The Wild Hunt (https://wildhunt.org/tag/icelandic/page/2)
Sometimes, the Mead of Poetry works indirectly. An old rock ‘n’ roll song is stuck on repeat in my head, spinning unceasingly between my ears. Actually, it’s not even an entire song. It’s just a verse or a chorus or sometimes only a line or two. Someone else’s creative creation gets lodged in there, doing work on my mind that only I can hear.
Maybe it’s not such a great idea to turn to writers from 1,000, or 2,000, or 3,000 years before the United Nations publicly published the Universal Declaration of Human Rights for teachings on the universality of human rights.
Lyonel Perabo reviews Jackson Crawford’s “The Wanderer’s Havamal,” a translation of the Old Norse wisdom poem alongside several additional texts.
We know many people set a new year’s goal for learning a new language. We start with the best intentions, and, just like losing weight, language learning means commitment, time and concentration, with the last two commodities increasingly difficult to come by. But like any goal, this project can be tackled by breaking down the objectives into simpler pieces and recognizing both the frustration and the achievements inherent in the process. The Lukumi religion tells us that Orisha Elegguá speaks all languages and as the trickster he is also the source of all frustrations around communication. So, like in the Yoruba tradition, we first honor Elegguá before embarking on language learning, in this case, even exploring language learning. For any objective, staying focused on small accomplishments is important.
Pagan Perspectives
Today’s column comes to us from Karl E.H. Seigfried, goði of Thor’s Oak Kindred in Chicago. In addition to his award-winning website, The Norse Mythology Blog, Karl has written for the BBC, Iceland Magazine, Journal of the Oriental Institute, On Religion, Religion Stylebook, and many other outlets. He holds degrees in literature, music, and religion, and he is the first Ásatrú practitioner to hold a graduate degree from University of Chicago Divinity School. Our weekend section is always open for submissions. Please submit queries to eric@wildhunt.org.