412 



THE CONDUCT OF LIFE THE HAVAMAL. 



she ask ; the fourth not to tell his concubine all his secrets ; 

 the fifth not to ride on his best horse when in a hurry ; the 

 sixth never to raise the child of a more high-born man than 

 he is himself ; the seventh never to break his truce ; the eighth 

 never to take with him many captured thralls. If he follows 

 all this advice he will be a man of luck, though I outlaw him 

 now for breach of the law " (Hervarar Saga, c. 8). 



" A tree falls not at the first blow," said an Icelander to 

 the priest Thaugbrand, who was going to christianize Iceland. 

 (Njala, ch. 103.) 



" Cold (fatal) are the counsels of women," said the chief 

 Flosi to his kinswoman Hildigunn, who urged him to revenge 

 her husband. (Njala, ch. 116.) 



" You have much of a swine's memory " (a very short 

 memory), said Gudriiu, when she was urging her brothers to 

 slay Kjartan, her former lover. (Laxdaela, ch. 48.) 



"It must be worse before it gets better." (Fins. v. 199.) 



"A sheepless household starves." 



" The bondi is bu-pillar ; the bii is the pillar of the land." 



Sigrdrifa gives the following counsels to Sigurd : 



Or his (the fool's) words to be true : 

 The home-judgment is dangerous 

 Unless thou gettest a good one. 

 The next day 



Thou shalt slay him (the fool), 

 And thus reward people for their lie. 



Sigrdrifa. 



First, I advise thee 



Do no wrong to 



Thy kinsmen ; 



Do not avenge thyself 



Though they harm thee. 



It is said to be good after death. 



Secondly I advise thee, 



Swear not an oath, 



Unless it be true ; 



Cruel roots 



Strike perjury; 



Wretched is the wolf of plighted faith. 



Thirdly I advise thee 



That thou at a thing 



Do not quarrel with fools ; 



For an unwise man 



Often says 



Worse words than he knows. 



All is difficult 

 If thou art silent, 



Then thou art thought to be born a 

 coward, 



Fourthly I advise thee, 



If a witch 



Full of evil lives on the way, 



It is better to walk on 



Than lodge there 



Though the night overtake thee. 



Eyes of foresight 



Need the sons of men 



In the angry fight ; 



Often wicked women 



Sit near the road, 



Who blunt both sword and sense. 



Fifthly I advise thee 



Though you seest 



Fair brides on the benches ; 



Let not the goddesses of silver 



Hinder thy sleep, 



Do not entice women to kisses. 



