Slow Havamal: 50

In the 50th verse, the decay of a fir tree stripped of bark and needles is compared to that of a person who nobody loves, and the outlook is bleak.

On the heels of a verse that reminded me very much of the scarecrow folks I see wandering the streets, we get another stark image: a fir tree stands over a farm, its bark stripped, its needles falling. A man who no one loves faces the same fate. Love, in this sense, is both the thing that protects him from the elements, and the means of sustaining himself with the sun’s rays. Being loved is essential to a healthy life. Never mind the clothes from verse 49—that was a simpler fix. Love serves as both shield to guard against the weather, and cup to be filled from without.( Read more... )