#21NightsOfHavamal

“There’s many a good woman,
if you get to know her,
who’ll change her mind about a man;
I learned that
when I tried
to seduce a wise woman.
That wise lady
showed me every kind of shame,
and I gained no wife for my trouble.”

-Hávamál 102

If you’ve been reading along with me, or you're familiar with his myths, you’ve probably seen that Odin can be a bit of an incel. He doesn’t treat women kindly no matter how you translate it. Verses 96-102 recount the story of Odin’s unsuccessful seduction of a woman named only as “Billing’s daughter.” He doesn’t realize that she does not want him, and then falls for a bait-and-switch with a dog. Kind of like how a guy getting pushy and weird might be given a fake phone number.

Ultimately, the Havamal’s purpose is to teach people how to make good decisions, and sometimes the best way to learn is for someone to share their very personal and embarrassing mistakes.

I think this story is a clear sign that he is not a god of romantic love. Looking at the whole beginning section of the Havamal and how he talks about friendship, and considering his relationship with Loki, I think he is instead a god of platonic love, fellowship, and found family.

#21NightsOfHavamal

“A person is happy
If they find praise and wisdom
within themselves.
Many have received
bad advice
by trusting someone else.”

-Hávamál 7

The Old Norse word that is used in the last line here for “trusting” is brjóstum. The base word is the same root as our modern “breast.” We use a similar phrase today when we say you know something ‘in your heart.’ The idea that the core of us, who we really are, is located somewhere in the chest actually comes to us from the vikings.

So in this verse, Odin isn’t only saying “trust yourself,” he is saying that only you can know the true heart of yourself. Don’t let others tell you what you are, because they can never know all of you.

Hey! You're doing great today! You got a lot done.

Maybe today didn't feel too hot. Sometimes it's like that.

Tomorrow will be another day though! Another day to be your beautiful you, because you make the world brighter just by being in it. 💙

J'ai récemment pu photographier la Voie lactée au-dessus de l'île de la Harpe, à Rolle. Car la commune a décidé d’éteindre l’éclairage des quais et de l’île, ce qui permet de réduire la pollution lumineuse.
J’ai profité de l’une de mes balades nocturnes, fin juin, pour capturer la Voie lactée sur cette île que j’aime tant. C’est assez spécial de pouvoir faire de l’astrophoto dans la ville où j’ai grandi.

#astrophoto #voielactee #milkyway #Astronomy #astronomie

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