Slow Havamal: 76

The 76th verse states that cows and family die, and you will die the same way. However, your good reputation, well-earned, never dies.

Crawford notes parallels between this verse and the “vanities” of Ecclesiastes, as well as sentiments in other Old Norse sources, and the Old English poem The Wanderer. The transience of the material body and material relations has struck more than a few authors over the millennia. But there are aspects that live on, and Havamal suggests we turn our attention to them.( Read more... )