The Layman's Havamal

This book is an exploration of the wisdom in the Viking Age poem Havamal, specifically as it relates to the average person who isn't a scholar of Old Norse or even an enthusiast of Viking culture. This book is for the layman, the average person who simply wants to improve their life using proven advice.

The poem Havamal is earthy, cynical, stoic, and grim in its depiction of human life. Havamal means "The Words of the High One." The poem's speaker is none other than Odin, King of the Gods, w...