Hávamál: The Norse Poem of Odin's Wisdom

An introduction to Hávamál, one of the most important surviving works of Norse mythology.
Jackson Crawford, Ph.D.: Sharing real expertise in Norse language and myth with people hungry to learn, free of both ivory tower elitism and the agendas of self-appointed gurus. Visit jacksonwcrawford.com/ (includes bio and linked list of all videos).
Jackson Crawford’s Patreon page: / norsebysw
Visit Grimfrost at www.grimfrost.com?aff=183 and use code CRAWFORD for 5% off your order!
Latest FAQs: vimeo.com/375149287 (updated Nov. 2019).
Jackson Crawford’s translation of Hávamál, with complete Old Norse text: www.hackettpublishing.com/the...
Jackson Crawford’s translation of The Poetic Edda: www.hackettpublishing.com/the...
Audiobook: www.audible.com/pd/The-Poetic...
Jackson Crawford’s translation of The Saga of the Volsungs: www.hackettpublishing.com/the...
Audiobook: www.audible.com/pd/The-Saga-o...
Music © I See Hawks in L.A., courtesy of the artist. Visit www.iseehawks.com/
Logos by Elizabeth Porter (snowbringer at gmail).

[@SirSmurfalot]

There is no man so good, that he has no flaw. Nor a man so bad that he is good for nothing.

[@robertrose1021]

I love how you include the Old Norse on the left. I use it as a study guide and look forward to your future works. It'd be great if you kept this layout, please.

[@robertrose1021]

Side note, that's a pimp shirt!

[@ffgfggrgughb]

It's not Old Norse if still exist

[@myvikingmom6218]

I got your Hávámál for Christmas last year. It's my travel book now. It lives in my car kit and goes everywhere with me.

[@ZhovtoBlakytniy]

I just finished reading it last night. I Feel like it has to be read many times.

[@squidking762]

What's Hrafencatla mean?

[@wizardeddas]

I've read multiple translations multiple times, and every time I find new meanings and new things to learn from it.

[@GoodmansGhost]

@@squidking762 "Raven boiler" when doing an icelandic to english google translation.

[@bjarnedansson9610]

Yeah,that's what I also felt after reading it. I feel like it has to be read throughout one's life, and as he gets wiser and wiser, he understands it better.

[@f0tos310]

Слава Україні

[@tylerreed610]

Honestly, I just really love the dichotomy of your western aesthetic and spaghetti western music and the grimfrost ads

[@taliarose6573]

In the Land of the Blind, the One Eye is king.

[@robertrose1021]

He helps me see. My seeing eye king

[@TheBlindGuardian20]

Or as another new line has been created in a song :-) blind follow the blind and the one-eyed man is King

[@informitas0117]

I read the Edda in Swedish a few years back, it still mostly hold true to this day. I have multiple runes tones around where I live and I know the runes, but the old norse they portray is beyond me.

[@leonelrodriguez4010]

I recently read your translation of this poem, which I enjoyed as a first time reader of Old Norse poetry. I'm beggining to be interested in the Sagas, as well. I think you achieved something important with the appendix, "The cowboy Hávamál": you gave a living voice to the words of that piece of poetry, thousands of years old.

[@angelique_cs]

It's helpful to have this refresher on the text. Incidentally, The Wanderer's Hávamál has been a helpful study tool for your language courses lately.

[@wilmhoff1334]

Your book is actually arriving in the mail today. I'm very excited to read it and it seems auspicious you uploaded this video today. Thank you for all the work you do.

[@LeoxandarMagnus]

I still need to get my hands on the Wanderer’s Hávamal.

[@mohawkaaron2091]

Bravo sir. Great job making this concise and clear. I especially appreciate the comment at the end of your intent, distinguishing yourself from those with ulterior racially charged motives. They detract from the wisdom offered here.

[@nanettemccrone25]

Been watching these videos for over a year and I'm so in love with Jackson's voice

[@otto17023]

"Modern is an ever-shifting goalpost." Wise words, and more apparent today than ever...

