Slow Havamal: 131

In verse 131, Odin counsels Loddfafnir to be wary, though not fearful, of three things: drinking, other men’s women, and about men and their temptation to steal.

While danger can come from any quarter, there are a few everyday situations which are ripe for pain if we’re not careful. The first is probably the most obvious, yet the source of more error than the other two combined. I knew from an early age, when a sherriff’s deputy and a dog mascot showed up at our school to teach us about substance abuse in the D.A.R.E. program, that drinking can get you in trouble. Maybe I needed to hear it from Odin, because the warning went unheeded. I did in fact make it through my 20’s and 30’s relatively unscathed, but it was due to luck more than personal virtue. I’ve tempered greatly since then, and have come to understand the warning in a way that mere words won’t convey. Alcohol loosen inhibitions, and if what we were inhibiting was behavior that harms ourselves or others, well, you know how that goes. I doubt Odin is suggesting that we all quit drinking entirely, though for some, that’s the best and only option. For most, moderation and a heightened sense of awareness surrounding the activity will spare us a lot of suffering.
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