Slow Havamal: 60

The 60th verse says we ought to know a number of things: how to dry firewood, bark for roofing, and how much to use in each time and season.

The practical instruction of Havamal continues with advice to learn how to process trees and use all parts to good purpose. In the Scandinavian countries, this was no trivial matter. Firewood could mean the difference between surviving the winter or not. Their bark roofs kept out the elements, and many useful implements were made of wood. It’s easy to forget that most people in human history couldn’t find these things at Home Depot, or hire someone else to do the work for them. ( Read more... )