[@TheBlindGuardian20]

You are so amazing my friend!! I absolutely love your videos and I love hearing old Norse. I am legally blind so I cannot read the text but to hear it spoken back is just amazing. I hope to sign up to your patreon soon.

[@Oakhart76]

I wish Michael Clarke Duncan was still alive and could read that in old Norse because that would be the closest we could get to hearing Oden himself... or what I imagine Oden would actually sound like. Anyone else agree?

[@stolman2197]

Once again, thank you. And all the best to you as well.

[@uukyspuuky3121]

Jacko has one eye on Hávámál all the time

[@swinhelm389]

Nice one

[@garethbrandt9163]

Still valid wisdom :)

[@colinbrettmann3894]

Helped me learn a ton about my heritage. Top professor at CU for sure.

[@aurasedge5580]

Thank you for all you do sir; also that shirt is awesome.

[@Thiago6656]

The spell at 16:35 became famous because of Heilung

[@traustisokki]

your knowledge and pronunciation is impressive. Especially the rolling R's

[@astronomicafilms]

Just read your translation today - and enjoyed it very much. Thank you!

[@alexrod3459]

Informative and that landscape behind is beautiful

[@stevemackelprang8472]

Back at you sir, .. all the best.

[@wukong6853]

I just found this video as your book came in today. I'm ecstatic to get into this and read it who knows how many times.

[@lisarichardson6253]

Thank you for sharing this. It is very informative and I slso really enjoyed hearing you speak in Norse. 🙂🙏

[@cornboi3227]

kinda funny you posted this video today, my copy of "The Wanderer's Havamal" just arrived yesterday

[@walleye306]

Could you enlighten us on what you know when it came to the ethics of hunting? Every culture has their own way of showing appreciation and I'm curious of what the old norse did

[@Overlord99762]

I'd be willing to bet is similar to most hunters, kill only what you need, don't let an animal suffer unnecessarily, etc.

[@JustNierninwa]

Snow in July. *shivers* "Never summer" alright oof

[@lightness7458]

I love your teaching to us especially to educate some that believe we are more than immortal it really brings us back to reality and conveys that we are very mortal men and women and at any given moment, we can die.

[@kristieski6439]

Hello dr.Jackson, firstly I want to thank you for all the knowledge that you give us about the norse world. There are people that are passionate about history and mythology. Secondly I wanted to ask if it is possible for you to make a video about the symbols, their meaning and usage, that were used by proto germanic people and their successors through centuries. Such as the valknut, vegvisir or helm of awe. There are some on the internet, but it is a bit more difficult to make sure of their authenticity and story. Thank you again for your time and I really like your channel. Wish you all the best.

[@MyaKHamilton]

He already made a video about the helm of awe. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aXuXeGpjmtlpgqs

[@kristieski6439]

Didn't notice. Thank you :)

[@janeh3134]

Very good pronunciations. Wishing you good health too. 😊

[@FrankHappel]

Love your book. Thank you

[@anthonyeddiehawman8055]

If you ever get the chance, visit my home town in the northeast of England. I think you'd enjoy hearing the local Geordie dialect.

[@dr.inking]

This video... GOLD!!

[@carlosmacmartin4205]

Interesting! Stumbled into the video. I'll buy the Kindle book. Skol!!

[@thomaszaccone3960]

Much wisdom in this.

[@180dagger]

This is great. I have a basically textbook copy of the poetic edda and I'm hoping to learn to recite it with some *correct* linguistic flair. Mostly because I'm a nerd but I also work at a couple Renaissance fairs and I want to overall bring some accurate Norse mythology to the public

[@sonnenhafen5499]

thank you

[@drageben145]

Huh cool that mål has survived atleast into modern norwegian as we have bokmål which translates to bookspeech

[@warrenharding429]

A wayfarer should not walk unarmed, But have his weapons to hand: He knows not when he may need a spear, Or what menace meet on the road. The Havamal

[@MrQabalist]

“Modern is an ever shifting goal post.” And an ever subversive reality.

