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The old Norse didn't believe in ghosts per se.

Instead, they knew of a being called a draugr: a revenant, an un-dead, an animated corpse that will not lay still, but instead walks, wreaking ill, to trouble the lands of the living.

The Norse said DROW-ger. In Iceland today, they say DROY-goor. If (there's no evidence that they did) the English-speaking ancestors had known of such wights (or rather, un-wights) and had called them by an equivalent name, we would today name them drows (as drowse).

When the southron shavelings came in and started vaunting about their new god, you can't tell me that people didn't nod in recognition and say: Aha.

Come to think of it, this actually explains quite a bit about the history of the last thousand years, and (alas) much ill-wreaking that still goes on today.

81.
At kveldi skal dag leyfa,
konu, er brennd er,
mæki, er reyndr er,
mey, er gefin er,
ís, er yfir kemr,
öl, er drukkit er.

At evening shall one praise the day / a woman, when you burn her / a sword, when you test it / a maid, when you give her [to a husband] / ice, when you cross it / ale, when it's drunk.

76.

71.

Haltr ríðr hrossi,

Here are a few more verse in my ongoing translation and discussion of the Old Norse poem:

 61.

Þveginn ok mettr

ríði maðr þingi at,

þótt hann sé-t væddr til vel;

skúa ok bróka

skammisk engi maðr

né hests in heldr,

þótt hann hafi-t góðan

 

Washed and fed

shall a man ride to the Thing,

though he be not clothed well;

of his shoes and his britches

should no man be ashamed

nor of his horse neither,

though he not a good one.

 

The Thing was the assembly to settle differences, plead suits and socialise in all kids of ways; in Iceland, the annual national gathering, the Alþingi is still the name for their governing body though the no longer meet out in the valley in tents (a few politicians have suggested that doing so would make the government work a little faster). Traditionally the law speaker recited at least a third of the laws that he had to keep memorised. Thus legal matters were decided there: as much as Icelanders pride themselves on having the longest existing democracy, the medieval version demonstrates that might (usually through having supporters, but sometimes through outright violence) made right. This verse counsels that one must make the best appearance possible. If your clothes were not the best at least make sure they are clean and mended, your shoes clean and your horse stepping out the best she can, even if she wasn't going to win any races -- or in the case of male horses, any fights. Horse fights were a brutal but popular sport.

 

62.

Snapir ok gnapir,

er til sævar kemr,

örn á aldinn mar;

svá er maðr,

er með mörgum kemr

ok á formælendr fáa.

 

Snapping and stretching,

when it comes to the sea,

the eagle to the billowy sea;

so is the man,

who among the crowds comes

and has few supporters.

 

The man without sufficient supporters is like the eagle who swoops down at a fish only to see it disappear beneath the waves. Don't wait until you get to the gathering to form your alliances. Much of viking life was about gift giving and hospitality because you never knew when you would need an important ally. Feuds could break out over fairly small disagreements -- about where your land ended and your neighbour's began, or who got to use a certain path to summer pasturing.Alliances were essential.

 

63.

Fregna ok segja

skal fróðra hverr,

sá er vill heitinn horskr;

einn vita

né annarr skal,

þjóð veit, ef þrír ro.

 

Ask and reply

shall each of the wise ones,

he who wants to be called sensible;

one must know

but another shall not,

all the people know, if three do.

 

Wisdom is highly prized: we have seen several verses on that topic. But being able to hold your own counsel is also important, the poet tells us. You should shrink from sharing secrets with anyone at all if you can avoid it. If you tell someone and they tell a third, then the secret will not be kept and everyone shall know. If you are heading to the Thing and bringing a suit, it's best not to let the cat out of the bag until you are certain you have sufficient support.

 

64.

Ríki sitt

skyli ráðsnotra

hverr í hófi hafa;

þá hann þat finnr,

er með fræknum kemr

at engi er einna hvatastr.

 

His power

should each of the wise

have in moderation;

then he finds that

when he comes among the bold

that none is keenest of all.

