Slow Havamal: 74

The 74th verse opens with a seaman at evening anticipating his dinner, a short sail from home. It’s pointed out that autumn nights are unreliable. Things can get worse in an evening, and more so in five days, or a month.

When we go through difficulty, we long for relief to the point that we assume it, having crossed a certain milestone. When the sailor sights the shore, or enters the fjord, he may be tempted to smile and let his guard down. He’s come a long ways, and to be sure, the worst of the likely dangers are behind him. It’s in these final miles that he must be most careful. The danger comes not from some great risk inherent in this part of the sea, or from breaking a taboo of overconfidence. It lies in the sailor’s attitude.( Read more... )