[@jimsus69]

Hello Jackson love your work.. Found out today that Engelbert Humperdinks name Engelbert means Bright Angel. So I always thought England had something to do with the Angles people.. But a direct transaction of England in Pagan German or Germanic would be.. Land of Angels. Wouldn't it? 😊 Let me know if you agree 😊

[@sethpbretches6647]

My son will read this when he comes of age

[@ssmedja]

Hey! I just became a Patreon. And I can't seem to find this runic interpretation of Hávamál you mentioned.

[@ssmedja]

I also ordered The Wanderer's Hávamál. Looking forward to getting it in my hands!

[@martinmoss3791]

In Norwegian west dialekt we prenounce havamal the same way. Håvamål☺️

[@Ulv_Draugr]

How would one say "Wanderer's Hávamál" in Old Norse, I wonder?

[@andrewhensley9323]

That voice sounds familiar. Do you by chance narrate audio books specifically the prose edda

[@Mister_Flink]

Hello Mr.Crawford! I tried to order the book but it says on the web that currently there is no shipping methods available for it. Any clues on how to get it? Need it shipped to Spain! Thanks!

[@Mister_Flink]

Nevermind! Got it from Gazelle Book Services (EUR)! Cheers!

[@jamesfoster7735]

Amazing! I would love to pick your brain

[@thogameskanaal]

Is stanza 77 a repeat or alternate version of stanza 76, as they both convey roughly the same? Maybe it's repeated for emphasis, or it was orally passed down to different groups and later collected and compiled from two different sources.

[@1993whitenoise]

Historically speaking who was Odin? A king? A sage?

[@mightysucc4017]

Could you say that Hávamál is some what of the viking gospel

[@JohanKylander]

More of their Book of Proverbs, or Ecclesiates.

[@brianweaver327]

Before you begin studying the runes, you'd better make sure you've collected each one. You should Havamal in one place.

[@sigurdurgujonsson4485]

Why don´t you wright a movie script ( or mini serie ) for "Egils saga" I would think it is a perfect material for people to day , in Egil, you have a perfect "anti hero"

[@justinstark3504]

Hows it going Bro , is there anyway i could Get a Copy of your Book .Super keen to give it a read

[@squidking762]

Who wrote it?

[@TheWolfgangGrimmer]

As in, who compiled in written form before anyone else? I don't think we'll ever figure that out.

[@squidking762]

@@TheWolfgangGrimmer Fair enough

[@nakmuay2727]

came here from vinland saga

[@nyarlathotep4389]

Dr Norse cowboy

[@tomhorn6156]

:-)

[@swinhelm389]

.-)

[@loddfafnir9345]

:-)

[@Blaergh]

I take issue with what you say starting around 12:40. Yes, the poem admits that both men and women lie to each other, yet the part about women outright says they're fundamentally rotten ("hearts are molded on a wobbly wheel... faithlessness is planted at their core"). Men aren't described nearly as harshly in the following lines. You say it yourself in other videos, the Norse valued hypermasculinity and used any sign of femininity in a man as ammunition for derision - which is *misogyny*. You can't remove that aspect of their culture from these Havamal verses and downplaying it is irresponsible at best.

[@nicholasoneal1521]

I see your point, but to be fair, Odin is giving advice to men specifically here. Considering his words about how men act towards women are a little harsher than admitting men lie: we speak them fairest when thoughts are falsest and wile the wisest of hearts. I'd think if he were giving advice to women specifically, the emphasis would be on how men lie. That being said, the fact the he focuses on advice for men only does show the inherit sexism found in their culture. And there are other sexist lines in the Havamal: Praise day at even, a wife when dead, a weapon when tried, a maid when married

[@magnusqwerty]

Hávamál is not Norse.....