Slow Havamal: 145

In verse 145, we learn that it’s better not to pray than to ask for too much, because you will have to pay for whatever is given. It’s also better to sacrifice nothing than too much. Odin carved these warnings before Man was born, and before Odin rose up and returned.

The heart of this verse is a bit of wisdom given by Odin before any human being walked the earth, so I’ll start with that context. Odin carved this message, probably in runes, after rising up and before returning. That’s a cryptic bit, but it probably refers to the time after which he hung himself from Yggdrasil and before he brought the runes and other knowledge back. Part of me also wonders if there wasn’t a little friendly competition between the poet of Havamal and his contemporary Christians—oh yeah? We got a guy who rose up and returned, too.
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