 

Power in this sense seems to be connected to the idea of anger (as the wise man said, 'Anger is an energy.') I connect it with the previous verse: just as you should not show your cards until you're ready with a firm phalanx of supporters, you should not show your anger until you read the room (or the tent). If your opponent is even more angry, he may be able to sway your supporters -- perhaps simply to not support your action, but worse, over to your opponent's side. Hold your anger in check: the sagas are full of unwise men who let their emotions lead them into rash decisions.

 

65.

-- -- -- --

orða þeira,

er maðr öðrum segir

oft hann gjöld of getr.

 

 

[missing lines]

For those words,

which a man says to another

often he gets repayment.

 

In a similar vein, your angry words can be repaid by more of the same, while your measured speech may meet with likewise thoughtful responses. In the medieval world people were much more cognizant of being part of a community. Ostracism -- including outlawry and banishment -- put people in a truly vulnerable position that many could not survive. Men like the famous Grettir only survived such a fate because they were able to call upon both the friends they had made prior to being banished and were extraordinary enough to convince people to offer help despite the risks of aiding a fugitive.

See more of the verses here.

57.

Brandr af brandi

brenn, unz brunninn er,

funi kveikisk af funa;

maðr af manni

verðr at máli kuðr,

en til dælskr af dul.

Torch from a torch

burns, until it burns out,

flame kindles itself from flame;

man from a man

knows truth from speaking,

but folly from the fool.

 

Like breeds like we might say: just as the flame passes from torch to torch, so the light of learning passes from a wise one to a willing student. It burns brightly as long as there is fuel for it -- an eager mind. It's a constant refrain of the verses, but if you listen to fools you learn nothing but foolishness. Be mindful of where you sit. Better silence than foolishness.

 

58.

Ár skal rísa,

sá er annars vill

fé eða fjör hafa;

sjaldan liggjandi ulfr

lær of getr

né sofandi maðr sigr.

He must rise [early]

who would gladly have

the wealth or life;

seldom will the lolling wolf

get the lamb's thigh

nor the sleeping man victory.

 

We know all about the early bird getting the worm; here the advice is the same but with the vivid example of the busy wolf grabbing the lamb's 'ham' or thigh. The sleeping warrior will not get victory any more than the sleeping wolf her dinner.

 

59.

Ár skal rísa,

sá er á yrkjendr fáa,

ok ganga síns verka á vit;

margt of dvelr,

þann er um morgin sefr,

hálfr er auðr und hvötum.

He must rise early

who has few workers,

and get right to his work;

many things will delay,

he who in the morning slumbers,

yet half the wealth to he who's keen.

 

In typical Nordic litotes, to have 'few workers' is to have only yourself. Rise up early and don't procrastinate, because there is no one else you can count on. Half delayed is half unpaid! While this may seem more puritan than viking, they have in common a harsh life with a lot of tedious chores to maintain food and comfort.

 

60.

Þurra skíða

ok þakinna næfra,

þess kann maðr mjöt,

þess viðar,

er vinnask megi

mál ok misseri.

Of dry sticks

and bark roofing,

of this a man ought know the measure;

of this wood

which should last

a quarter or a sixmonths.

 

This stanza is a little more tricky. The basic sense is clear enough: practical knowledge will save you work. Knowing what kind of wood lasts longest before you use it as roofing is very wise. It plays with the concept of 'measure' both as a way to evaluate knowledge and as actually measuring wood for building. The lengths of time aren't terms we use as often now; some translators just use "short and long" for the seasons, but clearly the difference was more specific and meaningful in this agricultural community.

See also Meditations on Hávamál, 52-56, Meditations on Hávamál, 48-51, Meditations on Hávamál, 44-47, Meditations on Hávamál, 40-43, Meditations on Hávamál, 35-39, Meditations on Hávamál, 31-34, Meditations on Hávamál, 27-30, Meditations on Hávamál, 23-26, Meditations on Hávamál, 19-22, Meditations on Hávamál, 15-18, etc.

 I use the Evans edition of the poem to begin and compare with translations here and here. The original text comes from the Heimskringla site in Norway. I also received a new translation of The Poetic Edda from Hackett Publishing; when I get a chance, I'll review it.