Slow Havamal: 104

[kylec]

In verse 104, Odin reports having visited the hall of a giant named Suttung, where far from remaining silent, he spoke many words in support of his cause.

Reading and writing verse by verse, I don’t yet have context for what Odin’s visit was about, or how it played out. Besides the joy of good stories and poetry, I study this poem in order to glean some practical advice, even if it may not have been the writer’s original intent. Dealing broadly with this verse, I see Odin visiting a race of people whose power is portrayed as on par with, sometimes in excess of, the gods’. The Aesir and the giants are not often on friendly terms in Norse mythology. (Note: there is no indication that I’m aware of, here or elsewhere, that giants are oversized, or look any different than the gods.) So Odin visits the hall of a giant who must be important in order to persuade him. He can’t simply take what he wants directly—Suttung must grant it.

When faced with someone in a position of greater power, at least of holding sway over a decision we’d like to see go a certain way, we can be daunted. What if it doesn’t go as we hope? What if even the act of asking brings down scorn upon us, making matters worse? If Odin worried about these things, he worked through those feelings, speaking at length and probably with passion and courage in support of his cause.

The situation holds some risk, at the least of losing his cause if not personal harm. When we know what it is we want, even if we depend on the favor of someone more powerful, it behooves us to speak up. The one who stands between us and the compromise, the job, the daughter’s hand, won’t know how we feel unless we say it. That doesn’t mean we’ll get it, or that we can say it however we want. There is always a way appropriate to the individuals’ social ranks, relationships, and the context of the request that directs how we ask. And of course, there are no guarantees that a well-framed request will be rewarded. But if we never make it at all, we are hoping that the person reads our minds and decides to accommodate us unbidden—a sketchy prospect.

It fascinates me that even a god as eminent as Odin sometimes has to ask for what he wants and hope it goes well. Here, we can use the wisdom and eloquence advised in the previous verse, and perhaps a few of those kind words. Verse 103 says we’ll be thought a fool if we don’t say much. A fool doesn’t tend to his needs, but hopes someone sees them and provides a remedy. There’s risk in saying a lot, because another type of fool also tends to prattle on. But with the right combination of skills and an eye toward how we’re being received, the wise can give themselves the greatest chance of success.