THE HAVAMAL. 



411 



Wouldst thou get a good woman 

 To talk pleasantly, 

 And get delight from her, 

 Promise thou fair things 

 And firmly keep it ; 

 No man dislikes the good if he can 

 get it. 



I bid thee be wary, 



But not too wary ; 



Be most wary at ale, 



And with another's wife, 



And thirdly 



That thieves play not tricks on thee. 



Thou must never 

 Muck or laugh at 

 A guest or a wayfarer. 



Often know not well 

 Those who sit within 

 Of what kin they are who come ; 

 No man is so good 

 That a fault follows him not, 

 Nor so bad, that he is good for 

 nothing. 



Never laugh 



At a hoary wise man ; 



Often it is good which old men say 

 Skilled words come often 

 Out of a shrivelled skin 

 Hanging among hides, 

 Dangling among dry skins, 

 And going among the sons of toil. 



Scoff not at the guest, 

 Nor drive him to the door ; 

 Be kind to the poor. 



Strong is the door-bar, 



That shall turn 



And open for all ; 



Give a ring, 1 



Or to thy limbs 



Will every kind of evil be wished. 



Wherever thou drinkest ale, 



Take earth's strength ; 



For the earth acts against ale, 



And fire against constipation, 



The (corn) ear against spells, 



The spurred rye against hernia ; 



The moon shall be called on against 



curses, 



Heather against contagious diseases, 

 Runes against evil spells ; 

 The mould must receive the liquid. 



The following proverbs and wise sayings occur in the Sagas : 



Courage is better 

 Than the power of sword 

 Where the angry must fight ; 

 For I saw a bold man 



Win 



Victory with a blunt sword. 



'Tis better for the bold 

 Than cowards 



To be in the game of Hi Id ; 2 

 It is better to be merry 

 Thau to be downhearted 

 Whatever may come to hand. 



(Fafnismal.) 



When Heidrek, the son of Hofund, was outlawed by his 

 father for his misconduct, he asked to have advice given him : 



" King Hofund said : ' Little advice will I give him, for I 

 think he will make bad use of it ; but, since you ask, I will 

 give him first the advice never to help the man who has 

 betrayed his master ; the second is never to spare the life of 

 (always to slay) a man who has murdered his companion ; 

 the third is not to let his wife visit her kinsmen often though 



1 Something as alms. 



War. 



