Slow Havamal: 149

[kylec]

In verse 149, Odin says he knows a fourth spell in which he can make chains and locks burst from his hands and feet when he is bound.

The fourth situation that warrants the use of magic in Havamal is being restrained in irons. As with last week, iron doesn’t seem to hinder Norse works of magic in the same way that it does those from other cultures, and several of these spells are directed at iron or steel to good effect. It isn’t difficult to imagine why someone might want to escape captivity, and given the lifestyles of the viking age, I’m sure that many people had their opportunity, whether taken prisoner for a crime, or captured as slaves.

In modern magical practice, “binding” works are common. They prevent the target from engaging in some kind of behavior, usually toward the mage or an acquaintance, and in some cases, at all. In our present context, we can view this spell as an unbinding. It might work on handcuffs well enough, but we would probably use an unbinding to get ourselves out of a situation in which we found ourselves stuck without recourse. I don’t know if anyone does that, but it occurs to me that Norse mages could do well to mine Havamal for these nuggets and craft some kind of work that serves the same class of purposes in the current culture.

Imagine if you could escape toxic relationships, bad habits, predatory legal contracts, self-restrictive attitudes, burning buildings, and maybe even a firm knot. A useful skill, that, and no wonder Odin prizes it.