a friend is to return exactly what the other deserves, even if that means the end of the friendship. Then friendship according to Odin must not be some abstract virtue of always doing right by another no matter how badly they treat you. Rather, it’s the duty of reciprocity. There’s a balance which must always be maintained. While it seems petty to get pulled into revenge cycles, there may be a different kind of wisdom at work here. A villain allowed to go on without coming to harm has more opportunity to bring harm again, and to spread it to the community. This advice provides a negative feedback—a thermostat that kicks on to regulate the temperature instead of letting it plummet or skyrocket. ( Read more... )